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Tugela Gorge Hike
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Has anyone done this hike recently, seeing that this thread haven't been updated in quite a while?
Will be up in the Berg next week and want to do it as a day hike.
Just want to find out what level the Tugela river is running and if we should be prepared for river crossings & getting our kit wet? Is purification tablets a must or can we drink from streams and the river?
Thanks.
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Although there should be a little more water now, hopefully!
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- Smurfatefrog
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LouisvV wrote: Just want to find out what level the Tugela river is running and if we should be prepared for river crossings & getting our kit wet? Is purification tablets a must or can we drink from streams and the river?
I don't know about the current levels, but there aren't really crossings; just some boulder-hopping when you get into the narrow sections near the top. The water is probably fine to drink, but 2 litres should get you there and back without refills.
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- TheRealDave
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We did not drink the Tugela water although I dare say adjacent streams should be OK?
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- ChrisPatient
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a good view of Devils Tooth. The great waterfall was almost completely dry though and at times the water disappeared in the riverbed. See the attached photos. A highly recommended hike.

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- ChrisPatient
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That didn't dampen our spirits as we walked on. I had done this hike before and had stopped just short of the tunnel, so this time I was quite keen to explore further.
The tunnel
Once out of the tunnel, we boulder hopped for an hour, and even though the clouds never lifted we did get a peak at a part of the Falls. It was breath-taking nonetheless!
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I would like to do the Tugela Gorge hike but am concerned about the tunnel/chained ladder section. My kids can handle the distance and the scrambling (we hiked up Skeleton Gorge/Table Mountain last year) but my older son has sensory issues and I am afraid the chained ladder might be too challenging.
May I ask how steep and tall is the chained ladder at the beginning of the tunnel?
Can I also confirm that the "tunnel" is not an actual tunnel but a narrow section with lots of boulders and water?
Is it correct that the chain ladder might be the only option if the water level is too high?
Besides Tugela Gorge, I was also looking at Rainbow Gorge and the hike to Eland Cave from Didima.
Are there any other hikes you would recommend for a family in the northern and central Drakensberg area?
Many thanks!!!
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- BergNewbie
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We also did the Crack and mudslide route on Sunday and they have really fixed up the mudslide route since I did it last, there must be ten wooden ladders on the mudslide, we lost count.
BergNewbie here is a pic of the chain ladder looking down - wasn't that bad getting up it, it is not at a sheer angl, I wouldn't take my kids through the tugela just yet they wouldn't handle the distance to get into the gorge and back it is a long trip in my opinion. hope the pic helps.
I didn't get into the tunnel there was just to much water coming out for my liking.
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We camped at Mahai camp this past weekend and did some trail running. The area, as most of the Berg, has had a lot of rain recently. So much so that there was a landslide which took away a section of the path. It is about 100m before you drop down into the gorge (approach to the tunnel). We tried to bundu bash around but were a bit rushed for time and with the thorny bushes decided to turn around. There is also a section of the path that washed away close to the carpark (we had to detour via the route from Thendele)
I must say that I was disappointed with the condition of the trail. I've done the Tugela gorge walk many times before and have never seen it as overgrown as it is now. Considering that this area draws a lot of tourists, it is a bit of a shame. The mountain registers at both the carpark and at Mahai were full to the brim and appears to have been so for months.
But that said, we still had a splendid time and seeing the Tugela Falls in full force is a true sight to behold
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- supertramp
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