Tuesday 16 January 2018

DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS - A Primitive Battle




Quathlamba
A mass of Spears. Named thus by the Zulu warriors before the white man came. Today called the Drakensberg, Mountains of the Dragon. Evocative names, both equally applicable to South Africa’s mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.”

 

“Listen to the streams as they gurgle from their cradles and you will hear the story of the mountains. You will hear fascinating tales if only you listen! Lie next to a stream and listen to the song of the mountains. The smiling faces of the flowers, dancing in the wind. Venture into the remote valleys or stand on a peak at sunrise or sunset, after snow has fallen, and you will hear a song that you will never forget - the Song of the High Mountain".



DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS PHOTOS © WILLEM PELSER







“In the Drakensberg Wilderness it is the momentary carelessness in easy places, the lapsed attention, or the wandering look that is the usual parent of disaster.”
UNKNOWN






DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS A Primitive Battle




A story from long ago, when the Drakensberg Wilderness was still really very wild, long before the arrival of so-called civilization……….


Bright sunshine was already filling the valley when the Bushman came out of his cave. He had not slept until it was almost morning. He had remained on guard the whole night as a lion had tried again ad again to enter his cave. Once he had saved himself only by flinging coals of the fire into the lion’s face. His first act now was to drag several heavy logs to his cave as props to strengthen his door against further possible attacks. This done, he overhauled his bow and arrows, being particularly careful to apply fresh poison to the tips of the latter. He knew that the lion, no matter how hungry, would lie up during the greater part of the day.



He was about to go and collect food from the forest when his attention was attracted by the sudden appearance of a troop of baboons on some large rocks at the bottom of the cliff, about thirty yards away.


This troop, the very large majority of which had certainly never seen a human being before his coming, had appeared on the cliff above his cave the very first day of his arrival, and had been constant visitors since. It seemed as if their curiosity would never be satisfied, but an additional attraction was the remains of his food which he left lying outside. By this time they had become so used to the Bushman and so fearless that even the babies toddled, played and gamboled without the protection of their mothers within twenty yards of them, while the old males sat around chattering about this strange creature. The Bushman was always glad to see them, not only because of their company, but also because he knew that, while they were about, he was surrounded by the keenest scouts in the world. Not so much as the ear or tail of a lion or leopard would show within miles without their knowing it and giving the alarm.


Neither the Bushman nor any of his forefathers had ever killed or eaten a baboon, since they believed that the baboons were human like themselves, though of a lower type. And as he sat there watching the idle lot, there was nothing in their gestures, antics or appearance that could alter his believe. A youngster would annoy an adult and be heartily slapped. If it happened to be his mother who had punished him, he would fly to a friend for protection, or to an older sister or brother, and his appeal was never refused. His kind protector would embrace him tightly, and then they would have the pleasure of searching each other for fleas. When time dragged some old male would doze off where he sat, with hands on knees and head hanging on one side. Then he looked very much like an old Bushman who had passed a bad night. A group of females would talk excitedly about what appeared to be the latest love scandal or domestic problem.


It was almost midday when the baboon suddenly decided to go. Even their leave-taking was very much like that of the Bushman. It took place in complete silence.




Then the Bushman took up his weapons, skin bag, and digging stick to go forth on his expedition to find food. He had in mind a certain place on the plateau, about three miles away, where he knew of a supply of food. Breaking into a stiff trot he reached it in an unbelievable short space of time. On his return journey he followed a somewhat different route. He went along high ground and cliffs which overlooked the valley. Suddenly he heard a sharp cry which he recognized as that of a baboon in distress. There followed a moment’s silence and then a great uproar broke loose. The hoarse barking’s of older males and the shrill cries of the youngsters were the chief notes in the strange confusion of sound. It came from a kloof some two hundred yards to the left, full of large loose boulders with mountain bushes growing between. Leaving his food and everything but his weapons, he hurried swiftly in the direction from which the sounds came. As he came out at a point overlooking the narrow kloof, a scene met his eyes that immediately rooted him to the spot.




Standing in a green patch of grass over the dead body of an adult baboon was the lion. He was ringed round on all sides by a raging and wildly excited mob of baboons. The males were close in, while far out on the rocks the females and youngsters remained out of harm’s way. The small yellow face of the Bushman grew pale with hate and rage. At last he was about to meet his enemy on what he felt to be equal terms. The gleam in his eye boded the lion no good. He measured the distance with his eye. It was too far to shoot. He would have to halve the distance at least. He knew that the lion was not troubled by the nearness of the baboons. Before going nearer, however, he waited to find out whether the lion intended to remove the victim before it started to devour it or not. Presently the lion lay down and placed a paw on the soft belly of the baboon. Having learned what he wanted to know the Bushman immediately retraced his steps. Then he took a round-about which would bring him to the lower end of the kloof, within sixty yards of the unsuspecting lion.


As he was moving round the steep face of the hill into the kloof a female baboon caught sight of him. In a few seconds she had, in some mysterious baboon way, told the whole troop of the Bushman’s approach. This knowledge spurred them on as the sight of their master would spur on a pack of dogs. By an unerring instinct they knew that the Bushman was their ally. As he approached the spot from which he intended to begin his attack, the baboons hardly moved out of the way. The ring around the lion had suddenly become smaller. When he reached the slight rise for which he was making, he could clearly see it bunched over the dead baboon, intent on its meal.


After once more casting his eyes over the ground, the Bushman sank quietly from view. With great care he chose one arrow from the rest, and then placed two others beside him on the rock from which he intended to shoot. Quietly and swiftly he made his preparations. In a few seconds he was kneeling with arrow fixed and bow held at the ready.




A bright sun was shining and there was no wind. Both of these were in his favour. The baboons, grown bolder, were approaching closer and closer to the lion. In a fury of annoyance it rose to frighten them off. At this moment, from sixty yards away there came the harp-like twang of a bowstring, a sound that for centuries had been the sweetest of all music to Bushman ears. The direction of the arrow was perfect, but to the Bushman it seemed to fly too high. At the last moment, however, the heavy bone-tip speeded up the downward curve of the flight of the arrow, and it landed with a barely audible thud on the flank of the lion.


With a roar the surprised animal swung round, and in a moment had torn away the arrow, all except the barbed and poisoned bone tip. Then, as the Bushman fitted the second arrow to the string, the movement caught its eye and its anger, aroused by the baboons, was turned to fury by the pain of the wound, and it rushed forward at its little yellow enemy.


But the Bushman was prepared for this. He knew that the lion could easily reach him where he now sat. He fled to a sloping ledge in the cliff, closely followed by the angry beast. Close on the heels of the lion followed a horde of baboons.


Finding the Bushman out of reach, the lion turned upon the jabbering baboons. No sooner had it turned when a second arrow was lodged in its neck. This the lion tried in vain to reach with its teeth.


The Bushman had another arrow in his hand, but he did not intend making use of it. He knew that the mixture of snake venom and amaryllis juice with which his arrow tips were coated was so deadly that the lion’s fate was sealed. It was not long before the effect of the poison began to show itself. The lion’s fury subsided. Its attitude of proud defiance changed. Before long it walked off towards a patch of thick shrub, closely followed by the excited and abusive baboons.




Still the Bushman did not stir from his place of safety in the cliff. He knew that his friends would not for a moment lose sight of the common enemy. Carelessly, he stretched himself out along the ledge. He noticed that the baboons who were perched about on the rocks had quietened down considerably. After about an hour, he came down the cliff boldly and climbed on to a rock. From there he could see the lion as it lay in the shade of a small tree.


He had some stones in his hand and flung these at the lion. It rose tottering to its feet while big white flakes of froth oozed from its mouth. It stumbled on for a few yards, and then collapsed, never to rise again. Ten minutes later it was dead.


Then the Bushman came up close behind it and gave it a light kick on the back to make doubly sure. An old baboon nearby, sitting with his hands on his knees, yawned and looked over his shoulder. The others were already on the march. Swinging around slowly, the old one followed lazily in their wake.



The End.

Safe Hiking.


References and Acknowledgements

From the book – Land of distant Horizons – Victor Pohl

Photos:  ©Willem Pelser


Compiled by:  Willem Pelser



Tuesday 9 January 2018

CATHEDRAL PEAK - DRAKENSBERG



Quathlamba
A mass of Spears. Named thus by the Zulu warriors before the white man came. Today called the Drakensberg, Mountains of the Dragon. Evocative names, both equally applicable to South Africa’s mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.”


 

“Listen to the streams as they gurgle from their cradles and you will hear the story of the mountains. You will hear fascinating tales if only you listen! Lie next to a stream and listen to the song of the mountains. The smiling faces of the flowers, dancing in the wind. Venture into the remote valleys or stand on a peak at sunrise or sunset, after snow has fallen, and you will hear a song that you will never forget - the Song of the High Mountain".



DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS PHOTOS © WILLEM PELSER







“COURAGE IS FEAR THAT HAS SAID ITS PRAYERS.”
 UNKNOWN









CATHEDRAL PEAK
DRAKENSBERG 


The Cathedral Peak range, with its numerous free-standing peaks and magnificent scenery, is one of the most favored parts of the Berg for backpacking and rock-climbing. Bordered in the north and north-west by the Upper Tugela Township and in the south by the Mdedelelo Wilderness, the area is dominated by the spire-like Cathedral Peak after which it is named. Popular routes include Cathedral Peak itself, the Organ Pipes, and Ndedema Gorge with its wealth of rock paintings.




The scenery of this area is dominated by the massive Cathedral Range, also known as the Ridge of Horns. This 4 km-long row of free-standing peaks includes some of the most spectacular peaks in South Africa such as Cathedral Peak, Bell, Outer Horn, Inner Horn, and the Chessman. Two other well-known spectacular free-standing peaks, the Column and Pyramid are situated south-west of Didima camp. The peaks of the escarpment here are all over 3 000 m and include names like Ndumeni Dome, Castle Buttress, Cleft Peak, Cockade, Elephant, and Mlambonja Buttress. Access to the escarpment is along any of a number of passes, the more popular being the Organ Pipes, the Camel, and the Thuthumi passes.


One of the most popular excursions in this part of the Berg is an ascent of Cathedral Peak. Approximately eight to nine hours should be allowed for this fairly strenuous round trip of about 18 km. The final section involves a C grade scramble and is, therefore, not recommended for inexperienced backpackers. On a clear day the view from the summit is magnificent with Cathkin Peak in the south and Eastern Buttress in the north clearly visible. Immediately below you, to the south-east, the scenery is dominated by the deep valley carved by the Mlambonja River.




Cathedral Peak is the only Berg area where you can drive to the top of the Little Berg, bringing you much closer to the escarpment. Access to the Little Berg is via Mike’s Pass, a 10,5 km long jeep track which was built between 1947 and 1949. The pass, which climbs some 500 m, ends at the Arendsig gate and was named after a research officer.


The head of the Ndedema Valley is about 10 km from the Arendsig Gate along easy terrain. The gorge has been described by the international authority on rock art, the late Harald Pager, as the richest rock art area in the world. He recorded over 3 900 individual rock paintings in 17 shelters and published his research findings and lifelike tracings in the classical work Ndedema.






Sebayeni Cave is the first shelter in the sandstone band on the southern side of the valley. It is the largest of the painted shelters in the gorge, containing more than 1 100 individual paintings, a large number of which has unfortunately faded. The site was first discovered in 1929, but was ‘lost’ for a number of years before it was ‘rediscovered’ by Alex Wilcox, an authority on the rock art of South Africa.


Ndedema means “place of reverberations”, a likely reference to the thundering noise caused by the river when in flood. There are a number of caves with paintings to explore.




Another popular route is to ascend the escarpment via Organ Pipes Pass, the start of which is some 2,5 km before you reach Ndedema Gorge. Over the next 6,5 km you will gain more than 900 m in altitude, passing an assembly of spires and buttresses known as the “Ridge of the Soldiers”. It has been suggested that the name could be reference to the fluted columns which could conjure up visions of a regiment of soldiers standing to attention or could be derived from a tradition which associated it with military action. The columns echo when you shout or yodel and this natural phenomenon was used to maintain contact between the Zulu and the Basotho. One such instance was in 1823 when the Basotho sought the help of Shaka.



The End.

Safe Hiking.


References and Acknowledgements

From the book – Hiking Trails of Southern Africa,   Willie Sandra                                                                                                                   Olivier.
Photos:  ©Willem Pelser

Compiled by:  Willem Pelser








Tuesday 2 January 2018

DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS - Rainfall and Thunderstorms





Quathlamba
A mass of Spears. Named thus by the Zulu warriors before the white man came. Today called the Drakensberg, Mountains of the Dragon. Evocative names, both equally applicable to South Africa’s mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.”

 


“Listen to the streams as they gurgle from their cradles and you will hear the story of the mountains. You will hear fascinating tales if only you listen! Lie next to a stream and listen to the song of the mountains. The smiling faces of the flowers, dancing in the wind. Venture into the remote valleys or stand on a peak at sunrise or sunset, after snow has fallen, and you will hear a song that you will never forget - the Song of the High Mountain".



DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS PHOTOS © WILLEM PELSER







THE MOUNTAINS ARE MY BONES; THE RIVERS ARE MY VEINS,
THE FORESTS ARE MY THOUGHTS AND THE STARS ARE MY DREAMS,
THE WILDERNESS IS MY HEART, IT IS MY PULSE, 
THE SONGS OF THE WILDERNESS WRITE THE MUSIC OF MY SOUL.”
UNKNOWN












DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS Rainfall and Thunderstorms



The eastern escarpment is one of the highest rainfall areas in South Africa, some parts receiving more than 1 500mm p.a. This may be augmented by up to 30% by cloud and mist.





It was shown that there is a sharp increase of rainfall with height and a suggestion that above 2400m rainfall again decreases towards the summit. About 85% of the rain falls during summer months (October to March) and a high but undetermined proportion of this is a direct result of orographic (relief) effects and associated thunderstorms.


The top of the escarpment may expect to receive about 95 rain days per year while the area below probably receives significantly more. According to previous studies the Drakensberg receives 70-80% of possible sunshine hours during winter and 50-60% during summer.




Thunderstorms, which occur mainly in the middle to late afternoons during the summer months, are of particular importance to those walking or climbing in the Drakensberg as they may “brew up” very rapidly. Two types occur: those associated with a moisture discontinuity and moving across the country from a generally westerly direction and those which develop along the eastern edge of the escarpment. The former are often high above the ground while the latter are likely to engulf one in mist at very short notice – frequently a matter of 5-10 minutes. The need to be properly equipped and attired even for short walks is self-evident.


Lightning is an important cause of fires in the Drakensberg and it is said that it plays a part in landscape formation by the splitting and shattering of rocks and is possibly also the cause of the collapse of rock pinnacles in some areas. Hail, on the other hand, is infrequent and of little ecological significance.


Lightning in the Drakensberg may be severe and fatalities have occurred. It is difficult to give advice on this matter other than to find complete shelter such as a cave, overhang, brick building, or vehicle. If caught in the open the following precautions are widely accepted:

Avoid at all costs sheltering under isolated trees, especially of the deciduous or spreading variety. It is comparatively safe to shelter under groups of trees, giving preference to pines.

Keep away from high points and from telephone and fence posts. Dismount if riding a horse.

If no suitable shelter is available simply sit down and make yourself as comfortable as circumstances permit and try to convince yourself that the statistical probability of being struck is fairly remote!





Finally, despite the emphasis upon the influence of climate on humans, it is worth observing that birds and mammals too are subject to its effects. For the herbivores food is scares and of low nutritional value during winters, a situation aggravated by the fact that former migration routes to warmer areas with better grazing are no longer open. The survival chances of the weak or old are thus severely reduced. For the carnivores and raptors at or near the top of the food chain, winter is probably as great a trail.



The End.

Safe Hiking.



References and Acknowledgements

From the book – A field guide to the Natal Drakensberg – Irwin/Akhurst.

Photos:  ©Willem Pelser

Compiled by:  Willem Pelser