Kusukela emahlathini ashahlalayo nezivini ezivundile zaseCape kuya emathafeni amakhulu aKaroo, iNingizimu Afrika inezingxenye ezingaphezu kwesabelo sayo esihle semvelo ehehayo. Kwabaningi, indawo enhle kakhulu kunazo zonke yizintaba zeDrakensberg, ezihamba zonke ukusuka eMpumalanga Kapa ukuya eSifundazweni SaseMpumalanga enyakatho-mpumalanga. UKristu wamisa iziNtaba ZaseLwandle ngaseziqhingini zaseCape Dutch zakuqala futhi ezibhekiswe yiZulus zakwaZulu njengeBharrier of Spears, uhla lwezintaba luqukethe izintaba ezihlabayo kanye nezindawo ezigcwala ngamanzi emvula namagquma aluhlaza.
Njalo ngonyaka, izinkulungwane zabantu abathandi bemvelo, abathandi bezinyoni nabathwebuli bezithombe bafika eDrakensberg ukujabulela ubuhle bayo obumangalisayo. Isigaba esakha umngcele ophakathi kwaKwaZulu-Natali neLesotho sithandwa ikakhulukazi nabagibeli, ezinemigwaqo esukela ekuhambeni kwezinsuku zokuya kwezinselele eziya enseleleni ezinkampanini zemihla ngemihla. Kulesi sihloko, sibheka izintathu zokuphakama eziphakathi kakhulu kwezinyanga ezintathu, ethatha isikhathi ngasinye phakathi kwezinsuku ezimbili nezinsuku ezimbili. Ngaphambi kokuzama noma yikuphi kwalokhu kuhamba, kubalulekile ukuhlola isibikezelo sezulu futhi uqinisekise ukuthi unayo yonke impahla oyidingayo ukuze uzigcine unamanzi, unamandla futhi uvikelekile ezakhiweni endleleni.
Uma ungeke ukwazi ukuthola umzila ohambisana nezidingo zakho kuleli khasi, hlola izinketho zethu eziphezulu zokuhamba okuhamba phambili nokude okude kakhulu kweDrakensberg.
Amathitheatre Chain Ladders
Ingxenye yeRoyal Natal National Park, i-Amphitheatre ingenye yezindawo ezidume kakhulu kuzo zonke izinhlobo zeDrakensberg.
Ubuso bayo obunzima bugijima ngamamitha amathathu, kanti imibhoshongo ibe ngamamitha angu-4 000 / 1,220 ngaphezu kwesigodi esingezansi (okwenza kube izikhathi eziyishumi ubukhulu bebuso obudumile baseNingizimu Afrika e-El Capitan eYosemite ). Indlela engcono kakhulu yokubonga ukulinganisa kwenqwaba yamahlumela ukukwenyuka. Ukuhamba kuqala ku-Sentinel Car Park, lapho uzodinga ukusayina irejista ngaphambi kokuqala ukunyuka kwakho.
I-trail zig-zags up uye ngaphesheya kwesisekelo se-Sentinel, bese ihamba ngendlela yayo ibe ngecala eceleni kweMont-aux-Sources, eduze nalapho i-Mahadi Falls igxuma phezu kwe-escarpment.
Lapha, uzothola amasethi amabili e-ladders, okuholela ekugcineni kwe-Amphitheatre. Ukukhuphuka akukhona okwezinhliziyo ezinzima, futhi abaningi bakuthola kuwusizo ukuqhubeka bebuka phezulu baze bafike phezulu. Kodwa-ke, uma usufika lapho, ukubuka ngaphandle kweTugela Gorge kanye nesigodi esingaphesheya kungenakulinganiswa. Kungenzeka ukuthi uqedele lolu hambo ngosuku olulodwa, ngesikhatsi esiphelele ukusuka phansi kuze kube phezulu bese ubuyela futhi uthatha cishe amahora ayisishiyagalombili. Uma uthanda ngempela ukuthola ulwazi oluningi, cabanga ukuthi uthatha ikamera lakho futhi uchithe ubusuku phezulu kwi-Amphitheatre ukuze ubone ubufakazi bomlingo wokushona kwelanga nokuphuma kwelanga kusuka endaweni ephakanyisiwe.
Umgodla ophansi we-Injisuthi
Kutholakala ngaphakathi kweMalati-Drakensberg Park, ukunyuka komgodla ongaphansi kwe-Injisuthi yi-10.5 miles / 17 khilomitha lapho-nohambo. Uhambo luqala e-Injisuthi Rest Camp futhi lulandela isigodi soMfula i-Injisuthi, ogama lakhe lisho izinja ezondliwe kahle (isifungo esigodini esicebile kakhulu, esashiya njalo izinja ezizingela iZulus).
Kuyindlela enhle, ngokubukwa okuningi okumangalisayo kwezingqimba ezizungezile. Amaphuzu avelele ahlanganisa amachibi angamadwala ase-gully encane nje ngaphambi kwemihume; ne-Battle Cave, indawo enkulu ye- San rock art kanye nezinkambo eziqondisiwe ukuze ujoyine endleleni.
Uma ufuna ukuthatha umzila kancane kancane (ushiye isikhathi esiningi sokuma futhi uthathe izithombe), cabanga ukuchitha ubusuku emhumeni. Ngale ndlela, ungahlukanisa uhambo ngezinsuku ezimbili. Uma unquma ukwenza kanjalo, ungakhohlwa ukugcwalisa irejista engaphezu kwebusuku ekamu elilodwa ngaphambi kokuhamba. Kuzodingeka futhi uthathe izimpahla zenkampu kanye nawe, kuhlanganise nokudla kanye nesigodi se-garden (akukho izindawo zokugezela ezisemthethweni ehlane!).
Grindstone Caves
Leli trail liqala futhi e-Injisuthi Rest Camp, kodwa likhuphuka kakhulu ngaphezu kwe-Old Woman stream, eduze ne-escarpment elandela umkhawulo wesici okuthiwa i-Old Woman Grinding Corn.
Umzila ngokwawo ulula - amamitha amane / ayisithupha kuphela. Kodwa-ke, i-gradient yayo ephakeme yenza ukuba ukuphakama kubonakale kunesikhathi eside, futhi ungase wamukele ithuba lokuchitha ubusuku emunye wamapulangwe amabili enikeza igama lakhe igama. Zombili zifaka izinsalela zamatshe asekudala, aqala ngawo-1800 lapho amaqembu esendaweni ebalekela kule mihume evela eWorld Shaka's marauding impis . Esikhathini eside ngaphambi kwalokho, emaphandleni ahlinzeka indawo yokuhlala yeSan bushmen, ecatshangwa ukuthi ivela kubantu bokuqala.
Lesi sihloko sibuyekezwe futhi sibhalwa kabusha ngokuyingxenye nguJessica Macdonald ngo-Okthoba 19, 2017.