#TugelaWaterfall Three Tenners South Africa PT 7

TUGELA FALLS

On this beautiful weather day we had arranged to do a very special hike. We were blessed with fantastic visibility which allowed us to see the Drakensbergs at their stunning magnificent best. The air was warm and then hot but there was a gentle breeze blowing for most of the day and that was a gift.

We drove to the hike start at 2500 metres. Not for one moment was the view anything but wow! We stopped on the way to watch huge Vultures dining in a “Vulture restaurant”. I will explain. Farmers for many years viewed Vultures as predators and guilty of killing their stock and so they hunted and killed them in vast numbers. The farmers too poisoned carcasses to kill Jackals because they fed on their stock too. Vultures ate the same meat and died too. Consequently Vulture numbers were vastly depleted and endangered. A conservation initiative convinced local farmers and tribesmen that Vultures were not predators but scavengers and therefore no threat to their livestock. A scheme was raised where suitable carcasses were placed in areas (restaurants) for the Vultures to eat. As a result numbers have increased and these magnificent birds are no longer persecuted. We were lucky enough to see one in flight. A 3 metre wingspan!

Back to the start. We are below the magnificent vast rock cliff known as Sentinel Peak. Gradually we make our way up. The path is tricky at times and reasonably hard because there is some altitude effect at 10000 feet. Our route takes us across the base of Sentinel and eventually up a very challenging narrow rock gulley where we gain 250 feet to top out on the West Buttress of the magnificent and famous Amphitheatre rock wall. We are now at 3100 metres. The views are for miles. The drop of the face is 1000 metres! I want a picture to the bottom. I lie down and crawl and shuffle to towards the edge. I put my camera at arm’s length over the edge. I eventually peer down. It is a weird feeling. Probably a daft thing to do especially as the camera cannot capture the scale. I shuffle back. I would have been mortified if it was one of my offspring and cross with them!

After a rest we trek across relatively flat ground to the Tugela River source to sit beside the Tugela Falls. The Tugela Falls is the second highest in the world. I challenge this because I have seen myself falls at much greater heights. The answer is the drop of 943 metres is the second longest (highest) in the world. A spectacular view.

By the Falls we encounter have a dozen shepherds from Lesotho. They live in the open for days at a time. They are wrapped in traditional coloured woollen blankets. They are in poor physical state I think. Poor. Impoverished. They want cigarettes and sweets.

Eventually we move down on this magnificent day. Alas it is not straightforward. We have to descend two long ladders fixed to the cliff wall. It is a challenge. It is a drop to death. We are ultra-careful. There are no ropes. We progress gingerly. Thereafter it is a beautiful gentle contour hike down looking at the changing shadowed scene as the sun drops in late afternoon. What a day. A blow you away day. Dinner and beer could not have been more desired or probably earned – ha! The Three Tenners were buzzing if tired.
I attach some mob photos but no camera can capture the scale and the silence. A privilege to see.