BERG HIKE Agroup often persons(7 pupils and 3 staff) visited the Central Drakensburg during the December vacation, with the aim ofhiking up the Mhlwazini Valley to Keith Bush Camp at the base ofthe infamous Grey's Pass. We set offfrom Mr de Villiers' cottage near Monks Cowl on Wednesday 12 December,fully laden with tents, clothes,food and numerous 'nice-to-haves'. The going was tough as we hiked up towards the base ofSterkhorn through thick mist and limited visibility. Matthew Machell-Cox sprained his ankle, but soldiered on gallantly. The lunch break and twentyminute snooze near Gatberg rejuvenated the whole group. Davin Bowles' second wind suddenly saw him surge to the front of the procession on our approach to Keith Bush camp. Tyler Smith's constant supply of peppermints kept us all going. We reached this awesome campsite,which is surrounded on three sides by enormous basalt cliffs, at about 4pm after eight hard hours of walking - much relieved! After a leisurely breakfast of oats porridge the following morning six of us decided to tackle Grey's Pass and have lunch up on top of the escarpment. The going was very difficult, but the ever-improving view made it all worthwhile. The tents down in the valley, our temporary home,seemed to get smaller and smaller as we ascended. Windows through the swirling mist gave us briefviews ofCathkin Peak and Monk's Cowl,and passing vultures. We reached the top before midday and had a snack lunch next to the huge cairn ofstones - which Tim Hotchkiss almost destabilised. The view from the top of Grey's Pass was unforgettable. The trip down was fine - although a bit hard on the knees. We reached our campsite at 2.30pm and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon around the river. Arthur Bertram spent many hours securing his tent to the surrounding foliage and digging trenches - all which proved their worth later on that night. And then the storm hit! 12.30am to be precise. The thunder rolled in and echoed off the surrounding cliffs, accompanied by lightning and wind. Two ofthe tents seemed to hold out. —r ■ but the third came loose and flapped around deafeningly. Numerous rocks, strategically placed by Tyler and Mr de Villiers at lam prevented the tent from blowing away. An early start saw a bleary-eyed group returning to the cottage the following morning,this time along a different trail via the much awaited forest route. The group walked very well and reached the forest waterfall in record time, where each person welcomed a shower. The forest was alive with Christmas beetles, cuckoos and even a boomslang. We reached the cottage at noon, swam, ate, packed and returned to Kearsney. Much waslearnedon this trip. Namely: • how to think laterally, by Neil Hendry. • how to climb mountains using your big toes, by Tim Hotchkiss. • how to be used as a beacon ofwhite light, by Matthew Swart. • how to conserve toilet paper, by Mr van den Aardweg. • how to quote trilingual limericks, by Mr de Villiers. • how to carry enormous loads without flinching, by Mr Amos. • how to climb mountains without a break in conversation, by Tyler Smith. • how to mix English, Afrikaans and Zulu in a totally confusing way, by Matthew Machell-Cox. • how to farm right up in the mountains,by Arthur Bertram. • how to keep everyone wide-awake and on their toes, by Davin Bowles. Congratulations to all of you guys on a gallant effort! RDEVILLIERS 28
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