Three Passes Hike

During the Easter Weekend we hiked with a group of passionate hikers  in the Lotheni area of the Maloti/Drakensberg. We spent 4 days of bliss in the mountains going up Taylors Pass on the 1st day to a tenting spot below The Sisters at 2300m. During the afternoon we were entertained by swirling mist and clouds. We arose the 2nd morning in thick mist and drizzle and not pleasant in the cold weather. We headed off below the The Gable on our way to Elandshoek Pass. The path we walked is used by smugglers who bring dagga down from Lesotho into KZN.....very evident by threads of Basoto blanket and threads of white bags which they carry it in. We finally got to the bottom of Elandshoek Pass and made our way up in the mist and then into the clouds. Our heavy back packs made some of the rock sections and climbing on the pass quite hairy. At some places a slip would have been fatal! As we got near the top of the pass at about 3000m we climbed out of the clouds and into sunshine.....amazing and excited to get some warmth....even though the temp was a couple of degrees above freezing. We came out at the top of the pass at 3100+ m and made our way up a valley towards the top of Giants Castle. The ground was very wet with streams of water everywhere and in places ice on the water and rocks. After an exhausting climb for me, we finally got to the top at 3300m and set up our tent site. The weather that evening was good without any wind or clouds (unusual for the Drakensberg escarpment) .....we awoke the next day to minus 4 temps and the water in my cooking pot frozen.
Before sunrise I walked around looking for a decent photography spot. You will see the panorama I took of the position of our tent site and magnificent views. Warmly dressed we broke camp and headed down towards Lotheni Pass which we were going down off the escarpment. The views were amazing and the first time I have seen a place called Makasa where climbers do winter ice climbing.

As we approached the top of Lotheni Pass I noticed some Basoto poachers going down the pass with 12 hunting dogs. This made me furious as these poachers are depleting the vast herds of Eland which have lived freely in the Drakensberg areas for hundreds of years. This is not our first time to witness this and we have on a previous occasion watched how their dogs pull down an Eland after running it into exhaustion and then chasing it over a cliff. At this time we watched the poachers chop up a carcass and then in bags, take the meat up a pass into Lesotho. We hope that KZN Wildlife get on top of this poaching crisis which could eventually wipe out the Eland population in the Maloto/Drakansberg World Heritage Site!!!! This is the way of Africa... to strip, rape, destroy, kill, wipe out and abuse every natural resource that is left.
We enjoyed coming down Lotheni Pass in sunshine. We picked up another well worn smugglers path which took us onto Ka Pitoli Ridge, a huge ridge from the 2400m level ending near the Lotheni Camp Site. That night we tented by a Tarn in lovely weather and awoke the last day before sunrise to take photos.
We continued walking out along the ridge and finally down into the Lotheni/Elandshoek Valley back to the Lotheni Wildlife office where we had left our vehicles.
A great hike was had by all....batteries recharged and ready to tackle the things of this world.

To see all the photos of our adventure please click on this link........

http://richardhuntphotographer.blogspot.co.za/p/blog-page_22.html