Drakensberg Weekend

On Friday I got home from class at 4:30pm to learn that our plans to go to Durban for the weekend had fallen through. A bunch of us Denison kids really wanted to get out of 'Maritzburg for the weekend (as I alluded in a previous post, there is next to nothing happening around here), so I whipped out my travel book and started looking for places to go in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN--the province I am in). It seemed like some of the people in the group were not up for/equipped for camping, so that eliminated some of the nature reserves up and down the coast and in the mountains, so I randomly found a listing for a backpackers (hostel) in the Drakensberg Mountains with dormitory and hut type of accommodation. So I called them at 6pm on Friday to see if they had space for eight people on Saturday night, which they did. I then made an online reservation for one five-passenger car because at the time we had one driver and there were no larger cars available. Finding drivers was not easy because one needs to be: a) able to drive manual; and b) willing to drive on the other side of the road. Over the next few hours our group shrunk and grew to a final total of 13 and we got our three needed drivers. Our group consisted of six Californians, one Rutgers guy, two girls from the East Coast, and four Germans. When I went to sleep on Friday night we only had one car reservation and no reservation for the hostel since they weren't picking up when I tried to call back with a final count. At 7am the next morning Mani called again to see if they had room for 13, which they did, but since we didn't want to give them our credit card number ahead of time, we had to get there by 1pm to claim our reservation. I called Avis at 8am when they opened to see if they had two more cars available--they had none. The clerk gave me the number of one of the other car rental places at the PMB airport, but they weren't answering. So before 9am I gathered the three drivers and we took a taxi to the airport, unsure if we would be able to get more than one car. When we got there two other car rental places were open--one of which also had no cars available. At first National/Alamo had one car available, so we were going to get the two and go into town to try to get a third, but then the clerk found another available car! The Grand Prix was going on in Durban this weekend so apparently that's why so few rental cars were available. Finally we got our three needed cars and went to pick up the rest of the group.

We were on our way to Monk's Cowl in the Central Drakensberg Mountains right on schedule by 10am, quite an impressive feat for a group as big as ours. Without a road map (just some basic directions), and after an almost close encounter with some unobservant sheep in the road and a stop for lunch, we made it to Inkosana Lodge by 1pm. And, let me tell you, this place is unlike any hostel I have ever seen or heard about. It is gorgeous!! It is super clean, with beautiful grounds, a freshwater pool, and friendly owners. A really nice change of pace was that it was safe--we didn't have to worry about locking up our stuff (in the dorms, you even lock your door when you go to the bathroom). Once we got settled, the owner advised us about a hike for that afternoon. A few more miles down the road was the trailhead where we picked up souvenir (but very useful) Drakensberg walking sticks. As we started the 5km hike there was thunder rumbling overhead and lightning flashing over the dramatic peaks in the distance. I was a bit worried that we were pushing our luck, but as it turned out, the clouds overhead and light rain made for perfect conditions. As we walked along I couldn't help but utter, "Wow...wow...wow..." This was without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. To top it off, the trail was very well-maintained and provided a good workout without being exhausting. Along the way were beautiful creeks, and we were told that the water is safe to drink, so despite my better judgment I tried it. Now I know what water should taste like--it was so fresh and cool. So far none of us have gotten sick from it--I will give you an update in about a week. At the end of the trail we were rewarded by Nandi Falls, one of those beautiful misty falls with a rock pool at the bottom that you see in travel brochures--basically spectacular.

After taking pictures and playing in the falls, we had to make sure we got back to the cars by 6pm, when they close the gate. Since we didn't sign up in time for dinner at the hostel, we headed back down the road to the place we stopped for lunch--hoping it was still open. Luckily it was (although when we arrived we were the only people there), and we had a lovely dinner at a place that clearly caters to uppity tourists, although it was still inexpensive by our standards. After dinner, we headed back to the hostel to try to go swimming before "quiet time" started at 10pm. Most of us hadn't brought bathing suits, so I jumped in wearing my hiking clothes. Like everything else that day, it was absolutely amazing. The natural pool (no chlorine, etc.) was lit by the half moon and the constellations were vivid (although upside down from what we're used to seeing). The pool, although a bit slimy, was delightful (I will give you a schistosomiasis update soon too). After splashing around for a bit I retired to my hut (that's right, I stayed in a traditional thatched-roof hut). Jessika and I took some of the nicer digs available--a hut with its own bathroom, which was supposed to be about R200 per person (less than $30!), however in the end the owner charged us a flat rate of R110 (about $15!!). In the morning we had a yummy hearty breakfast at the hostel before heading out for another day of hiking. Even after checking out we were welcome to go back and use the facilities at no charge--what a place. Shameless plug: If anyone is going to the Central Drakensberg you should definitely stay at Inkosana Lodge.

Since we were to go on a longer hike than the day before (11km) a few of the girls stayed back. The map we got at the hostel was not drawn to scale and it did not indicate topography, so it was impossible to tell how long/difficult the hike would be besides what we heard from other hikers. This is what we heard: It's pretty steep in the beginning, then you get to the plateau, and it's pretty steep coming back down. That's quite true, but it was more difficult than I anticipated. It was very steep in the beginning (glad to have that walking stick) and had a lot of elevation change (we don't know exactly, but my guess is it was at least 2000 feet up). I was definitely the slow poke on this hike, and insisted on going at my own pace so that I wouldn't collapse. On Sunday it was a bit hotter than the day before and there were no clouds, so it was direct summer sun with little shade for the whole 5-6 hours. Within the first half an hour I was already hot and sweaty, so I hiked the duration in my sports bra and did a poor job of protecting the extra exposed skin which is now badly burned. The guys, or I should call them mountain goats, went ahead for most of the hike, and we all met up periodically. Luckily Jessika stayed back with me so I wasn't totally on my own. For me, the highlight of the hike was Crystal Falls which was perfectly placed in the middle of the difficult climb. I took a little shower under the cool water and refilled my water bottle--without the refreshing falls I might not have made it to the top. When we finally made it to the plateau there was a mound-shaped peak nearby. Considering what we had already climbed, it wasn't much more elevation, but it looked pretty steep and I knew if I tried it I would have difficulty finishing the hike. So I stayed back with Jessika and Debbie, and Kate took off with the guys up to the top. This gave us a chance to rest and get a head start on the next leg of the hike. Apparently the view up there was unbelievable and the highlight of the hike, but I still think that if I attempted it they would have been carrying me back out. On top of the plateau it looked like a scene from the Sound of Music, except with more dramatic mountains in the background. Only drawback was the flies that insisted on flying around my head. Even though the way up was steep and challenging, for me the most difficult part was the descent. It was steep and rocky, with sheer cliffs on one side. Already tired at this point and not trusting my legs, I took my time. The walking stick kept me from slipping at least three times (well worth the $7). Jessika stayed back with me and Jacob waited for us periodically as the others bounded down the mountain. There was virtually no shade on the descent (about two hours) and I forgot to sunscreen the back of my legs and neck which are now very red and in quite a bit of pain (I've taken six Tylenol since I got home--not for my muscles). With sore feet (I wore my Chacos which are essentially sandals all weekend) and burning skin I finally made it back. That hike definitely pushed me pretty close to my limit, which makes me proud for finishing it. I would like to think that in hiking boots I could have done it faster and more confidently, but it was difficult nonetheless. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died in the middle of the hike, but I still got some pretty good shots which I hope to post soon. After having lunch back at the entrance at 4pm, and waiting for the other girls who went up to Crystal Falls, not knowing it was one of the most difficult stretches of the hike, two of the cars went back to PMB and one stayed back to hang out at the hostel. Completely exhausted I went back in one of the cars to PMB. The other car got a flat tire on the way back, but luckily it was the one with three German guys who were confident about changing the tire. I know it's a sexist stereotype, but we four girls in the other car were glad our car didn't get a flat because we wouldn't have had a clue about how to change it properly. We got back to PMB around 7pm and I think I was in bed by 9:30pm. The group that stayed back at the hostel was clearly not so eager to be back in PMB because I got a message from Jessi at 11:30pm that they had just gotten back.

This was definitely the best trip I have been on so far, and I am sure that everyone else who went would agree. I am truly amazed at how well everything fell into place at the very last minute. I would love to go back to Monk's Cowl, but there are so many other places to see in the Drakensberg and in South Africa for that matter, and less than four months in which to see them.