The Drakensberg Mountains

The Drakensberg Mountains

My second weekend on Thanda saw 9 of us head off with 2 professional photographers to the Drakensburg Mountains, affectionately known as The Berg, it is every landscape photographers dream location and we were very fortunate to spend 4 fabulous days there with two fantastic professional photographers/instructors/guides Emil von Maltitz and Nick van de Wiel.

The trip started early on Friday with a 5am departure from Thanda.  With Nick driving, the 9 of us volunteers piled into the very comfy mini bus and headed south to Durban to pick up Emil before heading east to the stunning mountains.  It was a long drive which most of us slept though.  Those that stayed awake were treated to stunning views and scenery as we drove through plantations, farms and townships.

We arrived at Thendeld Lodge, our accommodation for our first 2 nights, in the early afternoon, had a quick bite to eat and freshen up before heading off on a short drive and walk to the Cascades for our first photo shoot of the weekend.  The Cascades, as the name suggests, are a collection of waterfalls perfect for us students to learn how to master the art of motion blur, which I am happy to say we now all have.  It was a great location to spend the afternoon and due to the recent rains the water was running fast and free.

The Cascades

Practicing our Photography - Lese, Georgie, Ali, Laura and Shilla

Our first night in the ‘Berg’ was spent at a nearby restaurant called Tower of Pizza, it has fantastic Pizza and even better desserts – the chocolate cake was amazing and just melted in your mouth.  It was an early night to bed after a long travel day and the knowing of a 4.30am wake up call the next day for sunrise shoots.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed we headed for our respective areas for our sunrise shoot, half of the group headed to the river, the other half stayed near the lodge, swapping locations the following day.  The sunrise each day was spectacular - Sunrises are usually viewed by watching the sun rise over the horizon but to have your back to this and to see the sun hit the mountains and watch them change from black to orange through a rainbow of colour was phenomenal and a memory we will keep with us forever. 

Day 2 Sunrise Shoot at the River

Our first full day also saw us on a hike (14km return) to the Gorge, the landscape was amazing, it was like walking through a collection of postcards of rolling mountains and flowing waterfalls until we reached our final destination which was worth every bead of sweat and ounce of energy used. The gorge was a series of interconnecting tunnels that had been worn out by the water and wind as it came down off the mountains.  It was not a difficult hike however we did encounter a few challenges along the way such as river crossings and a few larger rocks to climb over.  For those brave enough you can scamper through the tunnel to reach a beautiful, crystal clear swimming hole.  The water was freezing but a Georgie, Laura and I figured we were already wet from walking through the tunnel that we may as eel take the plunge, it was freezing but we felt very refreshed afterwards.

 

The Gorge Tunnels

Georgie, Laura and Me after our quick dip in the freezing water.

We were treated to a braai that night cooked by our wonderful guides and new friends Emil and Nick, the food was delicious but many of the group were exhausted from such a long day that they headed to bed early to recover and prepare for another early start the following morning.

Again we had an early wake up call on Sunday to head to our respective locations for sunrise.  It was again a beautiful sight to see as the sun reflected perfectly against the light cloud cover to give so much drama to the still morning.  After breakfast we headed to Didima Lodge, our new accommodation for our final night – and can I just say WOW – welcome to luxury, 6 of us stayed in a 3 bedroom house with large kitchen and lounge area, each of the bedrooms had its own ensuite and verandah that looked off to Cathedral peak, and the mountains.

Day 3 Sunrise from near the Cabins

Todays hike was to Rainbow Gorge, a much more challenging hike than the previous days but equally as beautiful.  We scampered over boulders, trudged through rivers, climbed up and down chain ladders and slid down rock flats all to reach the Gorge, we were told that we would feel like we were walking into an Indiana Jones movie set and to be amazed - the gorge did not disappoint.  To see such a giant boulder balanced between two cliff faces while the water cascaded through truly was something you would expect to see in a movie not experience in reality.  The hike was not for the faint hearted but if you can endure the pain, the gain is worth it.  

One of the stops along the way to Rainbow Gorge

Rainbow Gorge

We had the option of a sleep in on Monday morning before we hit the road and headed back to Thanda, for those crazy enough there was again the option to wake up at 5am and experience our last sunrise over Cathedral Peak, and let me tell you what a sunrise it was.  To watch the full moon set behind the peak and then witness the changing of colours as the sun rose was amazing once again – I don’t think you would ever get tired of such a sight.

The moon setting before a magical Sunrise

Day 4 Sunrise

We were sad to say goodbye to the Drakensberg but keen to get back to Thanda to share our weekend experience and to put into practice what we had learnt in our location master classes each day.  I am certainly keen to come back to South Africa and visit the Drakensberg to explore the many hiking trails, gorges and waterfalls. It was such a beautiful  and calming place and recommend it to anyone heading to South Africa.

The Group.
Front L - R - Mariel, Shilla, Lese, Zoe, Laura, Ali and Bettina
Back L - R - Me, Georgie