Project Tugela Falls
Project Tugela Falls got an early start. I left Pretoria at 05:00 to be in the Clarens area by 09:00 — a good four-hour drive with a 30-minute pit stop. The goal was to spend the day in Clarens and explore it a bit more. A Friday in Clarens included visiting a dinosaur museum, shops packed with farm-style deli goods and artisanal produce, one of the cutest bookstores in the country, and restaurants of all kinds.
We managed to get out of Clarens just after two and made our way to Rustplaas Guest Farm, which was where most of the hikers for Project Tugela Falls came together. The farm is a 10-minute drive from Fouriesburg and about a 40-minute drive from Clarens. This venue was chosen because we couldn’t find accommodation closer to Clarens. Why? You ask. The Clarens Beer Festival was in town, and everything was fully booked.
Not a problem. The venue was well worth the drive. The cottage had loads of space, proper beds, warm showers, and WiFi. WiFi on the farm. Can you believe it?
Okay, back to the hikers. Friday night was spent around the braai catching up and prepping for the hike ahead. It was an early night—we had to be up at the crack of dawn. Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge was still a good two-hour drive away, and we needed to get there early. Night, night.
Saturday Morning
All of us were up around five, getting ourselves ready and doing final gear checks for the challenge ahead. Who rides where, gear loaded — and we got going just before 07:00.
The drive took us back through Clarens, straight through the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, which I rather enjoyed. It gave me the opportunity to see the park from one gate to the other, and it was beautiful. There were a few stops I mentally added to the itinerary for next time. The drive continued through Phuthaditjhaba (old Witsieshoek) township, and it looked much the same until we reached the Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge and Sentinel Park gate. If you’re a bit lost on where we were, think Harrismith on the N3 — it’s about an hour’s drive from there to Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge.
Okay, moving on…
At Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge our guide gave us a brief introduction to what lay ahead while we sipped on complimentary coffee provided by the hotel. While we waited for our 4×4 transport to take us up to Sentinel Car Park — yes, you need a 4×4 to get from the hotel to the car park — we took the opportunity to explore the lodge grounds. There are hiking trails ranging from 2 to 8km. The area around the hotel had some beautiful views, giving us a good taste of what was to come.
The 4x4s were back, and it was our turn. Backpacks and hiking poles loaded onto the vehicles—and the usual debate of who sits where, with me gunning for a window seat to capture better video—and off we went. The drive up to Sentinel Car Park takes a good 40 minutes and is as bumpy as you’d expect from a 4×4 trail. We arrived at the park just after midday and were immediately greeted by massive mountain views. This called for some “onsies,” which we took full advantage of.
A bit anxious, a bit excited, we got ourselves ready. Hat on, shades on, shoes tied, hiking poles out, backpack on—and we got going. From the car park to where we camped was a 631-meter elevation gain, and it took us a couple of hours to complete. The toughest stretch was right at the start as we zig-zagged up the mountain—keep in mind I was carrying a 17kg backpack. Yes, 17kg. And I needed all of it, or so I thought at the time. There were also a fair amount of stops to lower the heart rate, have some water, and take a picture, and then there was the viewpoint. A view I tried my best to capture, but you probably need to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it.
What makes this hike exceptional are the views, which get better the higher you go. Up, up we went until we reached the chain ladders — what the Tugela Falls trail is famous for. There are two sets of ladders taking you up about 40 metres. Going up and down with a backpack while the wind is blowing is no joke. All I kept thinking was: whatever you do, don’t let go. Three points of contact at all times, and slow and steady gets the job done. All of us made it to the top safely, and it made for some great action shots on the way up.
At the top, our guide spotted a storm in the distance. She looked at us and said, “There’s a 50/50 chance it could come our way.” A few minutes passed as we watched the storm, and then the call was made—it was heading straight for us. “We probably have an hour and thirty minutes before it’s on us,” our guide casually stated. We still had a 30-minute hike to the campsite. Raingear on, backpacks up, and off we went at a pace that could only be described as “motivated.”
The wind picked up with a slight drizzle—a teaser for what was coming. The poncho kept blowing up into my face, and right then I officially decided the poncho was not for me. There has to be a better way. It’s like wearing a dress: the moment the wind picks up, it exposes exactly the parts that need to stay dry. Poncho off. Rain jacket with inner fleece off too—too hot. Back on the trail. Lots of fun and games figuring out what works for you in the world of backpacking.
Arriving at the campsite, we were immediately instructed to get those tents up. The rain was coming, and it was going to get messy. We helped each other get set up with a little time to spare. There was a brief calm before the storm—the wind eased, the drizzle lightened—and we used the window to sort out food. We collected fresh mountain water, fired up our mini gas stoves, and got just-add-water meals going with enough time to boil the kettle for coffee. Before the ten minutes were up, the storm was upon us. Just before six, we quickly packed everything away and retreated to the tents, where we’d spend the rest of the night until Sunday morning.
The weather was rough and definitely not in our favour. I spent most of the night doing my best to keep the tent from collapsing—at a few points the walls were inches from my face. To make matters worse, a fellow hiker in distress came knocking in the early hours of the morning, having managed to save only his pillow. The rest of his gear was either broken or soaked. Thankfully I had a two-man tent, so we made it work. There we were—two grown men, one tent, one sleeping bag—doing our absolute best until morning.
Sunday Morning
That was the situation until just after six the following morning. I have never been so happy to see the sun come up. Well, sort of. It was still mostly overcast, with the sun peeking out every now and then as if to ask: “Are we having fun yet?” With the weather calming down, we decided to take a look outside. Assessing the damage—everyone had made it.
With the weather still unpredictable and no guarantees about what the day had in store, we decided we needed to pack up and get down as soon as possible while the window allowed.
Packing up was quite the challenge — everything was wet and the wind was still blowing. Have you ever tried to pack up a tent in the wind? It’s like wrestling an octopus. Don’t let go, because if you do, it becomes property of the Berg, and you are not getting it back. Buy a new one. I finally managed to get everything either packed or strapped to the backpack. I gathered my thoughts; dressed for the occasion—there was a chill tucked into the wind that made it properly cold—and off we went.
It took us just under two hours to get down the mountain. Just goes to show how motivated we were to get down. Back at Sentinel Car Park, we took shelter inside a building at the park and didn’t wait long before our 4×4 transporter arrived to take us back to the hotel. Hiking expedition pretty much over. We still had to drive back to the farm, but the hard part was done.
Final Thoughts
Was it worth it? I think so. The highlight of hiking Tugela Falls was undoubtedly the views. I learned a lot about the Drakensberg area and about backpacking smarter in general.
Will I be back? Yes—hopefully with better weather on our side. We didn’t get the opportunity to explore the area around the campsite, and in general I’d love to see more of the Drakensberg.
That’s it from me for now.
May this inspire you to hike Tugela Falls. Don’t let the weather put you off—the weather is what it is, and you can only make the best of what you’ve got. Backpacking, at its core, is about being comfortable being uncomfortable.
To things worth doing and places worth seeing.
P.S. Reminder! Just be a lekker human. 🤙
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