SAFETY: BEFORE YOU PROCEED ON A HIKE, YOU NEED TOU GIVE YOUR HIKE LEADER THE FOLLOWING INFO:
1. Your Medical info/history
2.Your Medical Fund info
3. Your Next of Kin contact info
4. Know the Mountain Rescue numbers @ 0219370300 or 10177
More info on What to do in case of an emergency: https://wsar.org.za/safety-
Drive-time: About 1 hour 30 min from Cape Town; Walk-in time: 3 hours 30 min.
Height gain: Approximately 1000m from the car park.
Weather forecast: Google yr.no Brandwagpiek Western Cape (spelling is important!)
https://www.yr.no/place/South_
B00KINGS: All MCSA members wishing to access Thomas Hut must do so via the Hut Convenor, Erika van Niekerk at thomashut@mcsaworcester.org.za at least four working days in advance.
Thomas Hut is situated in the Hex River Mountains north of Worcester at Disa Dell (1395m) on the north-eastern flanks of Brandwacht Peak. Overlooking Meiring’s Plateau, it is often the first stop on an exploration of the Hex River Mountains. It is an ideal base from which to access Brandwacht Peak, Chavonnesberg, Meiring’s Plateau and its ridge peaks, Audensberg and of course Fonteintjiesberg. The Hut also forms part of the classic “Hex Traverse” to Waaihoek, Ceres or the Hex River Valley.
The hut is at a height of around 1 395m, with the path leading to it starting at 445m. A fire in the mountains in 2003 led to the exposure of the original 1930s Loubscher’s Highway path. It had been closed in 1969 after the Tulbagh earthquake created dangerous conditions in Tierkloof, but these sections have been rebuilt and the original route is now used.
Facilities at this one-room hut include:
Inside are:
Bring your own charcoal, toilet paper and gas stoves. Or alternatively, a butane gas canister (220g) to use with the gas stove tops, which are in the hut.
NO OUTSIDE FIRES ALLOWED!
Thomas Hut was built in 1930 thanks to the combined efforts of the founding members of the Ski Club of South Africa – one of whom was Eddie Pells – and the Worcester Section of the MCSA, who realised that the slopes of the Fonteintjiesberg were good for skiing after a heavy snowfall. The hut is named after McL Thomas, who was chairman of the Worcester Section at the time and who first loaned the funds to build the hut, and then waived repayment.
Building the hut was quite a task. A road to Brandwacht had to be built first, which was jointly funded by the MCSA and the Worcester municipality. Stone and sand was readily available, but additional building materials, such as roofing and planks weighing 3.5 tons, had to be transported to the site. This required a team of donkeys and 200 pupils from the local school!
The hut was officially opened after the first snowfalls in the area on 7 August 1931 and was used mostly by skiers, but in 1934 the municipality feared contamination of the stream supplying water to Worcester so they closed access.
The MCSA later managed to convince the municipality to allow them access once again. Since then, many improvements have been made including the addition of an outside toilet, a stoep and a pergola.
