A walk around Fika Patso

As we head off along the paved road from Wities to Fika Patso, I smiled as I recalled the many comments from delegates over the years and the many different names they had for the place.

"Pick a Fatso, Flip a Pizza, Fick a Fitso and F$#$ a Pitso were just some of the names that people would come up with. I also smiled to myself when I recalled the first person who had turn Phutadijaba into "Put on your Pijamas'.

The hike around the Dam can be done from Fika Patso or from below the old resort at the dam wall. We chose to park at the dam wall and proceed around from the left hand side, going through Angel's cove and then heading to the Picnic spot for lunch. The walk was refereshing, scenic and fun. It is ideal for children to do. The drinking water is clean and clear.


We tried a new range of camping food which included mains and desert. Highly recommended, although we have some reservations around how long you should wait for the cheese cake to set.

A good day out and well timed. Recommended.

Witsies never looked so good

Transfrontier Resorts have apparently taken over Wisties from the beginning of May 2010. Their aim is to upgrade the rooms, build a new pool and restaurant. This will be amazing...if they do this.

But Witsies was like heaven for our party. The warm water in the bath, the T-bone, chips and beer at the restaurant and the warm beds made for an evening of relaxation and rejuventation before we headed out to Fika Patso the following day.

The basics are there. The quietness of the mountains. The aesthetics of the sunrise. The freedom to adventure. The safety of space.

If you don't climb the mountains, you can't see the valleys

The walk down from the camp took us nearly 6 hours. It was a time that allowed people in the party to see the chain ladder in the light of day instead of the moon, to reflect on the night before and to get into communication with one another. The views down towards Fika Patso Dam are breathtaking and allow you to really see the Dam in whole new light.

It is sad to see how Qwa Qwa has deteriorated in 20 years. I started my career here in the berg, working with teams and sometimes spending 40 weeks a year in the foothills and of the Royal Natal National Park and the Eastern Orange Free state, culminating on the top of the berg at the end of everyone of these sessions.

I have seen the berg in thick mist, in rain, in hail, in snow and in fire. I have walked it at night, early morning, in the wind and in all of the above within two hours. It is a magical part of the world that seems to be resilient to changes in economy and political policy.

A chilly night under the stars

Once we had made our way up on top we headed for the flatter section midway between the falls and the chain ladder. There is a hiker's hut up there, closer to the falls, but we discovered that the temperature was dropping fast and after a brief walk about to find it in the shadows, elected to set up camp.



The coldness of the air under the stars really brings out a range of different feelings. It was however, a wonderful experience to jump into sleeping bags after enjoying some veggies and steak on the grill, and WARM UP.



We split the eveing up into a series of 1h15 camp guard watches as we had heard of a tourist from Korea, having is tripod stolen during the day.



The evening was filled with a range of senses. I was exhilrated by the change in the sky as I watched the moon set and the milky way come into view. For the last 15 minutes of my shift I ran around the camp barefoot for some fun and wondered whether I would ever enjoy the experience of going from warm baths to icey showers.



A few minutes later I was back in my tent, dried my feet and put on some warm camping socks and was off for another nap and a nibble of chocolate.



06h30 was there before I could open my eyes. I got up, shook the ice off my water bottle and headed down to the Tugela falls to get some fresh water and enjoy the sunrise. It hatches like a clear glittering golden egg from behind the mountains.



I chuckled as I past the Hiker's Hit having realised that I passed it twice the night before. I admired it is natural fit into the escarpment and how well camoflagued it was.



I remembered the first time we had stayed in their with a group of leaders, some twenty years before. Time flies, but the berg remains the same.



Back at camp, nothing like a cup of coffee and some chatter as members of the party shared their stories of night, their sleep or lack thereof.



We all trundled off to see the view of the Tugela and the valley below. Sunlight is a great healer of spirit and mind. No wonder the poms are such miserable creatures:).

Sentinal Carpark to the Top of the Berg

An awazing walk as plodded on up the broken path looking at the valleys on either side. The first couple of kilometres follow the border between QwaQwa and Natal as you make a heading forward towards Lesotho. It gets a little steeper and you have to then navigate your way through a series of zig zags. Each twist and turn provides many opportunities to stop and look back a the awesome scenery. It still boggles the mind why anyone would want to come up here and put fences up.

The zig zags come to an end after a while and you have the pleasure of walking on a relatively flat stretch as you make your way along the winding path past the Gulley to the Chain Ladder.

We watched the sun set on this flatter section of the trail. Then took out our torches and scuttled along to reach the chain cladder. It was one of the best night walks I have done in a while. We had a full moon and the visibility was great. The silence is something to behold.

No matter who you are, the chain ladder, split into two parts, always proves to be an adrenaline moment. The coldness of the metal on your hands, the racing beat of your heart and the accomplishment of having climbed up provide a unique experience for both new and old visitors.

The secret to completing this part of the hike is great communication, strong leadership, patience and using the ladder, one step at a time. Don't rush it, enjoy it and take it all in.

A trip to the top of the Amphitheatre!

There is something about being able to break away from it all. There is a special kind of experience to be hand in popping the back pack in the car and heading for the hills.

We recentlty did just that and took an easy four hour drive down to Qwa Qwa.

It was a glorious warm, clear and sunny May day. The sky was clear and set the scene for an enjoyable 3 day excursion into the Mountains.

Our first stop was a short 10 minute viewing stop of the amphitheatre at Witsieshoek Mountain Resort, which still needs a major overhaul. However, the beatuty of the berg seems to allow Witsies' to carry on, no matter how much it falls apart. The staff at Witsies should get an award for pride and endurance, but that is another story.

Our next stop, was the Sentinel carpark where we prepared for a 3h47 walk up to the top of the amphitheatre after signing the mountain register.