97th July Camp of the MCSA, 2016, Lotheni

97th JULY CAMP 2016 – LOTHENI

Saturday 2nd to Saturday 16th July 2016

PLEASE NOTE: The Camp dates accommodate the school holidays for all provinces.

This year, July Camp will be held at Lotheni – a nature reserve in a remote and secluded part of the southern Drakensberg, or to give it its correct name, the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site. July Camp has been there only once before and that was in 1996, the year of the ‘Big Snow’, so 20 years later seems a good time to return! This site offers wide vistas with striking views of Redi, Hawk and Tent and to the north stands Giant’s Castle. The name Lotheni means ‘in the ashes’ referring to the burnt appearance of the shale found in the Lotheni River. The area is well watered by a number of rivers. There are several waterfalls and pools to delight the brave who want to swim, or the photo-enthusiast who prefers to experience the Berg through the lens of a camera. Both the Little Berg and the Escarpment call to the hiker to come and explore them. Mountain-biking is an option that is permitted in the reserve. Our Base Camp will be situated alongside the Lotheni River, in a part of the reserve that is well known for its grassland and marshland bird life. When we were at the Campsite on one of the recce trips, we disturbed a Reedbuck right at the Campsite. That seemed a very inviting omen.

If you have the new KZNatal Drakensberg Park Hiking Map no 4 (HIGHMOOR – Giant’s Castle, Kamberg, Mkhomazi) or the older Department of Forestry Map of the CENTRAL Berg (Highmoor, Mkhomazi, Lotheni, Injasuti, Giant’s Castle), you will be able to find our Base Camp site below Simes’ Cottage. The official Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife map is available from the Shop in the reserve. The relevant black and white MCSA July Camp maps will be available in Base Camp.

Yellowwood Cave is sure to tempt those with youngsters who want to experience sleeping in a cave. Both it and Ash Cave could be the useful overnight spots on a longer hike, either in the Little Berg or up to the Escarpment. The passes that are readily accessible range from Giant’s Castle in the North to Hlathimbe in the South. In between these lie the Redi, Mashilenga (roughly 10800ft!) and Lotheni passes. This sets the scene for a number of circular routes but tents will be needed...a possible exception may be Lotheni Cave (5) near the top of the pass. The walk back to the camp will be over the vlaktes beneath peaks of Redi, the Hawk and the Tent - a truly spiritual experience as dusk falls. Among the number of day-trip trails are the Gelib Tree Trail with its fascinating connection to an important encounter in World War 2 and a day-walk to the Settler’s Museum which was the original homestead of the Root family who settled there in the valley in the late 1800s. Also, a great swimming hole is a 30 min walk from camp.

Lotheni is well known for its impressive list of birds that have been sighted in the reserve and the mammal list is also impressive. Lotheni - was the home of the long-term experiment to evaluate the domestication potential of the eland.

NOTE: The iced waterfall climbing route near the Hlathimbe Pass is unfortunately out of bounds because there is an active Bearded Vulture nest nearby and the birds will be in the middle of their breeding season.

Attached is a brochure and an application form. Note that you do not have to be a MCSA member to attend the camp.