Water Watch 2015

From Drakensberg Hiker's FB page - top of Tugela Falls last week:

diverian, are you saying its going to be dry and not much water up there? I have not dont any escarpment hiking in the winter but would like to give it a go this winter. Any idea what the temperatures are over night maybe? Chances of snow in the north? Cheers

I agree with Diverian, if you look in the pictures posted earlier today you can see the top of the Tugela waterfall is dry. That means it's dry up there. Near the waterfall there will be puddles with water in, just boil it good and you will be okay.

Its funny its so dry, I thought a few weekends ago there was a few millimeters of snow?

@Wezleyb:

The biggest rivers are generally reliable, although last year was so dry that in July, a team made up of Fitness, Hobbit and myself, had to walk 2km into Lesotho to find stagnant water in the Mzimude River. Bear in mind that I am talking about one of the larger escarpment rivers. In September when I did a 136km hike in the usually wet southern Berg, the Mlambonja River down Mashai Pass was dry to about 2100m and the rivers in every valley aside from the one above Mashai Pass, north of the Leqooa Ridge and the Piseneng River were bone dry. The ones with water sometimes had a small trickle, but mostly just occasional stagnant pools.

If you are running out of water, follow the river downstream and you should find something eventually, but perhaps try to avoid the drier valleys - above Organ Pipes Pass, Tseke Valley etc.

The river by Rat Hole Cave was almost dry a few weeks ago, so I rate we are in for a very dry winter.

Hi all

It has already been remarked that we appear to be in for a dry winter. Perhaps a water watch thread, similar to Snow Watch etc. is in order. Updates of water availability from members hiking through areas, GPS locations etc...

Just thinking here.