Sardine Run Travel Report - SNOW
- Animal Ocean
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
I’m standing at the top of Wapadsberg Pass near Cradock, completely surrounded by whiteout. Snow blankets everything—thick, wet, and surreal. The air is crisp and biting, something rarely felt in South Africa. A group of bedraggled baboons sit huddled on a rocky outcrop, wedged between erosion netting and stone, staring down at us with wet fur and wary eyes.

Samantha Sivewright is scraping “Grande Frothachinos” into the snow while Danny Jegels laughs nearby. Libby Richardson has bolted off into the slush to stretch her legs and get a shot. Lara-hailey Caine is just standing still, silently soaking in the strange, snowy beauty around us. I’m photographing our cars against this whitewashed backdrop, the slushy road behind them, and my fingers are frozen from carving “Sardine Run ‘25” into the snow.
We’re here because we left Cape Town at 5:30 AM, remembering Sardine Run 101 - always have a head torch, trying to reach Mdumbi before the massive cold front hits the coastline tomorrow. But as we’ve headed inland, the cold has turned wet—snow falling and settling at these higher altitudes. The roads are technically closed, but only loosely—so we’ve made it through. It’s a slushy wonderland out here, with temperatures hovering around 2°C.
The whole day has been filled with a strange mix of excitement and distraction: prepping mentally for the Sardine Run, checking gear, talking logistics, grabbing biltong in Laingsburg, a Wimpy stop in Beaufort West, supplies in Graaff-Reinet, and wildlife sightings—vervet monkeys, baboons, secretary birds, blue cranes, even springbok—across the dry winter Karoo.
Tonight, we’re staying in Cradock at a cozy little place called Albert House Guesthouse.
Fingers crossed we can continue tomorrow without being snowed in. It’s rare—this kind of snow. Most of us have never seen anything like it in South Africa. It's a novelty, a surprise, and a reminder that nature does what it wants.
We’re in high spirits, chasing sardines northward just as they follow the cold water. The snow is a first for me on these trips—we’ve had chilly nights in the mountains near Worcester, sure, but snow-covered roads? Never. I’m here in my slops, completely unprepared for the cold, but the car is holding up and the team’s energy is solid.
What a way to kick off the season.
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