"These are the lofty solitudes I love:
The rock below me and the sky above:
The cool air moving, and save its sigh no sound:
Glory of Golden Light, and peace profound.
Too soon the hushed, uplifted hour must end,
And I to meet the world once more descend:
But something surely will remain my own
Of this great benediction I have known."
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Hiking from Injasuthi to Lotheni Drakensberg Wilderness
This is another hiking
story which took place at the end of April 2015. It was a hike planned many
months in advance. This hike was originally going to be my first overnight
hiking in the Drakensberg ever, but it did not happen like that. Instead I did
other hikes in different areas, and all of them were epic and brilliant.
Over many
months the planning of the route on this hike was changed and refined. I also
needed to do this hike to complete hiking the contour areas all the way from
Didima to Mhkomazi Reserve.
My dream was always to walk from Injasuthi to Lotheni and
finally the time has arrived!
The plan was to go to Didima first for 2 days and for me to
do some day walks in the area. The purpose of the day walks was to get the legs
going and ready for the long hike from Injasuthi.
We stayed at the Didima camp in chalet 36a which was quite
pleasant and the chalet had a nice mountain view.
On the first day there I decided to do the Rainbow Gorge
walk which is a relatively short walk through a forested area. The path started
at the conference center leading up a very steep hill which really taxes the
legs! They should call this hill heartbreak hill! The pathway was very busy
with day walkers and at times the path felt like a human highway. Obviously
there was no solitude or enjoying the sound of nature as there was just too
much human noise. I followed the path and eventually came to the end of it, and
here were 2 beautiful pools. The pools were occupied with very noisy and
destructive people whom had no regard for the environment. I fled past the pool
and ended up at a very big cave from where I observed the antics of my fellow
humans. I returned along the same path back to the chalet, and at the end of it
had to negotiate the steep hill again, this time just in reverse. I sometimes
do not know which is worse, going uphill or going downhill, they seem to be
equally bad!
On the second day, 26 April 2015, I have planned to walk
to Doreen Falls and explore the surrounding area a bit. Bright and early I took
on the steep hill at the conference center again and walked up to the split
which turns to the right and proceeds down to the Cathedral Peak Hotel. This
part of the walk was a lazy amble to the junction at the hotel. Once at the
junction, it was a left turn and on my way down the valley towards the falls.
Eventually you arrive at quite a pretty river and this made a good
breakfast spot for me. Then, cross the river and follow the path to Doreen
Falls. From here the walk turned into a nightmare as the pathway was extremely
busy with very loud people continuously moving up and down. Finally arrived at
the falls which is a very pretty place. I saw a cave behind the falls and
decided to go and have a look at it. It is a really nice cave but it was very
disgusting as to what the walkers did to the cave. First there were those who
felt the need to scribble all over the walls of the cave. Really! What type of
person is it who decides to deface nature like that? Do they write on the walls
of their homes and workplaces too? Most probably. This cave is also being used
as a toilet and no effort is made to hide or bury the human waste. Utterly
disgusting! I followed a path out of the falls leading up the mountain to a big
cave which had some Bushman paintings on the walls. Some scribbling by modern
man was done on the wall as well!
I went down the path again and turned left towards Ribbon
Falls. I walked right up to the wooden ladder going up the mountain and then
decided to call it a day. At this stage the valley was echoing with the sound
of humans at their loudest.
The walk back to Didima camp was uneventful and the weather
was good.
The next morning we left Didima quite early in order to
arrive not too late at Injasuthi camp for the start of my 6 day hike. I needed
to arrive at a specific point at the end of the day in order to stay on time
for the completion of the hike.
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Day One – 27 April 2015
Injasuthi to Marblebaths
We arrived at the Injasuthi camp just before
08h00. I paid my overnight hiking fees and it was a pleasure to see Dennis, the
camp manager, again. I put on my hiking boots, very heavy backpack on the back
and bid Jenny goodbye.
Finally, my hike has
started! It was up the hill at the office, through Yellowwood forest, out the
other side, turning left at the junction and from there make it up to the
Grindstone caves. It was really heavy going up to the caves as it is a very
steep unrelenting climb up to altitude. Never did I realize at this stage what
was waiting for me after Grindstone caves. The mountains were going to grind my
legs to dust and then regrind them all over again! I arrived at the first cave
after a long hard uphill slog and ended up at quite a nice cave with its own
water supply.
I took a breather here and
then had to find the pathway as indicated by the map. I eventually found a very
faint path on top of the roof of the cave, and from here true misery started.
The route continuously climbed ever upwards with not a single flat area or
downhill area for at least 8 kilometers! The route going up just carried on and
on and on and on!
After much climbing, and
by now very late in the afternoon, I finally started going downhill and could
see a valley at the bottom of the mountain which I guessed housed the Marble
baths area. Great was my consternation arriving at the end of the mountain and
finding out that there is no way down into the valley from here. I had to walk
around the point of the mountain and then walk back in the direction from which
I came, just on the other side of the mountain. Heartbreaking stuff, but, I had
6 days, so who ultimately cared? Fortunately, my new boots behaved. The only
sort of a problem was that my heavy backpack seemed to grow heavier as the day
progressed! Fairies packing stones in them! The walk thus far was beautiful
though, the silence golden and the solitude sheer bliss.
It was heartbreaking
having to walk back in the opposite direction from where I wanted to be. But,
there was just no shortcut available down the mountain and I had to persevere.
Although, in these mountains of mine, there is always something to make up for
the real hard slogging. Looking up, I saw the most beautiful valley I have ever
seen in the Drakensberg. It was absolutely massive, spectacular and the valley
was close off at the top with mountain spears reaching high up into the sky!
What a sight for sore eyes! The “Old
Women Grinding Corn” could be clearly seen and the “Gibisila” Valley is indeed
spectacular!
After some really hard
slogging I eventually started going downhill into some very bushy areas and I
made my way down the river. The only sad part was that I now had to cross the
river, and make my way down the valley for exactly the same distance and to the
same point, only in the opposite direction! True test of resolve if ever there
was one. I rested for a while at the river crossing. This was a really
beautiful area and I could have stayed there for the whole day. I could not
take my eyes of the stunning valley.
I had to push on and it
was not going to be easy. It was now walking through riverine undergrowth and I
had about 4 kilometers of that waiting for me. After crossing the river, the
path all of a sudden totally disappeared! I was then so fortunate in that I
found a number of cairns directing me for a little while into the river bush.
For the first time ever I actually appreciated cairns as I normally detest the
building of permanent cairns in the wilderness area. It was very slow going and
I got hooked up more than once by snagging branches and bush. Needless to say
that when I emerged from the bush I looked like a wild cat got hold of me. The
last half of the route down into the valley I had to negotiate my own way
through the bush to the bottom of the valley.
Finally I arrived at the
bottom of the valley, now I had to turn right and start climbing the mountain
again. By now my legs felt like lead and I am sure there was a heavyweight
boxer hiding in my backpack. The path now winds up the mountain. It was a very
narrow path with a sheer drop on the left. Big areas of the path was actually
swampy areas where you have the mountain streams cascading down the mountain
and it then flows over the pathway. It made for very slow going as you had to
be extremely careful.
I was approaching yet
another stream running over the pathway and I stepped into the middle of the
mud in the pathway away from the edge of the cliff. As I put my foot down, the
bank collapsed and my leg went straight down. The weight of my backpack pulled
me over backwards and I fell off the pathway. My one foot caught on the little
which was left of the path and as I fell, I grab hold of a tall piece of grass
growing on the side of the cliff. I managed to stop my fall, but now I was
lying upside down a cliff with my head at the bottom and the weight of the
backpack pulling me down. Below me was a sheer drop of about 30 meters and it
was going to be a fall which I would not survive. By one or another miracle I
managed to hold onto the grass and was able to very slowly pull myself back up
to the remaining path by one hand! It was extremely difficult as I had to pull
my weight as well as that of the backpack up from a upside down position.
Finally I made it back up and so doing escaped death or serious injury.
I took a breather after
this incident and carried on with the pathway. The path now started winding its
way down and ii could see Marblebaths. Once again I approached a stream running
across the path with its associated mud pool. I was very tired by now and I saw
a solid mud and stone bank on the cliff side of the path. I sat down on the
bank and the next moment the bank totally collapsed! Yet again I fell. The
stream flows over the pathway and then cascades down the mountain via a 50
degree rock face. All of the rock face below the path was very slimy and very
slippery. As I fell, I managed to grab onto the path itself with both my legs
landing on the rock face below the path. I had absolutely no grip with my boots
and started sliding around and down. I knew if I let go, I will be a dead man!
Eventually I again made my way up to the path by sheer will power alone. Now I
was really exhausted. I carried on walking and from my vantage point I could
see a flat spot close to the river on some high ground which would be
sufficient to pitch the tent for the night. I could also see Marblebaths cave
on the other side of the river and I noticed that the cave was occupied by some
hikers.
I made my way down the
final part of the mountain and it was with great relief that I reached my spot
for the night. Taking the backpack and my shoes off, and knowing that this was
the last time for the night, was absolute sheer joy. I just sat there for a
while recovering and enjoying the scenery.
I went to the river to
fetch some water for cooking and coffee. My first cup of coffee for the day was
absolutely spectacular. I had a great supper and pitched the tent and made
ready for the night.
What a day it was!
Beautiful scenery and the mountains extracting their toll on every forward
meter you gain.
About at 18h00 I heard
some really loud people, and they were not from the cave. Apparently they have
come down from Leslie’s pass and were going to overnight at Marblebaths. They
pitched their tents just out of eyesight on the other side of me. They kicked
up a racket until about 21h00 that night, even swimming in darkness in the ice
cold river pools on a very cold night! But, I was so tired that I could not
really be bothered and just after 18h00 I retired for the night. I fell asleep
very quickly and slept on and off the whole night like I normally do in the
wilderness. I was also very toasty inside my tent and had a good night’s rest.
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Day Two – 28 April 2015
Marblebaths to main
pathway, up to Centenary Hut and the Contour Path
At 05h10 I was up and getting ready to go. I
had to wait for daylight in order to be able to see where I am going.
Eventually it was light enough to move and I was greeted with some absolutely
beautiful scenery as far as the eye could see. It was most impressive.
I crossed over Marblebaths
and found the path leading through the valley back up to the main footpath. It
was easy going here with time to appreciate the beautiful scenery all around
me. I eventually reached the T-junction at the end of the footpath and sat down
next to the beautiful river in this area for breakfast.
If only I knew what was
laying ahead! Finished with breakfast, I carried on and follow the path away
from Injasuthi. You will now enter a very beautiful valley and proceed down it
for about 4 kilometres. I followed the right hand side of the river and the
path is barely noticeable through all of the undergrowth and swampy grass
areas. The river is stunningly beautiful.
This valley is really a
very pretty area and caves are a plenty. Lots of San rock art to be found. It
breaks my heart that even here in this remote valley people had to deface the
art! I am going to come back and explore this valley as it is very interesting.
Half-way down the valley
the path turns left, then across a river and then up a very (very!!) steep
hill. This hill takes you from an altitude of 1750 meters to 2750 meters and is
not at a gentle incline. I started climbing and it was sheer murder. It was as
if the mountain was trying its best from preventing you to the reach the top.
There was not a single flat peace of ground anywhere in sight! When you think
that you are at the top, heartbreakingly there is simply another hill, and
another, and another! It took me 6 hours to eventually get to Centenary hut!
Half-way up the mountain I
met a group of 8 hikers on their way down from the Judge. They were going down
as slowly as I was going up and these mountains were not giving an inch either
way. They told me that they did not make the Judge as they ran out of time.
Going up these hills do take a very long time and you have to be fit to survive
the climb.
On my arrival at Centenary
hut I had to take a longish break to recover from the climb and it was now also
late afternoon and close to camping time.
Centenary hut has been absolutely
vandalized and the area inside and out is extremely filthy. Staying over at
this hut should never be an option and it is also clear that it is part of a
drug smuggling route. Use only in the event of a very serious emergency with
absolutely no other option.
With the area around the
hut not safe, I walked up to the contour path and proceeded down this path. I
found a number of streams and was able to fill up my water bottles for the
nights camping.
About 3 kilometers away
from the hut I found a camp spot for the night. What a brilliant view I had
from my tent that night looking out over a thousand hills and the Natal
Midlands! I had a very good supper and as darkness fell I disappeared into my
tent. Once the sun goes, the temperature drops down to near freezing. I was
treated to a stunning sunset with the mountains covered in all sorts of
beautiful, soft color
It was not long and I was
fast asleep, nice and warm and very content. This was also the first night that
I started hearing the song of the mountains again. Do not laugh, there really
is a song! As you sit in front of the tent, you will hear the song start up and
carry on for hours.
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Day Three – 29 April 2015
Contour Path past
Bannerman Hut to Langalibalele Ridge
I got going when it was still dark and started
packing. I had a nice cup of coffee waiting for first light and I was treated
to a spectacular sunrise. The Natal midlands were covered in cloud and from my
altitude I was looking down and over this big mass of clouds.
It was eventually time to
go and again I was going to have a very testing day ahead of me! It was a real
tester and went as follows: Up the hill, down the hill, cross a river, up the
hill, down the hill, cross a river, up the hill, down the hill and cross a
river. This was the pattern for the rest of the day and made for some very
heavy, taxing hiking.
I did see some spectacular
river and stream sceneries. There never was a shortage of water. Unbelievably,
going up and down like this, one still gain altitude continuously! A couple of
antelope barked their warnings now and then and made a bee line for it, even
though they were very far away from you.
This is a really difficult
route and as the day wears on, the backpack also grows heavier and heavier. I
loved to take little breaks at the river and stream crossings. Taking a rest
and just sitting there absorbing nature.
Up to now my new hiking
boots came to the party and did not bother me at all. The rest of my equipment
have been tried and tested on previous trips and proved their reliability. It
is very nice to have reliable equipment on a hiking trip.
Coming down the one hill,
the Bannerman Hut in the distance comes into view. I proceeded down into a
beautiful valley and river area just at the bottom of the hut. I crossed 3
rivers and walked through the river bush area which is quite pretty. It was
quite a surprise to see Bannerman hut intact and not vandalized as is the
others! It is most probably because it is not near a smuggling route. I really
love this area around the hut because it is so pretty.
Late afternoon found me
having gained quite some altitude and it was time to start looking for a camp
spot. This area being so hilly meant that it was very difficult to find a spot
on which to pitch the tent. I eventually considered sleeping out in the open,
but then manage to find a small spot on the side of a mountain.
Once again it was sheer
bliss to remove my backpack and shoes for the day and to relax with a cup of
coffee.
I again had a magnificent
view in all directions from my tent and at this time the song of the mountain
started up again. I sat outside after supper with a cup of coffee appreciating
the view waiting for darkness. As soon as it gets dark the temperature drop
severely.
That night I again had
quite a good and cozy rest.
The last 2 nights the
baboon troops in the vicinity woke me up at all times of the night due to them
fighting. As it is so quite in the mountains, especially at night, it is indeed
quite a racket. I do not know what they fought about, but it was loud and
vicious!
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Day Four – 30 April 2015
Langalibalele Ridge,
Bannerman Path, Giants Ridge, Giant’s Castle Hikers Hut, past Oribi Ridge,
Forget Me Not Hill.
Up before dawn again and having a nice cup of
coffee, I packed up very early and was waiting for first light to get going.
Today I had to do an extra couple of kilometers just to make sure that I arrive
in time at my destination.
I was still gaining
altitude and the uphill, downhill route kept on repeating itself. I eventually
arrived at an altitude of 2800 meters, and it seems as if the serious hilly
parts were for now done with.
Just before Langalibalele
Ridge I met 2 hikers on their way to Giant’s Ridge. It was obvious that some
very bad weather was brewing up on the escarpment. The escarpment was totally
clouded over with this continuously rolling black mass of clouds. I mentioned
this to the hikers, but they were not concerned, explaining to me that they
expect a clear night. By now it was also late in the morning.
I had a very, very long
hike to get to Giants Castle hikers hut and pushed on. At one stage I thought
that I was never going to get to the hut as the path just went on and on.
Eventually I was close to False Corner and far away in the distance I could see
the hut. It took me another good hour and a half to reach the hut.
It was now late afternoon
again, and I was extremely tired. The hills took their toll. On my arrival at
the hut it was disgusting to notice the extend of the vandalism. The hut has
been ripped apart and even the door frames have been burned! A huge amount of
waste was stacked in the one room. The silver insulation has been ripped from
the roof and some of it was used to line the walls and ceilings of one of the
back rooms. Food was still standing around on a window sill. The area outside
of the hut looked like a demolition yard, as well as a open air toilet. The hut
gave me a very bad feeling and it was quite clear that to sleep anywhere close
to this hut would be extremely dangerous. Even staying there during daylight
could end up being a problem! It was quite clear that the hut was used by drug
smugglers making use of the passes in the vicinity. It is beyond me why anyone
would want to so vandalize a place that could and will be a safe haven in times
of emergencies or just to stay over at. It is clear that the vandalism was done
in a very vicious spirit and that it is ongoing. I made a rather hasty retreat
out of there! I do not know why Kzn Wildlife do not demolish and remove the 3
huts, as at this stage they serve no purpose and are actually a danger to the
hikers, apart from being a big eyesore.
As I was walking down the
path away from the hut, the roof plates of the hut were thrown all over the
veld. It just does not make sense as to why anyone would want to do this.
Close by the hut I found
the most beautiful of river areas and took a break here as it was out of view
from the hut. This is a very pretty area with a nice waterfall and pools. It
was quite evident that during rainy season this will be a spectacular
area. I left this beautiful river and
started climbing again. Once on high ground, I looked back from where I came
and it was amazing to see all the hills and valleys that I hiked through. Only
now was it clear what a mammoth task it was! It was absolutely worth it though.
My original plan was to
sleep in the vicinity of “The Needle”, but I decided to push on a bit further
and to put some more distance between myself and the hut area. In this area the
pathways totally disappear and you have to navigate your own way. It was now
late afternoon and the temperature was seriously dropping. I was very exhausted
but pushed on. 4 Kilometers past the Oribi Ridge trial and just past the
turn-off to Highmoor camp, my legs informed me that it is time to stop. There
were no descent camping spot available, but eventually I found a washed out,
eroded area in which I got pitch the tent. It was about 17h00 and bitterly
cold.
It was a nice relief to
get rid of the backpack and take the boots of for the day. I pitched the tent
quite quickly as the temperature kept on plummeting. Sitting outside the tent
preparing supper was quite an ordeal as by now it was absolutely freezing.
Needless to say I did not stay outside for very long and I retired to the
inside of the tent very quickly. I was treated to a spectacular sunset once
again.
Later that night I was
lying inside the tent listing to the local baboon troop having their nightly
fight. A short while later a jackal started crying from the top of the
escarpment with an answering reply from down in the valley. About 6 jackals
then joined the chorus from all over and I was entertained by a jackal symphony
for about 10 minutes. Combined with the baboon fight it was quite a racket, but
not a unpleasant one! Two hours later I was woken up by the soft call of an
owl.
The temperature kept on
dropping during the night and eventually I had to put on extra layers of clothing
to stay warm.
I did not have a restful
night. I just could not settle down and my right knee decided that it was now
very unhappy and constantly reminded me that at this stage it has had a long
hike behind it! I was also lying slightly downhill and kept on sliding down to
the bottom corners of the tent every time I moved. It was most annoying.
It was obvious that with
me pushing the kilometers for the past 2 days, I was going to finish my hike a
day early. At this stage I was about 20 kilometers away from Lotheni camp.
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Day Five – 01 May 2015
Forget Me Not Hill,
Kambevula area to Lotheni Camp
I woke up pre-dawn in icy conditions and it
was bitterly cold, even inside the tent! Every piece of equipment that I
touched inside the tent was so cold it actually felt like it was wet. It was
now 04h00 and I still had two and a half hours before it would be light enough
to start walking.
At 05h00 I decided to open
the tent and view the outside world. The flysheet flap did not open like it
normally does, but instead it opened like a wooden door! It was frozen solid!
Outside the tent it was really cold and on closer inspection I saw that the
tent was a solid block of ice. The tent had this thick layer of ice on every
single part of it.
My problem now was that I
could not wait for the ice to melt before I could pack the tent away. As I
rolled the tent up, it was like folding up solid pieces of wood! I thought that
by the afternoon the tent would be really wet inside its carrier bag, but I
would worry about that then. Hanging it out to dry would be a simple process.
Standing outside meant that I was really freezing by now and it was barely
light when I moved on.
My original plan was to go
down Taylor’s Pass into the Lotheni area, and once I reached the turn-off to
the pass, it would be mostly downhill all the way to the Lotheni camp. Now, on
this day, my plan was not going to work. The reason for that was that I had a
way-point on my navigation unit indicating the start of the pass and the
turn-off to that pass. The only problem was that I tested the way-points on a
previous trip to Lotheni and found the points to be way out. So I did not trust
the way-points although they would guide me in the general direction!
I started walking from my
sleep spot and I made very good time. I did 5 kilometers in just over an hour
and was very surprised at it! I was at very high altitude now and in a
reasonably flat area. Very shortly Garmin indicated that I must turn right to
the Taylor Pass way-point. Because of my distrust in the location of the
way-point I decided to ignore it and do my own navigation. I am very familiar with
the Lotheni area and thought that I would find the pass. At this stage I was
still walking through grass and there was no footpath.
Eventually after about 2
kilometers of slogging through the wet iced up veld, I found a footpath and
decided that this path could only lead to the Pass. Big mistake! It actually
took me further away from the Pass!
Carrying on with the path
eventually made me decide that it is going in the wrong direction and that I
need to get off it. Turning around and going back to the way-point was not an
option I considered. I could make out clear points in the distance I knew, and
I decided to make a sharp right and get to the edge of the mountain. It took
quite a bit of walking to get to the edge, and once there I looked down into this
big massive valleys with numerous streams and rivers. It was a beautiful
panorama.
I on top of a mountain and
will have to do some serious downhill climbing at very acute angles for a long
distance to get down to the bottom of the valley.
I decided to not go down
this specific valley, but rather to carry on walking at the edge and to find
the next valley. After about another kilometer I came upon the start of another
valley and decided that I will have to go down now.
I had a 4 kilometre
descent down a very acutely angled valley to complete and it was going to tax
me to the max. I decided to stay next to the river running down the valley in
this area. The undergrowth was very thick with lots of marshy areas which added
to the difficulty of the descent.
It was a spectacularly
beautiful valley and the river scenes were out of this world! Going downhill
was an extremely slow process and one had to take great care not to fall and
break a leg. Most of the time I had to walk sideways in order to get down as it
was that steep. The grass also made a habit of tripping you up.
All of a sudden the river
started forming a series of beautiful waterfalls. I have not ever seen so many waterfalls
in one stretch of river. It was spectacular! After the 3rd waterfall my way was
blocked by yet another waterfall cascading down a 20 meter cliff, blocking my
way. I had to turn left and start climbing up a big hill in order to get around
the fall. From my vantage point it was clear that I will not be able to proceed
any further down this valley at this point. It was heartbreaking stuff!
At the top of the hill
that I was climbing, I had to walk on the side of a massive cliff area for a
distance of about 3 kilometers. Very far in the distance I could see the point
that I was trying to reach. The cliff was about 30/40 meters high and any slip
would mean certain death.
Reaching the end of the
cliff face area, I was very tired and decided to take a break. I just sat down
when out of the blue a Bearded Vulture appeared and started investigating me.
He flew so close by me that I could see the individual feathers on his face.
What a magnificent experience! The Bearded Vultures are magnificent birds and
it is an experience to be so lucky to see them, newer mind at such close
quarters!
I still had more than half
the distance to go to get to the bottom of the valley and at the same time to
make my way back to the river. Easy it was not going to be.
I turned right back to the
valley and started to make my way down through smaller valleys. The going was
so slow due to the acute angles and you had to walk sideways and one foot at a
time to get down, and grabbing hold of anything close to prevent falling or
sliding. This process was agonizingly slow and painful. Eventually I was
halfway down and found a marshy area with long marsh grass I had to walk
through. The grass is so long and thick that you actually walk on top of the
grass rather than on the ground! These type of areas also always have hidden
water holes which will trap a leg and break it. Some of these holes are up to 2
meters deep. I happened to step into one and my leg promptly disappeared right
up to my hip, and being off balance I fell quite badly. It was a very hard fall
and I twisted my knee badly in the process as well. It happened so suddenly
that I ended up just sitting there covered by long tall marsh grass. I could
not see anything but the grass in front of my face. I could have so easily had
break a leg. I was also exhausted by know.
After a while a picked
myself up with great difficulty and it was quite a struggle to get out of the
hole. Shook myself off and carried on. The going downhill seemed to be utterly
non-ending and will severely test any person’s resolve.
I carried on with my slow
downhill process and came upon an area with quite a number of caves. Definitely
worth a exploration trip! I was now getting closer to the river and the bottom
of the valley but still had to negotiate a very, very steep descent. I got so
tired of the slow going and walking sideways that I decided that is it. The
hill was very steep. I sat down, lifted my legs and started sliding down the
hill at great speed on my backside. Now and then I had to put down my legs to
slow the descent or to break myself in order to get down around some rocky patches.
The going was much quicker
now and in now time at all did I make up a huge amount of ground. I stopped my
sliding process and got up and walked the last bit down to the river. I ended
up at a very beautiful part of the river and valley and was so exhausted that
it was the ideal place for a break. Sitting on a rock in the middle of the
river, the “Mountain Song’ started up again! It was so loud that it caused me
to start looking around to find the people singing so loudly in the Wilderness!
I took a couple of photos
and placed the camera back in its bag and left it on the ground next to the
backpack.
I was still standing
looking around at the beautiful scenery, when all of a sudden I heard this very
loud hissing noise at my feet. I looked down and saw my camera bag jumping up
and down and sideways and growling/hissing at the same time. I could not
understand how it is that I place the camera on top of one or another animal or
snake! Eventually I realized that I did not switch the camera off before placing
it in the bag! When the camera did its auto shut down, it was trying to retract
the lens, couldn’t do so and that was what caused all the growling, hissing and
movement from the bag. Quite a scary, unexpected moment!
The river now blocked my
way going straight down for the last part of the valley. It forced me back
uphill through the undergrowth, and only then could I make my way down to the
river again. A short while later I arrived at the Emandundini Trail footpath.
Saw some beautiful Eland coming out of a forest in this area.
If I followed the way-point
to Taylor’s Pass, I would have had a much shorter and easier going route. I
would have saved about 6 hours of bad walking. But, by not following the
way-points, I have discovered some spectacular valleys and river areas! The
beauty in the areas which I saw made all the suffering absolutely worthwhile. I
have seen and discovered new areas which I did not know existed. These areas
are definitely worth a exploration hike of their own and I will be back to
explore them to the fullest extent.
I had another 5 kilometers
left on the trail footpath before reaching the Lotheni camp and the end of my
hike, and fortunately it was all downhill mostly. At 15h00 I reached the
Lotheni office, and from there to the chalet booked for the night.
On arrival at the chalet,
I had to open up the tent and hang it out to dry as I expected it to be
dripping wet from the melted ice. Great was my surprise when I opened up the
tent and flysheet and it was still fully iced up! Can you believe it! The ice
did not melt at all.
I was now walking around
very unbalanced since I took off the backpack! I looked like a sailor setting
foot on dry land for the first time in 2 years!
I finished my hike a day
early, but, I had spare time built into my hike. I always built in spare time
because one never knows what could happen and you might just need the extra
time to complete a hike without raising alarms all over.
The next morning it was
the worst time of the hike again. The return to civilization! I never look
forward leaving the mountains and wilderness and returning to civilization.
Thus ended an epic hike.
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The memory of the suffering always fades, while the fulfillment
grows brighter. For all the richness of “normal” everyday life, it is good
sometimes to trespass in the Wilderness and live life with uncommon intensity,
experiencing something that gets close to the sublime. I have no idea when I
will return to the mountains and the wilderness, but I know that I had more
than my fair share of those sublime moments. I have touched and seen some of
the most magical places on Earth – places whose beauty is inherently dangerous
and where man was never meant to go – and I will be back soon!
We as hikers, explorers,
and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses.
Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!
The End.
Safe Hiking.
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