Hello people I stumbled upon the forums while looking for a hiking community, the past year or two i’ve started hiking with my girlfriend and we enjoy it. At the moment we are only doing day hikes. We have done most around GP area and the Golden Gate Park around Clarens. I am excited to be part of the community and conversations.
This early- December we are camping at Royal Natal Mahai camps, we’d like to have your recommendation on day hikes around the area. I’ve done some research and found some that look quite appealing on the park websites/wikis.
I’m not familiar with the areas you want to hike in, but the first I would do is check out the maps for the area. You can purchase them here.
Secondly, Vertical Endeavor’s community forum is a great source of info for the Drakensberg specifically. It would be a good idea to ask around there as well.
There are plenty of great day hikes from RNNP - Crack and Mudslide is a classic (if you are comfortable with heights and exposure), Tugela Gorge is spectacular. Basotho Gate and Mahai Falls is also a nice route (although fairly long, but you can have lunch at Witsieshoek at the top, which is nice). If you take a long drive around to Sentinel Car Park, the Chain Ladders and Tugela Falls is also a great day out.
The king of hikes at RNNP is the gorge walk. If you have a look at my Facebook page Drakensberg photo of the day - I posted a brief guide on this hike yesterday. This hike takes you into the region below the Amphitheatre, and comes with great views of various waterfalls, including Tugela Falls - arguably the highest waterfall on earth.
