CWC Ikhayalamafu

Finally this week I pulled on my hiking boots and set off to meet fellow hikers of the Champagne Valley Walking Club (CWC) at the designated spot. We initially walked up to the house of Paul and Ricky Brogan who own Ikhayalamafu ** a private nature reserve nestled directly under Champagne Castle and Cathkin Peak. 

 Waiting for the last walkers to arrive

 The first view we had of Cathkin Peak and Champagne Castle as we walked up to the house 

Walking up the rough track to Paul and Ricky's home

Gathering at the house before Paul takes us on a hike... 

 ...through indigenous forests...

...past many beautiful waterfalls...

...under cool cliff overhangs...

  ...and up steep mountain paths  

Lynette and I always take photos. Because we're behind our cameras, I take photos of her and she takes photos of me - normally taking photos! 

Near a mountain stream, Alan pointed out a spoor - made by a leopard!

 Some places we had to negotiate ladders to get to the next level 

 At a point near our tea spot, Paul's Great Dane, Hector came back to see where we, the second and slower group, were

 Tea in a clearing ...

...under another magnificent waterfall  

 Making our way down the mountain through another indigenous forest 

 A wooden mushroom growing out of a tree trunk 

 Above us was the Sphinx, a landmark on another trail up this mountain

My friend, Jenny loves it when we get out onto open paths - she can then admire the view, she says 

A sign announcing Paul and Ricky's property, which is private

Natal bottlebrush already showing early blooms 

 Then it was the steep descent back to our hosts' home (just visible in the valley) 

Back at the house, Ricky had laid on tea, coffee and her trademark milk tart. What a wonderful treat for hungry hikers. 

 Ricky and Paul with Hector

 Some of the ladies resting on the patio

 Alan (88) - closest and Anthony (77) with braces - our two oldest hikers - always an inspiration to us

 Hector enjoys the rest with Dave 

Hector and Sheba (the female Great Dane) accompanied us on the hike. More about these two dogs later 

We enjoyed a 6km round hike which took us just under four hours with a tea stop and the delicious fare Ricky provided at the end. 

** Meaning of Ikhayalamafu is House in the clouds

CWC Van Damm's Cascades and Blue Grotto

On Tuesday the Champagne Valley Walking Club met at the Drakensberg Sun hotel parking lot. Piling onto the back of Alan Leggit's Toyota pick-up, he drove us up the hill to Bergview. Here we got off and started to walk all the way across the base of Stylberg. 

 An awesome sight: a herd of zebra and their young with the mountains as backdrop

 The first short steep climb 

 Overlooking the valley below

 Trish and moi  

Continuing, we take the contour path where we pass Elephant Rock. 

 Friend Anthony stepping it up along the path  

We break the fast just before Van Damm's Cascades

 Focusing across the top of the direction rock,

 you can see Elephant Rock in the distance 

Elephant Rock bears an uncanny likeness to a real pachyderm - even to the texture of its skin

After breakfast we turned right and headed down the grassy slopes. Most of the time we were bushwacking looking for the path.

 

 Using one or two walking sticks 

helps negotiate the overgrown indistinct paths 

 You had to watch where you were going and many times we slithered down steep places on our butts 

 The dried nettles were unpleasant to negotiate although we didn't have to deal with a lot of this type of vegetation 

 Ann, Neil and Lynette point downwards to the path 

 Looking back I saw Ant valiantly coming down the slope

 One of the hills was covered with colored grasses 

 I try to stop and smell the roses wildflowers as well. Leonotis leonurus are in full bloom in the mountains at the moment

 Neil, Craig and the rest of the group stop to admire the view 

Then it was a steep and grassy decent to the Blue Grotto.

 The drop to the right of us was sheer 

I stopped to take the above photo and my stick slithered down the slope. Ergh. I started sliding down the bank but the others shouted that I should leave it. Then Craig kindly clambered down carefully, felt around in the grass where I had indicated seeing it slip, and brought up my stick. Thanks Craig! 

Craig manfully retrieves my stick and hands it back to me! 

Soon after this we sank to a lower level and came across this beautiful jewel in the mountains. 

 The Blue Grotto. an idyllic scene in the mountains 

We sat and enjoyed the beauty of the waterfall and grotto and then set off on a 2km walk towards the hotel. 

The forest walk is absolutely beautiful. The huge trees are moss covered and monkey ropes, toadstools and ferns create a fairy tale scene. 

 Trish points to this peculiar tree with two trunks. It turned out to be one of the many Lemonwoods in the forest

 Lynette set me in the strange bole of this Lemonwood 

Around the next corner, Trish motioned for us to be quiet. There in the dappled sunlight, was a buck (deer) It seemed to be quite tame and Lynette and I took several photos of it before we moved off leaving an unfazed buck still watching us. 

 Bushbuck 

Because I wear a peak when I hike, I often don't see low hanging branches and have been known to hit my head on these. Passing a very large tree which was hanging over the path, Neil called back to me: "Jo, mind your head. " I managed to avoid banging my head but when Lynette asked me to pose but peering under the tree, yes,  you guessed it, I hit my head!  

Posing for Lynette's photo I managed to hit my head on the huge overhanging tree trunk 

Crossing a bridge in the hotel's gardens, I stopped to do a model's pose for Lynette (Jenny and Ant behind me)

On the last 10 meters before the hotel, Lynette wanted to photograph us coming up the path with the mountains in the background. When we saw her lie down on her back to get the perfect shot, Ant, Jenny and I decided to show how exhausted we were, LOL ! 

Ant, Jenny and I showing the effects of the hike 

After all this tomfoolery, Lynette suggested we enjoy a refreshing drink at the hotel. The other hikers had already left, so we felt sad for them that they'd missed out on the fun! 

Some of us know how to end a hike in style: Jo, Ant, Lynette and Jenny clink glasses on a wonderful day's walk

While we sat and replenished our fluids, Jenny gave me the hiking stats: we covered a distance of 11,4 km; did 16,651 steps and climbed the equivalent of ten storeys. 

Another wonderful hike in our beautiful Drakensberg mountains.