Mafadi with Gilly and Mark - July 2011

Brilliant picture on top of Mafadi. You can tell it was “quite” chilly.

UK-based Gilly and Mark had decided to spend their honeymoon in South Africa, Gilly’s mother’s country of origin. Being outdoor enthusiasts they had planned a very active holiday, including some good challenging hiking in the Drakensberg.

Mafadi Trek with Charly and Charlie - July 2011

Cathkin peak and its other companions just before dark.

Charly from Belgium was coming to South Africa to take part in the Big Five Marathon in the Entabeni Game Reserve. But he wanted to take the challenge a little further and hike to SA’s highest peak a few days after the marathon. He admitted it would have been better if he had had a few more days rest in between. He had done Kilimanjaro by 3 different routes and according to him that was a child’s play in comparison with Mafadi.

A Snowy Hike in the Drakensberg - June 2011

Once on top we were surprised to see that the Berg was mostly covered in snow, especially on the southern slopes.

This year winter arrived early and in full force. At the beginning of June, a powerful cold front coming from the south west left the whole High Berg covered in snow, a beautiful wintry sight like I hadn’t seen in years. However, I was hoping that most of the snow would be melt for my next hike in 2 weeks time. It wasn’t going to be.