Drakensberg & Roof of Africa
Hiking Holiday
Operates:
Duration:
Includes:
Highlights:
Excludes:
Notes:
Accommodation:
Daily from Johannesburg
8 days / 7 nights
Transportation, accommodation, hiking with qualified guides, entrance fees as
per itinerary.
Meals as indicated B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner
Hiking in Drakensberg, hiking to top of Amphitheatre (3000 m).
Flights, Visas, All Items of a Personal Nature, Gratuities
Minimum 2 Passengers
Tourist class lodges – twin room
Day 1:
Arrive in Johannesburg from your International Flight. Make your way to the complimentary shuttle
that will take you to Safari Club Lodge. Arrive at the lodge, check in and spend the rest of the day
at leisure.
Overnight Safari Club Lodge
Day 2:
You will be collected at the lodge and transferred to the northern Drakensberg, check in at Cavern
Berg Resort (approx. 4 hours drive).
Overnight: The Cavern. (BD)
Day 3:
Goodoo Falls Hike – 8 hrs / 18 km
Grade: C+: Trekking might be strenuous, offering excitement and challenges, with up to 7 – 8
hours walking and occasional scrambling. Walking boots with good ankle support, moulded soles and
waterproof, breathable uppers are mandatory for safety and insurance reasons. Chain ladders may
be encountered on some routes.
Terrain: Very steep at times and only done with a hotel guide as the paths are not well marked on
the escarpment.
Accompanied by an experienced mountain guide from
your hotel: Hike from the Top Gate up through Sugar
Loaf Gap. Part way up the Sugar Loaf itself, take a
right-hand track that goes behind the peak. This leads
to Cold Hill, ascending about 500 m. Follow the line of
the fence and around Broome Hill. Cross the fence,
and proceed down the slope of Plowman’s Kop for
about 2 km, where the stream is seen on the right,
nestling in the valley. Towards the end of Plowman’s
Kop slopes, ease right, dropping gently into the valley,
picking up the path to the lip of Goodoo Falls. Swim in
the pools and have lunch at the top of the falls.
Hike back to The Cavern by climbing out of the valley.
Follow along the contour path around Castle Rocks,
around The Diamond and over Surprise Ridge, back to
The Cavern. In winter take torch, in case darkness
falls before arrival home.
Overnight: The Cavern. (BLD)
Day 4:
“Cavern Big 5” Hike 8 hrs/18 km
Grade: B: Hard walking and scrambling, up to an
average of eight hours per day. Please note from
trekking descriptions the altitudes that are likely to be
reached. We advise that previous experience of hard
mountain walking is essential. Walking boots with
good ankle support, moulded soles and waterproof,
breathable uppers are mandatory for safety and
insurance
reasons.
Chain
ladders
may
be
encountered, so a good head for heights is also
necessary. Some routes pass through snow.
Terrain:
Very steep at times and only done with a
hotel guide. Need a head for heights as there are short
climbs over boulders and the descent to Cannibal Cave
is very steep.
Accompanied by an experienced mountain guide from
your hotel: This hike takes you up Hlolela (500 m and
an approximately two-hour climb to 2127 m) via Scilla
Gully, and then on to the Bridge of the Battleship.
From Battleship hike down towards Venus’ Bath for
tea, and then on to the top of Sugar Loaf. Then hike to the top of Cold Hill. Descend from Cold Hill
via the Devil's Staircase and Cavern Gap to Cannibal Cavern for lunch. After lunch, hike along
Surprise Ridge to Camel’s Hump and then home. There are escape routes back home at several
points along the route. This hike, because of the range of habitats it traverses, and the everchanging view, offers the best chance to see eland. It is the biggest antelope found on earth.
Imposing and elegant, its great dewlap is impressive. Both sexes bear tightly spiralled horns, those
of the males being heavier.
Overnight: The Cavern. (BLD)
Day 5:
Sugarloaf to Witsieshoek Rest Camp - 7 hrs / 14 km
Grade D+: Moderate terrain. Undulating path with a few steep slopes and fairly easy scrambles.
Expect energetic hikes among hills and relatively easy mountain walking.
Accompanied by an experienced mountain guide
from your hotel: Head for Sugar Loaf Gap. The
path takes you behind Broome Hill. There are
various paths and routes and the guide will decide
on the path to follow. The path to the Witsieshoek
Rest Camp is undulating and rises slowly as one
ascends towards the camp. Water may be difficult
to locate, so make sure to carry some. Vultures
often soar over Sugar Loaf. Two species occur
here. The Cape vulture is endemic – found only in
southern Africa, with its main stronghold in the
Berg. It is gregarious, so although foraging birds
are widely spread, to survey the most ground,
each can see the next, and all will arrive at a
carcass within a few minutes. The bearded vulture
(lammergeyer) is solitary, preferring old kills, even
dry bones that other scavengers cannot manage. If the bone is too big to swallow, the lammergeyer
carries it high in the air and drops it on a big rock to crack the bone open. Its rusty colour is a form
of make-up, derived from iron-rich rocks, and must be renewed after every moult to impress the
opposite sex.
Overnight: Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge. (BLD)
Day 6:
Amphitheatre ascent – 8 hrs
Grade: C+: Trekking might be strenuous, offering
excitement and challenges, with up to 7 – 8 hours
walking and occasional scrambling. Chain ladders are
encountered.
Terrain: Very steep at times and only done with a
hotel guide as the paths are not well marked on the
escarpment.
Breakfast at the lodge, vehicle transfer to Sentinel
carpark. Depart with packed lunches and qualified
guide: After filling in the mountain register, you start
your hike along a well maintained path which ascends
gradually towards the Witches and the Zig-Zags,
taking you to the base of the Sentinel massif. From
here, you swing right and follow the contour path
below the Western buttresses with the land sloping
steeply to the north and east giving you wonderful
views of the Malutis and the Witsieshoek plateaux.
The chain ladders are reached after about 3
kilometres, and after negotiating the two sections of
rock wall it is only a short scramble up from there to
the escarpment where you can spend the better part
of the day in exploration. Walk to the edge of the
Amphitheatre, where the Tugela Falls (second highest
waterfall in the world) cascades over the cliff-face.
Return either via the Gulley of the Chain Ladders. This
is usually at least a 6 hour hike and the whole day is
set aside for this. Vehicle transfer back to your lodge.
Overnight: Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge. (BLD)
Day 7:
Descent from Witsieshoek to Mahai
Camp – 4 hrs
Grade D:
A reasonably energetic walks downhill
rather than mountains, not too strenuous although
some paths may be rough.
Terrain: Downhill on reasonably good paths
Breakfast and depart with packed lunches via Mahai
Waterfall to Mahai campsite. The hike will take
approximately 3-4 hours and is very scenic with
waterfalls, paths below sandstone cliffs and
yellowwood forest crossing the Mahai river.
Your transfer vehicle will meet you once you reach
the Visitor’s Centre at the end of the hike. Drive to
The Cavern Hotel to collect your luggage (which was left in safekeeping there) and transfer to
Johannesburg. (Dinner for own account).
Overnight: Safari Club Guesthouse, Johannesburg. (BL)
Day 8:
Johannesburg
Tour ends after breakfast. Complimentary shuttle to Johannesburg International Airport.
Drakensberg and Roof of Africa
hiking
1 Nov – 31 Dec 15*
11 Jan – 31 Oct 16*
8 days / 7 nights
Currency
Johannesburg - Johannesburg
Johannesburg - Johannesburg
ZAR
ZAR
Per Pers.
Sharing
Min 2 Pax
13 450
14 275
Single
Supplement
2 570
2 635
*Not valid: 18 Dec 15 – 10 Jan 16; 18-28 Mar; 26 Apr – 3 May; 15-19 Jun; 26 Jun – 9 Jul; 5-9 Aug 2016
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Inspirations Travel & Tours
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