Kolby Kirk linked to this bit of wisdom:
“Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.”
~ Anatoli Boukreev
Thukela Gorge, South Africa
I hiked to the top of Thukela Falls, one of the highest in the world. There’s another terrific trek in the National Park to the base of the Falls.
Trip report from the Cooking in Tongues blog:
Royal Natal National Park, Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa, September 26, 2011
I’m up early hoping to catch the first rays of light on the Amphitheater. The cliff face glows in the early morning light just before 6. …
… about nine miles round trip up the gorge with great views of the Amphitheater. …
We follow the river upstream until we come to the confluence of two rivers. Here you have the option of taking the “tunnel” along the river through the gorge or climbing the chain ladder up about 50 feet to a path that bypasses the “tunnel”. …
Amphitheater trek, South Africa
Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.
Within 36hrs of landing in JoBurg I found myself atop the Amphitheater cliffs looking down at one of the highest waterfalls in the world.
How did I get here?
It’s easy.
Catch the Baz Bus to Amphitheater backpackers in the northern Drakensberg.
While checking into the hostel, sign up for their most popular guided hike. It’s offered about every 2nd day for about $50 all inclusive.
7:30am departure.
Here’s our guide “Sim” parking one of the hiker shuttle vans at Sentinel car park 2,500m (8,200 ft). This is the only official day hiking trail leading to the top of the Drakensberg escarpment.
Yep. That’s the Sentinel. You cannot climb it without ropes. We’ll skirt the base.
The trail zigzags up towards the big peak. Then traverses right.
Entirely above the treeline, we did not see much in the way of wildlife. Aside from lizards, of course.
It was an easy start with perfect weather.
One short ladder on the ascent.
The crux of the hike is up this gorge.
It’s a 300m scramble. Not too difficult overall.
Atop the Amphitheater cliffs, we stopped for lunch. Our guides were disappointed that clouds obscured the fantastic views.
Note the big birds that stopped for lunch with us.
20min further is the top of Tugela Falls.
The water is quite warm. … I’m told.
Our guide told us that one hiker fell from here on a winter trek. Slipped on the ice.
Finally I called on the old Gods and new to dissipate the clouds.
Everything opened up. And we were shocked to see where we’d been standing so casually.
It’s about 1km down.
The Amphitheatre is widely regarded as one of the most impressive cliff faces on earth, over 5km (3.1mi) in length.
Surprisingly, these cliffs are not much used for BASE jumping and the ilk. Apparently winds are not favourable here.
One girl from Finland had been to Roraima via Venezuela. She said there were definitely similarities with the top of the Tupuis there …
… But many differences too.
The standard route is a Lollypop loop. Rather than backtracking we descended via long ladders.
From the bottom, it was another cliff traverse to regain our original trail.
The vegetation in South Africa is different than what I’m used to. The most interesting plant is this … Pineapple something.
One intensely scenic day. We all left happy.
This New Yorker was on the last 4 days of 2 years of traveling.
Back at the car park we enjoyed a gymnastics performance.
And saw one sleepy snake close to where we parked the vans.
more pics from this trek
I didn’t delete many photos as most up there in the Bergs were cool. 🙂
related – Controversy Between Tugela Falls and Angel Falls as World’s Tallest Waterfall
arrived Drakensberg
Just checked in at Amphitheatre Backpackers in the northern Drakensberg. Superb location. Weather is great for January.
South Africa is incredibly easy to travel staying in hostels like these. Getting around by Baz Bus.
I’m already booked for the essential Amphitheatre trek tomorrow, guided. That takes us to the top of Tugela Falls (Thukela Falls), a total drop of 947 metres.
The day after we’ll take a cultural hike in Lesotho. Or climb Cathedral peak — if enough people sign up. 🙂
• Thukela Gorge Walk trip report (Sept)
related – India hates tourists
Annapurna Base Camp
Adventure Blog:
The trek to Annapurna Base Camp has long been seen as one of the best hikes in the world. Wandering through the Himalaya in Nepal, the trail takes backpackers through remote mountain villages, over high passes, and through scenic valleys, before eventually arriving at the base of the 8091 meter (26,545 ft) peak. …
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
researching the Drakensberg
I’m off to South Africa. By the weekend you’ll find me at Amphitheatre Backpackers in the northern ‘berg.
My only guidebook, so far, is Cicerone Walking in the Drakensberg by Jeff Williams.
That hostel provides a hiker’s shuttle to Royal Natal National Park.
Leave a comment if you have advice on best hikes in the Drakensberg.
Mike Howarth – Manaslu Circuit
I spent over 2wks with Mike in Nepal, 10 days on the Manaslu Circuit. Along with:
Brion & Betsy – the not so newly weds.
Tasha & Ivan – the Alaskan powerhouses
A few of his photos:
Mike’s a true photographer. I’m more of a fauxtographer. 🙂
Here’s Mike’s trip report on our adventure.
see all of Mike’s Manaslu photos on flickr
Mike’s now down in Patagonia, trekking and cycling north towards the equator.
Dientes Circuit, Chile
The Dientes Circuit in Chile is of the best hikes in the world.
It’s also called:
• Isla Navarino Circuit
• Circuito Dientes de Navarino
• the teeth of Navarino
Leo Turpan via email:
Just got finished with the Dientes trek yesterday. Pretty amazing stuff out there.
Got a bunch of snow, but it made for a beautiful christmas and even more beautiful landscape. …
Getting to Puerto Williams:
Option 1- Boat from Ushuaia (doesn´t leave everyday, need to check departures at Ushuaia dock) $750 Argentinian Pesos, about $115
Option 2- Ferry from Punta Arenas (leaves only once or twice a week, Tranbordadora Austrual Broom, takes 30 hours but is highly recommended) $90,000 Chilean Pesos, $170 US
Option 3- Flight from Punta Arenas (one flight everyday, I think.) $60,000 Chilean, $115 US
Town/Trek Info:
-There is one map of the trek, not professional, but does have contour lines and GPS markers. The map can be purchased from a small camping store near the center of town. The store also stocks some types of gas, knives, tents, sleeping bags, etc. You can also rent a GPS there that has the circuit route already uploaded
-There are two supermarkets in the center of town that stock all the basic food necessities
-Multiple hostels in town, all priced at 10,000 Pesos or more. All have info about trek
-Register for hike at the police station, no rangers or servicemen on this trek
Trek/Logistics:
-31 Km route, 4 days 3 nights recommended, some do it in 5 days but pace is slow
-clockwise direction starting from Puerto Williams; do NOT reverse the route, you will not have a good time.
-A decent amount of trailfinding will need to be done, do not underestimate the mileage, miles are long due to weather, trailfinding, and trail conditions
-The route can be extremely muddy and wet, gaiters and gortex are a good idea
-Can camp virtually anywhere
-Tons of water
-can extend the trek with a connection to the Lago Windhond trek
-2 hour walk back to Puerto Williams on the road once you reach the end of the trail, but Chile is known as an easy place to hitchhike
Check out Dientes information page.
Sunshine to Assiniboine
We’ve updated and moved our Sunshine to Assiniboine hike information page. Our favourite hike in the Canadian Rockies.
- one of our top 10 hikes in the world
- recommended route 6 days, 5 nights. Shorter is possible.
- 56km (34.8mi) depending on side trips
- July to mid-September
We recommend this route as the best hike:
There are a number of ways to shorten it, the easiest of which is to helicopter in or out to the Assiniboine Lodge.
Virtual Hiker in 2012 started and finished at Sunshine Meadows. They camped at gorgeous Og Lake.
Made sidetrips to the Nub and Wonder Pass.
trip report – Virtual Hiker – Mount Assiniboine Region
Check out our info page – Sunshine to Assiniboine
Murder in the High Himalaya – a review
Popular and a prize winner, I’d been looking forward to listening to this book on my recent trip to the Himalaya.
Murder in the High Himalaya: Loyalty, Tragedy, and Escape from Tibet (2010)
It’s based around the Nangpa La shooting incident of 2006 near Cho Oyo:
… A group of unarmed Tibetan pilgrims attempting to leave Tibet via the Nangpa La pass were fired upon by Chinese border guards. Kelsang Namtso, a 17-year-old nun, was killed and a number were injured. …
The Chinese government initially denied the charges, but Kelsang’s murder was graphically filmed by a Romanian photographer, who was nearby as part of a climbing expedition.
After Romanian photographer Sergiu Matei smuggled the video out of Tibet, it became headline news around the world, drawing attention to the plight of Tibetans under Chinese rule/occupation. …
A documentary called Tibet: Murder in the Snow, based on this incident, was released in 2008 by 360 Degree Films, an Australian production company, working in collaboration with the BBC. …
It’s an awful story.
There’s no need for the author to demonize the Chinese. Their crime speaks for itself.
Click PLAY or watch a book trailer on YouTube. The video includes the shooting of Kelsang Namtso.
Quickly I lost confidence in first time author, investigative journalist Jonathan Green.
The telling is very cliche. Everything China BAD. Everything Tibetan GOOD.
It was as balanced a portrayal of the situation as the film Seven Years in Tibet. Biased.
He keeps making the statement: “oxygen level is half what it is at sea level“.
Of course the percentage of oxygen in the air does not change significantly with altitude, but absolute O2 content decreases as air pressure decreases.
Is that investigative journalist clear on the difference?
I’m not sure he knows what he’s talking about.
One character in the book when questioned states that Annapurna is in Tibet. It’s entirely within Nepal.
Apparently Jonathan Green spent a lot of time the Himalaya.
It’s not apparent in this book.
This is a disappointing read.
