Why South Africa? A simple example! (page 2 of 12)

How a simple walk turns into an expedition...

After the car loop, despite the changeable weather, we head to the start of the hikes (near the campsite).

We choose the Mushroom trail (see the map)...supposedly 45 minutes and a breeze.

And off we go... on a gentle slope.













Here we are at the foot of the mushroom.

Signage = 0

We carry on a bit.





The view is great...

Isn’t there much left to reach the summit?

We keep going. There are no markers.



The problem is that at every tricky section...we tell ourselves it’s the last one. That it’d be a shame not to finish. That afterward, according to the map, we have to go back down...



And each time, it gets tougher.

It’d be a shame to have come all this way just to turn back now...

WOW!!!!! Vertigo or not? Either way, what a stunning view—great job sticking with it, totally worth it!

Except that...

After working hard to reach the summit...



And admiring the view.



On the way back down... there isn’t... there’s just a row of stones with a "close" sign...

So, what do we do?



Well, we don’t have a choice... about-face!

I’ll spare you the photos of the exploit.

And here are some baboons for you!



Since the weather was nicer on the way down... here are some more photos for you











Alright, let’s go home! (Note to self: mushroom ≠ a trail, path = 0 markers, be careful)

Anyway, we don’t regret it. Our calves are killing us.











You get why Mrs. Attila (and now me too) have a soft spot for Mountain Retreat?

It’s cold up there, though!

What a view from the Mountain Retreat! Almost the same as at the top of the mushroom, but without the calf pain 😏! It makes for more memories when your legs hurt...

Beautiful view... but luckily the big clouds turned into clear spells instead of a huge storm or pea-soup fog 🤪. Muriel

It's way up there!

For those who still doubt our Drakensberg climbing skills (the Australian equivalent of an alpinist)...

The mushroom



Its buddy



The final passage

At dawn...

The sun is shining brightly. The wind has swept the sky, leaving it with a magnificent clarity. Can you see all the way to Cathedral Peak?

The photos speak for themselves.

Hi Michel,

I’m joining in too... What a lovely hike—this kind of scenery really appeals to me. The rocks in all those colors, I love it! 🙂

See you soon, Carmen

Mountain Retreat review

A beautiful place with stunning views.

Two loops to do by car. Fun with a few animals.

Several hikes and walks—make sure to gauge the difficulty and don’t expect signs along the way. (They start from the campsite by the road.) A small shop for firewood, a few supplies, hats...beer and wine (note: normally no alcohol on Sundays, but an exception was made for us). A very "hotel-like" hotel without much charm...same for the restaurant...but the food isn’t bad. Self-catering accommodations that seem pretty nice but are right by the road (not busy in May).

Don’t forget that Mountain Retreat is over 2,000 meters high. It was cold and windy on Day 1...nearly impossible to get a normal temperature in the chalet except in the bedroom. That said, there are heated blankets and the option to make a fire (don’t forget extra firewood on top of what’s provided). A decent bathroom and a good bed. Self-catering is totally doable—just like all the San Parks I know, it’s very well equipped.

Obviously sunny...but you’ve seen the photos!





A quick side note—during the Blesboek Loop, there’s a small flooded section. A small car drowned its engine there...it happened to people ahead of us! It’s on the road to the dam.



Final note: this isn’t an enclosed park but is crossed by the Harrysmith/Clarens road.

Cathedral Peak...

We're heading out today to the central Drakensberg.

We decide to go via Cathedral Peak.

First, we follow the lakes in the area.



Then we move onto the only dead-end road. Drive carefully—lots of pedestrians, domestic animals, and a few bumps that are a bit sneaky.





To arrive at the park.

Lunch at a restaurant in a South African resort.





And a visit to Didima, the KZN accommodation. Really lovely in the sunshine.





Note to self: next time... Didima!

All that aside, we've got a bit of a drive ahead...

Further south (we're skipping Giants and Champagne Valley, already seen them).

The central Drakensberg and our stop...seems great because...

Because from there, we've got a view of the entire Drakensberg range. We're in a much less touristy spot. We're an hour away from Giants, Valley, Kamberg, and Highmoor... Basically, we're strategically well-placed.

Now we just have to get there...Even though we know the way...But, how to put it...a communication breakdown between pilot and co-pilot made us lose our way... So we're crossing the heart of the Drakensberg.

With way more "village" crossings than the photos suggest.













Passing by the Mooi River Nature Reserve...which is a hidden gem...hardly visited!





Almost at nightfall.

So Antbear...

At first, Connie and Andrew set up this guest house attached to a farm lost in this corner of the Drakensberg. (See previous travel journals for more.) On the hill—come on, with the zoom it’s better, right?









The big plus, on top of the location, the view, the lovely rooms, the good meal... The host table with the owners. (See the other travel journal entries for reference.)

It’s all well and good... but you’ve got to make a living, and since this area has changed a lot (for the better)... a few more tourists, a game reserve right next door... At first, not a single light on the horizon at night... today, the villages are lit up...

So... a few more rooms, a much larger restaurant building, a chef... and less conviviality.



That’s progress.

It’s still a great stop, for the same reasons... including the fact that they support a lot of people... they’re pretty much self-sufficient, in fact.

I still recommend this place.

Maps of this area

Hi Michel,

If there’s still a little spot, I’m in too! Thanks for your travel journal and the beautiful photos—they bring back such great memories. We went to South Africa in August 2000 and stayed 2 nights at Golden Gate Highlands National Park. We loved that place, and the weather was gorgeous. I’d love to read the rest. Liliane

Welcome, the road will be long...

I’m taking responsibility for this!

In my opinion, the Highmoor hike is one of the most beautiful in the Drakensberg—and it’s not even complicated!

First, you drive facing the entire Drakensberg range!

From left to right:

South Ridge / Giants Castle / the start of Long Walk

Mafadi and Champagne Castle



Cathkin Peak, Mount Memory, Dragons Back



The end of Dragons Back, Cathedral Peak



Eastern Buttresses and Amphitheatre



Mount-aux-Sources and Sentinel



And all of this... we’re gonna see it up close!

You're keeping the suspense going with that famous hike... 😉

A huge THANK YOU for these two Drakensberg maps—it's a goldmine! They’re basically a multi-activity guide plus hotels and restaurants, twice as comprehensive as all the paper guides combined!

That said, after printing, some of the small print isn’t readable. Would your scan allow for a higher resolution? Or is it just VoyageForum’s aggressive compression...? No worries if not—we’ll still have plenty to work with. 😉 Thanks for sharing... 🙂

Well, this is a wild VF compression...

A map on the Midlands Meander site.

The site doesn’t work very well, but... I’ll try to share some hiking maps...

Highmoor

First, the little access road to the plateau...









We arrive at the plateau where the entrance is located.

The entrance seen from the park, where the trees are.



The plateau overlooks



A really nice little stream







An attempt at a panoramic shot

We carry on...

It's pretty flat, so it's quite easy (especially for experienced hikers...).

It can take about 3 hours... but you can make it much longer if you want.

The view... you constantly have a view of the entire Drakensberg and the whole valley... and we haven’t even done everything yet. Reminder: trail map in the first posts.

Downside: in the hot season... it must get *really* hot. After the autumn fires, if they happen, the landscape will look different.















Alright, I’ll add more tomorrow.