TO GET THERE
The turn off to the Pirie Forest is approximately 11km from King William’s Town at S32 46.515 E027 22.768 and parking is at S32 44.382 E027 17.865. The trailhead starts along the bank of the Maiden Dam, below the fence. Be sure to follow the yellow footprints and be on the lookout for double footprints, which indicate a change in direction.
OTHER CACHES ALONG THE ROUTE
This is the first of eleven caches hidden on the first part of the six-day Amatola Hike, the one being a bonus cache so make sure to pick up the clue at each of the following caches along this trail to find the Amathole Hike Bonus Cache. Caches with clues are 1) Measuring H2o flow, 2) Trestle Bridge, 3) The Chains, 4) Cycad Forest, 5) Hi-Jinx 6) Amathole View.
INFORMATION
The trail to pick up all eleven caches will be a good day’s hike and will cover about 16 kms. So, put on your hiking boots, daypack, sunscreen and hat. You can also take a walking stick and a costume and towel (if you fancy a dip in the river). Drinking water can be found at a good few places along the trail. To get maximum enjoyment out of this trail, you should be fit and start as early as possible.
WE WOULD SUGGEST YOU PACK IN A TORCH.
THE PIRIE FOREST
Entering into the Pirie forest is like entering into another world, in a forest steeped in frontier war history. On the way you will pass the turnout for the Sandile’s cave day walk, which entails a strenuous climb high into the mountain (and to iNokia’s Sandiles Cave cache), but don’t take this route! Continue straight up along the river with the river on your right hand side. You will also pass over one of only two places where a forest railway operated in South Africa and the remains of an old timber chute are still visible. It was in these forests that the Giant Golden Mole, which is endemic to the Eastern Cape, was first recorded.
At the cache site is a spot where the water flow is measured and on the day of planting the cache this river flowed strongly after the previous day’s rain. As this is dense forest the GPSr readings are not too accurate so we will endeavour to give you information to make your find easier.
THE CACHE
To find this cache you will need to continue 45 paces along the trail from the metal structure.