Sprocky wrote:Welcome to the S.H.I.T. club.
This club is exclusively for members. To be a member you must have experienced
Sable Hide In Twilight.
Please add your name to the list to become a member, and also post a short piece on your experience during your induction to the S.H.I.T. club.
1. Sprocky
2. Twigga
I can add my name to the this club! Great idea Sprocky
July 2013
We were cruising from Shingwedzi to spent our last night at the hide. We could only check in half an hour before gate closing time, 05:30, but we decided to push our luck and by 4:30 we had our bedding and were heading into the unknown. Not even 500m from Phala gate a car was parked to the side, “It can’t be anything worthwhile, just cruise past!” we just wanted to get to the hide. My designated driver cruised past and I saw the distinct white tip tail of a HUGE LOG.
Stoooooooooooop – but Mr Driver’s reactions was too slow and we came to an abrupt standstill about 100 meter from the spotted cat. We could only catch the last few seconds of the leopard walking into the Mopani trees.
Just a few km before the hide, another 2 cars parked to the side, wait for it – “You’ve just missed a LOG walking over the road” Could it be the same 1 ?
So it was official, this area is “vrot” with leopards. Two of my comrades were looking very worried by this time, how would we survive the night
I am happy to report however that we did survive the night, an experience I would NEVER forget. We didn’t saw anything that night
But we could hear the distinctive call of a leopard looking for its mate, a sound I will never forget.Somewhere in the morning hours a herd of ellies came splashing into the dam
They later crashed through the bush, very close to the hide,, it’s an intimidating experience, we could only hear them, so it left a lot to the imagination
Another tip:If you have a wild imagination then I would not recommend you do this experience, you might end up crazy
A few pointers
-Try to be at Phalaborwa gate at least an hour earlier, to check in and buy last supplies at shop
-Be sure to take a good spotlight
-Take own drinking water
-"Braai" grid, they don’t supply anymore
-LIFESAVER – Own sleeping bag, they only provided us with the necessities, no extra blanket so it can become quite chilly
- Make sure, as stated in the "hide rules" that you are out of there in good time, you don't want the Griesel family to catch you with your P'J's on, and we can vow to that. The first tourist stopped there 10 min after gate opening time
Luckily we adhered to the rules.
-I will definitly do this again, but only in winter months - In summer months I am sure you will have a huge fight with all them bugs & creepy crawlies, but that just me
Highly recommended mites at least once
Zimbabwe + Wildtuin 2013 523 by
twigga2011, on Flickr
Zimbabwe + Wildtuin 2013 511 by
twigga2011, on Flickr
Zimbabwe + Wildtuin 2013 512 by
twigga2011, on Flickr
Zimbabwe + Wildtuin 2013 514 by
twigga2011, on Flickr
