vertical-endeavour.com

In the interest of putting so much emphasis on my exams (which start in 5 weeks time today ), I am planning on doing 3 million hikes immediately after my exams, nothing makes you want to go to the Berg more than spending over 6 hours in a day at a cramped desk with a huge pile of books, writing a load of rubish about an impossible scenario, and having to do this 4 times in a 9 day period...

One of my planned hikes (and the most likely of them to actually happen, since I am not a fan of solo hiking) is driving to Witsieshoek, doing the "walk in the park" (as David Bristow describes it) and then traversing to somewhere around the top of Ifidi Pass, sleeping in that area over night and then getting up in the morning, reversing our route and descending Beacon Buttress Gully.

My questions are as follows (being the only person on earth to have never done the chainladders):
- Where is the mountain register for this hike?
- Where do you pay the hiking permit fee?
- How safe is it to camp on the escarpment in Mnweni, where is the best place to sleep in a tent, is a night patrol necessary? Are there better caves for me to use in the area?
- How hard is the traverse?
- Being a khulu bagger I will probably try to bag as many khulus as possible on the trip, but as always, time and energy are limited, so I can't do them all, which ones are really worth doing?
- How far would be a realistic goal, the person who I am probably hiking with managed to do Langalibalele Pass as a day hike with an overnight pack (due to the rock throwing incident it was a day hike), he didn't find it easy, but he did manage it (even with a small container of custard, who takes that on a hike...)
- How do you actually drive to Witsieshoek, I would be going from Pietermaritzburg

Thanks, info on this matter would be a great help!

I'll answer some Qs for you:
- Where is the mountain register for this hike?
At the Sentinel car park

- Where do you pay the hiking permit fee?
At the entrance gate before you head to the car park - R60 p/p

- How do you actually drive to Witsieshoek, I would be going from Pietermaritzburg
At the moment with the R74 a mess, so its best to head to Harrismith, go thru Harrismith towards Bethlehem, about 1KM after leaving the centre of Harrismith take the turnoff left towards Phuthaditjhaba/Clarens/Golden Gate. After about 35km you will get the left turn to Phuthaditjhaba. Travel all the way through, the road leads directly to the Sentinel

Thanks for the info. Is the R60 per day or per night? Thats a fairly far drive!

ghaznavid wrote:

I think its just a flat rate. They didn't ask when we paid, and I saw day trippers & overnight hikes in the register at the same rate

Hope you don't mind but I'm going to weigh in with a Q of my own which would probably help you

Where exactly is Beacon Buttress Gully, I've read where it says "Just after the saddle between the Sentinel and the escarpment is passed" but would it be that gap on the right of the Sentinel here?

Here is the link to the review of the gully, www.vertical-endeavour.com/drakensberg/38-passes/201-beacon-buttress-gully.html
The gully is not in the gap as per your photo, its a bit further on towards the chain ladders and tops out on the escarpment facing the Sentinel. It's steep but not exposed and well worth the effort, the view from the top is amazing.