Hiking to Salybia Falls

I'm a designer. Hiking hasn't necessarily been my thing. But after a bit of coaxing, my cousin convinced me to give it a try.

So there I was, armed with sunscreen and insect repellent, (too) early on a Saturday morning walking through "the bush". And you know what...? It wasn't that bad!

Apart from a few muddy areas and the occasional log or shallow river, the trail was pretty easy to follow. We didn't even need a guide. The trail was cut back nicely and there were even wooden steps with rails and garbage bins along the way.


After a cool 45-minute walk, we got the waterfall. Unfortunately the non-swimmers among us were not able to enjoy the shock of swimming at sub-zero temperatures (OK, it wasn't that bad...but it was pretty cold for the first 10 minutes).
 

 There is no shallow area at Salybia Falls – once you dive in, that's it, you're in deep water. There also isn't enough space for a large group to "lime" comfortably for the entire day.

But I had a great time. We spent about two to three hours swimming and I even climbed up the rock face and dove off the cliff down into the waterfall's plunge pool.
So, now as a full-fledged hiker (!), if you decide to take a trip to Salybia Falls the best advice I can give you is to wear proper shoes. You'll have to cross a shallow river and, depending on the weather, track through quite a bit of mud... so wear something that has a lot of traction but that also dries quickly.

Until next time...!