Drakensberg 2014 Amble, scramble & climb Hiking trails and tips The ultimate pack list FROM HEAD TO TAIL How to tame the dragon R45 (VAT incl) Other countries R39,47 + Eastern Cape highlands Chilling in Rhodes ALL-IN-ONE TRAVEL GUIDE Detailed maps & GPS points 50+ Places to stay Top things to do
DAWIE VERWEY CONTENTS 4 ED S LETTER 5 BEHIND THE SCENES Meet the Drakensberg fundis who put this guide together. 7 MAP An overview of the whole region, from Harrismith in the north to Matatiele in the south. 8 UPFRONT News, border post info, good books and road updates. COVER PICTURE WILLEM VAN DER BERG Take a scenic stroll in Garden Castle Nature Reserve on the hiking trail to Rhino Peak. 10 THE BEST OF THE BERG Your cheat sheet to an unforgettable holiday. 12 PORTFOLIO Gorgeous photos to whet your appetite. 20 FLY-FISHING The top 10 places to fish for trout. 28 NORTHERN 31 MAP 32 HISTORY The first car to traverse the Drakensberg was a Model T Ford! 35 THINGS TO DO Climb the chain ladders, hike up Tugela Gorge, drive Mike s Pass 41 HIKE Rainbow Gorge, Mnweni Pass, Cathedral Peak 46 RESERVE Royal Natal National Park. 48 TRAVEL GUIDE 52 CENTRAL 55 MAP 56 THINGS TO DO Listen to the Drakensberg Boys Choir, spot a bearded vulture, see the Game Pass Shelter 62 HIKE Meander Hut, Roman Baths, Giant s Castle Peak 68 RESERVES Giant s Castle, Monk s Cowl, Injisuthi, Kamberg and Highmoor. 73 TRAVEL GUIDE 78 SOUTHERN 81 MAP 82 RHODES Hang out with the residents of this faraway village at the annual Stoepsit Festival. 86 THINGS TO DO Paraglide over Bulwer, drive Sani Pass, visit a mission station 90 HIKE Pholela River, Mehloding Trail, Giant s Cup 96 RESERVES Lotheni, Vergelegen, Garden Castle and Cobham. 99 TRAVEL GUIDE 104 READER STORY Explore seven passes in four days in the Eastern Cape highlands. 110 HIKING 111 TIPS Read this before you hit the trail. 112 PACK LIST What to pack for a day hike, an overnight trail or a multi-day trek along the escarpment. 115 INTERVIEW We chat to hiking legend Dave Sclanders. 120 INDEX 122 AT ITS BEST A sheep with style. Drakensberg 2014 3
I wonder if I closed the garage door EDITOR ESMA MARNEWICK ASSISTANT EDITOR TOAST COETZER PICTURE EDITOR SAM REINDERS COPY EDITORS MARIJCKE DODDS, MARTINETTE LOUW CARTOGRAPHER FRANÇOIS HAASBROEK ART DIRECTOR LYNNE FRASER LAYOUT ARTIST MEGAN CRONJE CONTRIBUTORS PETER VAN NOORD, WILLEM VAN DER BERG, XANTHE HUNT, FIONA MCINTOSH, ADÉL STEYN, DAVE SCLANDERS, JON MINSTER, ERNS GRUNDLING, LEON-BEN LAMPRECHT, SHAEN ADEY, NICK DALL Viva, Drakensberg! When I was assigned this guide, I knew I would have to move mountains to get it done. Firstly, how do you start exploring such a vast area? The ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park alone is almost the size of Luxembourg a country! Plus, I was already four months pregnant But little by little we tamed the dragon and compiled this comprehensive travel guide to help you plan a Drakensberg holiday to suit your family s needs and your budget. To make it easier, we divided up the region as follows: Northern Berg: Royal Natal National Park, Bergville, Cathedral Peak and surrounds. Central Berg: Winterton, the Champagne Valley, Kamberg, Giant s Castle and the KZN Midlands. Southern Berg: From Lotheni to the Bushman s Nek section of Garden Castle Nature Reserve, including Underberg, Himeville, Rhodes and some parts of the Eastern Cape Highlands. Even though the Drakensberg offers hundreds of activities (you can hike, rock climb, fish, swim, see rock art, foefie slide, ride a horse, mountain bike ) you ll probably end up on a stoep or in front of a fireplace just staring at the view. The scenery is indeed spectacular: sunrises and sunsets colour the sky, clouds decorate the high peaks and clear streams glint in the sun. Plan some fun activities but leave enough time on your itinerary to just be in the most beautiful mountain range in South Africa. Travel safely! esma@weg.co.za Esma s daughter Bella was born on 24 May 2014. As soon as she s walking, the Marnewicks will load up the station wagon and head to the Drakensberg MICHAEL LE GRANGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: WEG & GO BARNIE LOUW PUBLISHER LYNETTE HARDING GENERAL MANAGER: LIFESTYLE MAGAZINES JACQUES BREYTENBACH CEO, MEDIA24 MAGAZINES JOHN RELIHAN ADVERTISING HEAD OF ADVERTISING ROBYN LAMBERT HEAD OF SALES SECTORS CRAIG NICHOLSON BUSINESS MANAGER (KZN) EUGENE MARAIS 031 566 4178 NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: TRAVEL & MOTORING DANIE NELL 082 859 0542 danie.nell@media24.com DIRECT & CLASSIFIED SALES LIZEL PAUW 082 876 8189 lizel.kok@media24.com JEANINE KRUGER 082 342 2299 jeanine.kruger@media24.com SANETHA MEINTJIES 084 416 5797 sanetha.meintjies@media24.com NICK FITZELL 071 430 6311 nick.fitzell@media24.com SHARLENE SMITH 083 583 1604 sharlene.smith@media24.com THEA THOMAS 078 450 7771 tthomas@media24.com DESIGNER: MADRE MOSTERT/STIAAN JORDAAN SUB-EDITOR: BRIGITTE BLANCKENBERG WHERE TO FIND US CAPE TOWN DONVÉ MYBURGH 021 443 9830 donve.myburgh@media24.com POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 740, Cape Town, 8000 STREET ADDRESS 4th floor, Absa Building, cnr of Adderley & Riebeek streets, Cape Town, 8001 JOHANNESBURG ELÓDIE BOOYENS 011 217 3067 elodie.booyens@media24.com POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 785266, Sandton, 2146 STREET ADDRESS 5A Protea Place, Protea Park, Sandown, 2146 PUBLISHER Media 24 Lifestyle Magazines. RETOUCHING Media 24 Magazines DISTRIBUTION On the Dot Copyright Weg/go! All rights reserved. Total or partial reproduction of the content without prior written permission of the editor is prohibited. PRINTING Paarl Media Cape All rights reserved 4 Drakensberg 2014
Behind the scenes The contributors to this guide explored every inch of the Drakensberg. Some hiked and pitched tents; others drank hot chocolate in front of the fire. Together, they helped to make your next trip to the Berg a breeze. WILLEM VAN DER BERG Willem is a freelance photographer and writer based in Bloemfontein. He criss-crossed the southern Drakensberg and braved Sani Pass. His first experience of the Drakensberg was being strapped to his dad s back on a hike when he was only a few months old. These days he likes to explore the region on his off-road motorbike. The landscape is challenging but there are few other places in South Africa where the air is as fresh and the views are as amazing. Favourite place: The village of Rhodes and the Hermits Wood campsite in Drakensberg Gardens Nature Reserve. I like the quieter places. Best place to eat: Lemon Tree Bistro in Underberg. Besides the great coffee, the owners Huck and Elsabé Orban know a lot about the area. XANTHE HUNT Former go! intern and now jet-setting English teacher, Xanthe was exploring the Drakensberg before she could walk. She grew up in Pietermaritzburg and has spent many family holidays in the mountains. Favourite place: I try to visit Kamberg Nature Reserve at least once a year. When I m there, I hike to the waterfall and fish in Horseshoe Dam. Best place to eat: Bierfassl Restaurant and Pub ( bierfassl.co.za) in Nottingham Road. Try the Oktoberfest Chicken! FIONA MCINTOSH Editor, writer and all-out adventurer, Fiona drove to the Drakensberg nearly every weekend during the seven years she spent working in Johannesburg. She s climbed most of the iconic peaks, from Rhino in the south to Devil s Tooth in the north, and she s done the Grand Traverse twice! Favourite reserve: Cathedral Peak there are trails in the area for weekend hikers and mountaineers alike. And Didima Resort and Cathedral Peak Hotel offer Berg accommodation at its best. Best place to eat: Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse in the Midlands. Chef and owner Richard Poynton s passion for food is legendary and the setting is wonderfully romantic. ADÉL STEYN Freelance writer Adél and her family have lived in Harrismith for the past decade. The Drakensberg is just around the corner. Best place to eat: Bingelela ( bingelela.co.za) in Bergville, especially in summer. While we relax in the lapa, the kids can play in the pool in between bites of pizza. Best place to stay: Inkosana Lodge in the Champagne Valley is on my visit next list. I want to go for long walks and eat owner Ed Salomon s famous food! DAVE SCLANDERS Dave is a Drakensberg hiking legend, even though he only started when he was 50 years old! Read our interview with him on page 115. (While we were compiling this guide, Dave had a coronary bypass, but he still responded to all our e-mails. He hopes to be back on the trail in September. Ed.) Favourite place: Bannerman s Hut in Giant s Castle Nature Reserve. It s easy to reach and the views are magnificent. Drakensberg 2014 5
to Bethlehem Kestell QwaQwa R712 to Clarens Monantsa Senqu R57 N5 Free State Phuthaditjhaba Royal Natal National Park LESOTHO R712 Sterkfontein Dam R74 Senqu Northern Berg p 31 N3 MNWENI Cathedral Peak to Warden Harrismith Wilge Oliviershoek Pass Garden Castle Woodstock Dam Mokhotlong ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park Bushman s Nek (no vehicles) Sehlabathebe Sehlabathebe Swinburne Van Reenen s Pass ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park Middledale Pass Geluksburg Monk s Cowl Sani Pass Van Reenen Wyford R616 Spioenkop Dam Bergville Zunckels Injisuthi Central Berg p 55 Cobham Coleford R74 Giant s Castle Lotheni Vergelegen R600 N3 R600 CHAMPAGNE VALLEY R617 Himeville Underberg Coleford Tugela toll gate R103 Winterton Ntabamhlope Highmoor Kamberg The Swamp Mzimkulu Bushmans Reichenau Tugela R103 N3 Ladysmith R74 Bulwer Colenso R103 Wagendriftdam to Newcastle N11 Impendle R74 Estcourt Weenen Donnybrook Mooi River Rosetta R103 Fort Nottingham Mkhomazi to Dundee R602 Inset - p 55 R612 R617 Tugela Weenen Nottingham Road Midmar Dam Ugqishi N3 to Greytown KwaZulu- Natal Mooi toll gate R622 to Greytown Howick to Pietermaritzburg Richmond Ramatseliso s Gate Kingscote Centocow Creighton R56 Qacha s Nek Kennega to Rhodes Eastern Cape Matatiele Ntsikeni R617 Southern Berg p 81 to Kokstad to Kokstad Umzimkulu Ixopo R56 to Scottburgh
What s happening in the Drakensberg? News Border posts Books Emergency numbers Roads BY LEON-BEN LAMPRECHT Update: R74 A 16 km stretch of the R74 between Harrismith and Bergville has been in poor condition for a long time. (It s still passable in a sedan.) The R74 is the main route from Gauteng to the northern Drakensberg, and the toll-free alternative to the N3 if you re heading on to the coast. Road repairs are stalling because the KZN government says that it s the Free State government s responsibility to repair the road. The Free State government says that it s the responsibility of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), and Sanral disagrees. Local residents are pressuring all the relevant parties to take action. In the meantime, there are alternative (but longer) routes to take, via the N3 or the dirt road to Kerkenberg. Have a look at the map on page 7. CROSSING BORDERS If you re heading into Lesotho, this is what you ll need: A valid passport. (It has to be valid for at least a month after your visit to Lesotho.) A valid driving licence. A certified copy of your vehicle s registration documents, or the original documents. If you don t own the vehicle you re driving, you ll need a letter from the owner (or the bank) granting you permission to take the vehicle across the border. Make sure the letter includes the dates of your trip. South Africans don t require a visa. BORDER POST TIMES SANI PASS 6 am to 6 pm 033 702 1169 GPS: S29.58464 E29.28555 RAMATSELISO S GATE 8 am to 4 pm 039 256 4443 GPS: S30.05026 E28.93360 QACHA S NEK 6 am to 10 pm 039 256 4391 GPS: S30.13031 E28.68542 WILLEM VAN DER BERG IMPORTANT NUMBER If something goes wrong in Lesotho, call the South African Consulate in Maseru on 00 266 2222 5800 Sources: aa.co.za; home-affairs.gov.za BUSHMAN S NEK (Hikers only, no vehicles) 8 am to 4 pm 033 701 1212 GPS: S29.84419 E29.21195 8 Drakensberg 2014
The Drakensberg World Heritage Site is expanding Sehlabathebe National Park (Lesotho s first official national park) was incorporated into the ukhahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Site last year. These two parks will form part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transboundary World Heritage Site. If you re on holiday in the southern Berg with a high-clearance vehicle, take a turn past Sehlabathebe. The only accommodation used to be at a place called Jonathan Lodge (named after the former prime minister Leabua Jonathan, who used to stay there) but Jonathan Lodge has since closed down. A new lodge and heritage centre have been built, and a shop with basic supplies will follow soon. Visitors will be able to stay in double or family rooms (selfcatering or with dinner and breakfast included) or in a campsite with communal ablution facilities and hot water see p 89. Contact: 082 895 0382 (Nic); accommodation@khalihotel.co.za; sehlabathebenationalpark.com GOOD READS UPFRONT Want to read more about the Berg? Get these books. Barrier of Spears: Drama of the Drakensberg by RO Pearse Barrier of Spears was originally published in 1973 and it s a masterpiece look for the latest edition, published in 2006. The history of the mountain range is explored down to the last detail: the Bushman communities that lived in the mountains, the arrival of the settlers, the battles over land and cattle, the rise of tourism and the hiking culture of the Berg. The text is punctuated with spectacular photos, most of them taken by the author s son, Malcolm Pearse. This is more than a book it s a declaration of love. R701 at artpublishers.co.za JACO KIRSTEN / WEGRY A Drakensberg cableway? Picture a 12 km cableway from the Woodstock Dam near Bergville to the AfriSki Resort in Lesotho. The KZN authorities are currently in talks with the Lesotho government to make this happen, but the project will face several challenges: The cableway will have to attract about 300 000 annual visitors to be viable more than double the current number of visitors to the area. The estimated cost will be a whopping R570 million. The poor condition of the R74 is also a problem, plus Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the local Amazizi community are opposed to the development. Mike Mabuyakhulu, KZN MEC for Economic Development at the time of the elections in May 2014, was very optimistic about the project and described it as a game changer for local tourism. For more about the proposed cableway, visit maloti-drakensberg.co.za or facebook.com/drakensberg Best Walks of the Drakensberg by David Bristow This is probably the most comprehensive hiking guide to the Drakensberg. Bristow hiked everywhere, from the Amphitheatre in the north to Bushman s Nek in the south. The guide covers more than 80 trails, from easy day hikes to multi-day hikes on the escarpment, and it contains maps, tips and interesting trivia about the region. R190 at kalahari.com Drakensberg 20 best day hikes in 10 regions by Erwin and Nicoleen Niemand This hiking guide has concise directions and maps with GPS co-ordinates to 20 of the most scenic day hikes in the Drakensberg and Golden Gate National Park. The pictures alone will make you want to dust off your hiking boots and start walking. R85 at oshana.co.za Drakensberg 2014 9
The best of the Berg UPHILL BATTLE. We d never recommend it, but apparently you could get up Sani Pass in a Hyundai Getz on a beautiful, clear day. It s hectic, so rather go in a 4x4. Here s your cheat sheet to the best Drakensberg holiday ever. 1 Climb the Amphitheatre This is the must-do activity in the north. The trail is well maintained and not too steep and the chain ladders will scare the living daylights out of you. At the top you ll experience one of the best views in the world. p 35 2 Hike the Tugela Gorge This day hike along the course of the Tugela gives you reverse views of the Amphitheatre and the Tugela Falls, the second-highest waterfall in the world. You know those postcard photos of the Drakensberg? This is where they were taken. p 36 3 Drive Sani Pass Sani Pass (2 873 m) is the highest driveable pass in South Africa. Go in your own 4x4 or with a guide and raise a glass in the highest pub in Africa at the top. p 87 4 See the Game Pass Shelter This rock art site in the Kamberg Nature Reserve is probably the most famous in South Africa because it taught archaeologists about the link between art and spiritual ritual. It s pretty scenic up there, too. p 56 WILLEM VAN DER BERG 10 Drakensberg 2014