Injisuthi exploring the place of the well fed dog

The problem is that even though there is so much to do right on our doorstep, we still don’t make the most of it. There are a number of reasons for this, but I think often it’s because we get so caught up in the day-to-day madness of modern life that we don’t make the effort to get out and explore our surroundings. The fact that my latest hike in the Drakensberg was the first in two years was proof of this phenomenon.

A good friend of mine, Gavin Mathews, and I set out for what was meant to be a three-day hike in the remote area of the Drakensberg. The name Injisuthi, which means 'place of the well fed dog', was given to the area by the Zulus who, in the early days, claimed that there was so much game in the area that the dogs were always well fed. It’s not hard to understand why the game loved the area so much, simply put it is wild.

A couple of years earlier, Gavin and I had gone on a hike in the Berg totally unprepared and we starved. Eager not to repeat our former blunder, we stopped off in Estcourt to stock up with supplies before making our way up to Injisuthi. Judging by the weight of our backpacks we may have over compensated, but we weren’t going to complain.

Having negotiated the rather poor road to Injisuthi (there is a 30 km stretch from the main Loskop Road that is fairly narrow and has plenty of potholes) we arrived at the beautiful main campsite. Nestled far up into the Little Berg, it offers great camping and chalet facilities for those less inclined to sleep high in the mountains.

Owing to the limited amount of hiking we had done in the last couple of years, we had planned to do a moderate round trip, sleeping in two well-known caves; Marble Baths Cave and Grindstone Cave. The route would take us to the top of Little Berg, which boasts spectacular views of the escarpment. Some advice if you are planning to stay in a cave during a hike; make sure you book them in advance, especially in season. Unfortunately, we had not, which meant we would have to camp in a tent.

We eventually got going in the early afternoon. The hike up to Marble Baths is a relatively short trek of around 6 km, although with a full pack it still makes for a good work out. We began by meandering up the right-hand side of the Njesuthi River before crossing over. There's a cable that has been placed across the river to assist crossing when the river level is higher. For most of the walk we were in awe of the magnificent views of indigenous forests, which are fairly unique to the Injisuthi area. Halfway up to Marble Baths, we stopped in a ravine under the shade of some old yellowwood trees to enjoy a late lunch of fresh bread and chips.

After lunch, we continued up the valley until we rounded a corner and came upon the cascading tributaries that make up the Marble Baths. The river cuts its way through the sandstone and bedrock to create a number of crystal-clear pools and chutes. This is a fantastic spot to spend a day sunbathing and bum sliding. Marble Baths is situated close enough to the main campsite to make it a viable day hike option, but this also means it’s one of the more popular spots in the area.

We had hoped that we may get lucky and the cave would be free, but sadly it was taken. With the light fading, we set about finding a campsite for the evening. After exploring the surrounding bush for a short while, we stumbled across a clear patch. Once we had set up camp, we made our way to the pools for an evening swim/bath. There is nothing quite like the cool waters of the Drakensberg to refresh you after a day’s hike.

The beauty of hiking is that the simplest things become great. For example, a basic meal of couscous and viennas mixed in with a Tomato Cup a Soup tasted like a gourmet meal. Once we had polished off our delicious dinner we sat under a blanket of stars, shared a whiskey and cigar and became quite philosophical in the process.

The next morning we awoke to a clear, bright and sunny day. We spent most of the morning trying out the countless pools and bum slides until a hole in my underpants signalled that we needed to get going. The day began with us climbing steadily as we contoured our way up and into the next valley. The stunning views of the escarpment are extremely distracting and that coupled with the fact that the path is pretty overgrown meant we were soon lost. Having a good map with you while hiking in the Berg is essential, even if you think you know the area well enough, because a slight change in the weather or a wrong turn can get you completely disorientated. After much bush whacking through the thick indigenous forest, we eventually made it back to the stream and found the path once again.