Paradise Valley LOTHENI 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, a name given by the Voortrekkers. 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.”

Panorama April 1966

This blog is all about the Drakensberg Mountains and its Wilderness area, South Africa. I have lost my heart and soul to this area and every single time I hike these mountains, I stand in awe all over again at this magnificent beauty.

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". (DA Dodds)

Hiking adventures, hiking gear reviews, day walks, accommodation, books, articles and photos, all related to these magnificent mountains will feature here.

Should you want to accompany me on a hike, or need some information or advice, please make contact with me. I hope you enjoy the articles.

Please visit the archive for some more interesting stories, photos and reviews.

Please note that all photos on this blog are copyright protected. If you would like to obtain
Photos please make contact with the author, Willem Pelser.

“IT IS GOOD SOMETIMES

TO TRESSPASS DEEP IN

THE WILDERNESS AND

LIVE LIFE WITH

UNCOMMON INTENSITY,

EXPERIENCING SOMETHING

THAT GETS CLOSE TO THE SUBLIME”

Paradise Valley

LOTHENI DRAKENSBERG

December 2015 – Barely a month and a half after my last 7 day hike in the Drakensberg Wilderness, I had to heed the siren call from my beloved mountains again. This time I was going back to Lotheni, a spectacular beautiful place and where I have done hundreds of kilometers of exploration.

   Most people who go to Lotheni, follows the marked trails which prevents you from experiencing and understanding the true beauty of this place. It is also very hard work in exploring this place and most people would simply not do it, and therefore do the standard walks.

   Lotheni is a huge with absolute stunning areas, which reward the explorer for all the hard work required to get there. I can wax on for hours about Lotheni, so, I will stop here and share just one of the magical places with you.

   A long, long time ago I noticed this forest in a valley when doing some of my trips. The area always fascinated me as from what I could see from a high altitude looking down onto the canopy of the forest, was that there must be something spectacular hiding away in that specific area.

   Access to this forest was going to be very difficult as the forest was lying in between a very steep sided valley, descending at a very steep angle from top to bottom. The valley is about 4 kilometers long. A river runs through the middle of the forest. The river is not visible from outside the forest.

   To make a long story short, after a huge amount of hard work, I ended up inside the forest. My breath was taken away by the sheer beauty surrounding me and it took me quite a while before I could move again. The feeling was one of arriving in Paradise and the Garden of Eden. I have not ever seen such beauty contained inside one area. It is the home of elves, fairies, trolls and all the other mythical characters you can think of.

I promptly named the area ‘Paradise Valley’. Because of its location and the difficulty of getting to it, the valley have been spared the attention of civilization and is therefore still in an absolutely pristine and wild state as it would have been hundreds of years ago.

   I spend hours inside the forest exploring and taking pictures and it was very difficult tearing myself away and to carry on with the hike. I followed the river, by doing boulder hopping and sliding down waterfalls, up to the point where the river exits the forest. Due to the steep decline of the valley, there are a huge number of waterfalls inside the forest.

‘THE MEMORY OF THE SUFFERING ALWAYS FADES,

WHILE THE FULFILMENT GROWS BRIGHTER’

   Paradise Valley is indeed a very special place and will remain in my memories forever.

   For the effort of using my legs, I have been rewarded ten-fold, as is always the case on my hiking trips in the Drakensberg Wilderness. I have touched some of the most magical places in the Drakensberg Wilderness, places whose beauty is spectacular and where man was never meant to go.

   I have no idea when I would next be returning to the mountains, but I know that I had already had more than my fair share of those sublime moments. I will not be staying away for long though!

Would I be willing to share the location of Paradise Valley?

‘IF I DON’T TELL THE SECRET,

THEN IT IS MY SLAVE,

IF I DO,

THEN I AM ITS SLAVE’

I am sharing some of the photos of Paradise Valley, but seeing it from up close is so much better than a photo! Do yourself a favor and go and explore this beautiful and very unique Lotheni, you will never be sorry.

Please take note that it is not possible to enter this forest in a normal rainy season, or when it is raining heavily. It would be extremely dangerous and not life sustaining!

Safe Hiking.

The End.

           

Willem Pelser – The Mountain Man