Mnweni hikes - 3 days
11 Feb 2010 08:43 #943
by plouw
Mnweni hikes - 3 days was created by plouw
I'm planning a trip in the Mnweni area. I dont know the area at all and would like to do a 3-4 day round trip. Which passes would you recommend? Not too technical. I've seen photos of Fangs pass, looks very inviting!!!
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11 Feb 2010 19:32 #947
by Kerri
Replied by Kerri on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
Mnweni is a beautiful area. And Fangs is a wonderful gully though it stretches the definition when called a pass. We did a multiday hike going up Rockeries (good, easy pass) and descending via Fangs. It took us all day to get the bottom of Fangs and there's a good deal of boulder hopping for about 2/3 of the pass.
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11 Feb 2010 20:04 #948
by BergAttie
Replied by BergAttie on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
As an introduction to Mweni it is hard to beat going up Rockeries, sleeping in either Mponjwane or Ledgers cave and going down Mweni pass.
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15 Feb 2010 09:26 - 15 Feb 2010 11:30 #952
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
Agree with above, the Mweni/Rockeries loop, either way round, is a definite classic over 3 days.
Check out this thread for more info on the Fangs-Rockeries loop.
In addition you could ascend Ntonjelana Pass and descend Rockeries over 4 days. Ntonjelana, like Rockeries, being heavily used by the locals, has a good trail.
Enjoy and feel free to share details of your trip afterward!
Check out this thread for more info on the Fangs-Rockeries loop.
In addition you could ascend Ntonjelana Pass and descend Rockeries over 4 days. Ntonjelana, like Rockeries, being heavily used by the locals, has a good trail.
Enjoy and feel free to share details of your trip afterward!
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Last edit: 15 Feb 2010 11:30 by intrepid.
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15 Feb 2010 12:50 #953
by plouw
Replied by plouw on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
thanks everyone! i'm very keen!! just have to convince my hiking partners too, as they feel its unsafe since it doesnt fall within the park and you have to walk through kraals in the foothills.
Has anyone ever experienced problems in the area?
Has anyone ever experienced problems in the area?
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15 Feb 2010 13:24 #954
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
It is my subjective opinion that the Organ Pipes area in neighbouring Cathedral Peak is a higher risk area (considering the numerous reports of confrontations between hikers and smugglers, opportunistic equipment theft, shoot-outs between authorities and smugglers, and hikers getting shot at being mistaken for a patrol). Personally I feel more uneasy on The Amphitheatre and around Giants Castle, than in the Mweni.
It is also my own subjective opinion that the vibe of the Mweni has become much more positive thanks to the efforts of the Mweni Cultural Centre and Bergwatch. Generally I have found the locals to be friendly towards the hikers. I think walking through the kraals and fields is a special experience and I love the Mweni and it's special atmosphere. The fact that there is a lot of activity in the valleys and passes, and relatively little problems with hikers (that I know of), is rather peculiar.
Opportunistic theft is always a consideration however, so camp away from people, don't leave stuff lying around outside your tent, and don't leave equipment unattended. I know of someone that had their stuff lying around the campsite cleaned up during the night (they were camping near the school in the Mweni valley).
It is also my own subjective opinion that the vibe of the Mweni has become much more positive thanks to the efforts of the Mweni Cultural Centre and Bergwatch. Generally I have found the locals to be friendly towards the hikers. I think walking through the kraals and fields is a special experience and I love the Mweni and it's special atmosphere. The fact that there is a lot of activity in the valleys and passes, and relatively little problems with hikers (that I know of), is rather peculiar.
Opportunistic theft is always a consideration however, so camp away from people, don't leave stuff lying around outside your tent, and don't leave equipment unattended. I know of someone that had their stuff lying around the campsite cleaned up during the night (they were camping near the school in the Mweni valley).
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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16 Feb 2010 11:29 #957
by plouw
Replied by plouw on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
Thanks for the advice Intrepid. What i've heard and seen about the Mnweni area has always intrigued me, especially the cultural side of it. Hopefully our trip materialises.
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16 Feb 2010 16:06 #959
by no4stopper
Replied by no4stopper on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
Don't be apprehensive about planning to hike in the Mnweni, just be sensible. It is a unique african mountain experience, in that you are hiking in a mountain area from which very poor people derive their livelyhood. The rest of the berg is a managed areas and has a completely different feel.
Intrepid has already given most of the do's and don'ts but just to add that if you do pass a dagga mule train don't take pictures or "interogate" them, just greet them politely and be on your way. Dagga is an important cash crop for these people, and so respect this, and don't flatten an area in a dagga field to pitch your tent! I actually came across someone who had done this! Don't be too curious about these illegal crops they are growing.
Mbundini is an easier pass than Fangs, but it tops out almost on the summit of one of the big Lesotho hills so going up is a long day.
Carry drinking water for the first few hours until you are above human habitation. There is no sanitation in the valley and the little streams we trust fro drinking water in the rest of the berg are not safe when people are living close by. You can fill up at the Mnweni Visitors Centre. I have always done this and haven't ever got ill from it, but I don't know where it comes from so if you really want to be safe take it from home. Fill up you water above habitationbefore walking back out. Take tents and don't rely on the caves in the valleys. They get used to shelter livestock in storms and are often full of fleas. Caves on the escarpment are fine though.
Intrepid also is right about the less safe areas. The bad ones are
Amphitheatre summit;
Organ pipes summit through to Thlanyaku pass, but safer if you move slightly away from the pass tops.
The whole area between Bannermans Pass and Redi, a bad clan graze their livestock in this area in summer, and have been repsonsible for several incidents even dating back to the 1980's
Intrepid has already given most of the do's and don'ts but just to add that if you do pass a dagga mule train don't take pictures or "interogate" them, just greet them politely and be on your way. Dagga is an important cash crop for these people, and so respect this, and don't flatten an area in a dagga field to pitch your tent! I actually came across someone who had done this! Don't be too curious about these illegal crops they are growing.
Mbundini is an easier pass than Fangs, but it tops out almost on the summit of one of the big Lesotho hills so going up is a long day.
Carry drinking water for the first few hours until you are above human habitation. There is no sanitation in the valley and the little streams we trust fro drinking water in the rest of the berg are not safe when people are living close by. You can fill up at the Mnweni Visitors Centre. I have always done this and haven't ever got ill from it, but I don't know where it comes from so if you really want to be safe take it from home. Fill up you water above habitationbefore walking back out. Take tents and don't rely on the caves in the valleys. They get used to shelter livestock in storms and are often full of fleas. Caves on the escarpment are fine though.
Intrepid also is right about the less safe areas. The bad ones are
Amphitheatre summit;
Organ pipes summit through to Thlanyaku pass, but safer if you move slightly away from the pass tops.
The whole area between Bannermans Pass and Redi, a bad clan graze their livestock in this area in summer, and have been repsonsible for several incidents even dating back to the 1980's
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17 Feb 2010 06:52 #960
by Serious tribe
Replied by Serious tribe on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
My mate and I did a hike up here in winter 2004.
I agree with everyone else that this is an amazing area, and your friends would be mad if they did not do a trip here.
On our trip, we came across a dagga train of about 30 donkeys and 6 horses and about 20 dudes, and heaps of green stuff straddling the bottom of rockeries pass. As usual, there was only the two of us, and one does get a might apprehensive. Two of the dudes approached us and we chatted for a bit, they asked if we had any food for them which we did not, as we were completing the hike. We were friendly with all the guys we passed and greeted them all as we walked through their stash.
I think being friendly, firm about not handing out food and sweets (especially if there is a huge group) and non threatening is the best way to deal with this, neither party wants any trouble.
Our trip was a 3 day outing. We slept at the Mweni Center and left really early the next morning, before sunrise (Definitely worth stopping here for the night, the staff are really friendly). First night was a bit before the base of Mweni Pass, second night in Mponjwana Cave, and then down Rockeries Pass and back the last day. I would say a 4 or 5 day would be better. I have also done the Mweni/ Fangs circuit in about 1994 the views both ways are amazing.
This is a view from the cave of Mponjwana Tower.
Cheers
Karl
I agree with everyone else that this is an amazing area, and your friends would be mad if they did not do a trip here.
On our trip, we came across a dagga train of about 30 donkeys and 6 horses and about 20 dudes, and heaps of green stuff straddling the bottom of rockeries pass. As usual, there was only the two of us, and one does get a might apprehensive. Two of the dudes approached us and we chatted for a bit, they asked if we had any food for them which we did not, as we were completing the hike. We were friendly with all the guys we passed and greeted them all as we walked through their stash.
I think being friendly, firm about not handing out food and sweets (especially if there is a huge group) and non threatening is the best way to deal with this, neither party wants any trouble.
Our trip was a 3 day outing. We slept at the Mweni Center and left really early the next morning, before sunrise (Definitely worth stopping here for the night, the staff are really friendly). First night was a bit before the base of Mweni Pass, second night in Mponjwana Cave, and then down Rockeries Pass and back the last day. I would say a 4 or 5 day would be better. I have also done the Mweni/ Fangs circuit in about 1994 the views both ways are amazing.
This is a view from the cave of Mponjwana Tower.
Cheers
Karl
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12 May 2011 12:22 #2848
by hasamatt
Replied by hasamatt on topic Mnweni hikes - 3 days
I am planning a trip to Mwneni. It will be my first time in the area. I am considering limiting the size of my party to maximum six people. This is the route I am thinking about doing, based on accounts in Barrier of spears, Encounters with the dragon and the No.1 Map of the berg.
Day 0: Drive from Middelburg, Mpumalanga to the Mnweni Cultural centre and arrive as the sun is going down. Bunk in the Cultural centre. Prepare to set out on the hike in the morning.
Day 1: Set out from the Mnweni Cultural Centre, following the Mnweni River along path as indicated on Map No. 1 (Rugged Glen - Mnweni). Continue up the Mnweni Valley. Now if we don't cover the ground we intend to on day 1, we intend (as a backup plan to camp in the Shepherd's cave area (though not using the cave to sleep in). If we do however make good ground, we plan on spending the night at the foot of the Mnweni Pass at the place indicated on the Map as Chichi Bush Camp.
Question: Do you think it will be too much of trek to fit into one day if we plan to set out from the cultural centre to make it to Chichi before nightfall?
Day 2: Break camp and head up Mnweni Pass. Make for Mponjwana Cave to spend the night.
Question: Is Mponjwana Cave easy to find? Is a day for this leg either to long, or too short to cover the ground we intend to?
Day 3: From Mponjwana cave, make for Rockeries Pass, and head down the pass. Head for Mnweni Cultural Centre along the Ntonjelan' Eshonalanga River to spend the final night there.
Questions: Are we biting off more than we can chew to expect to make it down Rockeries Pass, and then trek out to Mnweni Cultural centre in one day? Do you think we should factor in an extra night's stop in the region of the Sunshine Cave?
Thank you for the posts thus far - it has definitely helped inform me!
Day 0: Drive from Middelburg, Mpumalanga to the Mnweni Cultural centre and arrive as the sun is going down. Bunk in the Cultural centre. Prepare to set out on the hike in the morning.
Day 1: Set out from the Mnweni Cultural Centre, following the Mnweni River along path as indicated on Map No. 1 (Rugged Glen - Mnweni). Continue up the Mnweni Valley. Now if we don't cover the ground we intend to on day 1, we intend (as a backup plan to camp in the Shepherd's cave area (though not using the cave to sleep in). If we do however make good ground, we plan on spending the night at the foot of the Mnweni Pass at the place indicated on the Map as Chichi Bush Camp.
Question: Do you think it will be too much of trek to fit into one day if we plan to set out from the cultural centre to make it to Chichi before nightfall?
Day 2: Break camp and head up Mnweni Pass. Make for Mponjwana Cave to spend the night.
Question: Is Mponjwana Cave easy to find? Is a day for this leg either to long, or too short to cover the ground we intend to?
Day 3: From Mponjwana cave, make for Rockeries Pass, and head down the pass. Head for Mnweni Cultural Centre along the Ntonjelan' Eshonalanga River to spend the final night there.
Questions: Are we biting off more than we can chew to expect to make it down Rockeries Pass, and then trek out to Mnweni Cultural centre in one day? Do you think we should factor in an extra night's stop in the region of the Sunshine Cave?
Thank you for the posts thus far - it has definitely helped inform me!
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