Drakensberg, South Africa

Destination

3 Days

Duration

710

Physicality

14-60

Age recommendations

Enjoy an incredible 3 Day Mnweni Drakensberg Hike with us!

The Mnweni Drakensberg hike is considered one of the most scenic hikes in the area. The tour covers about 42km of sheer awesomeness. The hike starts at the cultural center and follows the route up the Mnweni Pass and down the spectacular Rockeries Pass. Day one is a 14 km hike to Shepard’s Cave which is situated at the base of the Mnweni Pass. Day two is a hike up to the escarpment. The hike only covers about 8km but with an elevation gain of about 1200m.

What makes this Mnweni Drakensberg Hike so special?

A definite highlight of this hike is sleeping in Ledgers cave on the second night. There is nothing to describe the mind blowing views from this cave. It is nestled about 30 metres under the edge of the escarpment. On the final day, hikers will descend over 1200m via Rockeries Pass which is home to incredible mountain scenery. The back end of Cathedral peak can be seen looming in the distance.

The Mnweni hiking routes are pretty unique in that it is the only area that does not fall under the restriction of the Natal Park Board and has therefore become one of the most remote hiking areas of the Drakensberg. And we are super keen to support the community by bringing hikers to this incredible place.

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Our tours begin and end in Johannesburg

(SELF DRIVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE)

Day 1

Travel day. Our scheduled trekking tour of the Drakensberg starts at 05H00. You will be met by your guide, load up the vehicle and take the 5 hour drive down to the Mnweni Cultural Village. Upon arrival we will take a short break and prepare for the hike ahead. The hike today covers about 10km over about 5 hours.

We have lunch at the Mnweni Pools. Our campsite for the night is at the base of the Mnweni Pass. If Shepard’s Cave is available we may also decide to use that for the night. But this cannot be guaranteed as the local Shepard’s may be using it. Because this part of the Drakensberg is not controlled by the Natal Park Board but is considered ‘community’ land, we have zero control over the availability of the cave.

Day 2

After breakfast we start our ascent of the beautiful Mnweni Pass. The height gain today is just over 1000m and is basically straight up. Yes today is going to be tough, but we promise you the reward will be well worth the effort. Hiking distance is about 6km and takes about 5 hours to reach. This part of the Drakensberg is rated by local hikers as one the most secluded and beautiful areas of the Drakensberg.

Some of the main peaks to look out for include the Inner and Outer Mnweni Needles as well as Pinnacles. We will spnd the night in Ledgers Cave which us regarded as THE most scenic cave in the Drakensberg. As with most of our hiking tours, we follow the plan of leaving camp early and getting into camp early. That gives hikers the afternoon to recover for the following days hike.

Day 3

After breakfast, we begin our descent back into South Africa via the Rockeries Pass which is situated about 2km from our camp site. The route down is pretty steep. There is nothing technical about it and ropes are not needed, but it may still be slow going as we are going to drop nearly 1000m in altitude over about 3 km. We start the hike as early as possible as the hiking distance is about 16km over 6 hours. Hopefully we are down at the Cultural Centre by 13H00. And then we take the 5 hour drive back to Johannesburg.

Incredible Drakensberg Scenery

The Drakensberg is a world heritage site

Isolated and remote hiking experience

Spend a mind blowing night in the best cave in the Drakensberg-Ledgers

Authentic South African hiking experience

INCLUDED
Return transfers Johannesburg to Mnweni Cultural Village Return (unless self-drive option selected)
Hotel Pick Up
1 Nights’ accommodation in tented camps
1 night on Ledgers Cave (depending on group size and availability)
All climbing permits
Tents, sleeping mats, cooking and eating utensils
Breakfasts and dinners on the mountain
Basic first aid kit
Guide for the duration of the tour
Dedicated Trip Planner
Local Taxes

NOT INCLUDED
Flights and airport taxes
Hiking Equipment (can be hired)
Items of a personal nature
Visas for South Africa
Health requirements (if any)
Optional but highly recommended travel and medical insurance.
Snacks, personal medicine
Meals & drinks not specified

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Trekking equipment for the Drakensberg Mountains

Our advice on trekking equipment for the Drakensberg Mountains Making sure you have packed the correct trekking equipment for the Drakensberg Mountains can sometimes be

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Tour Reviews

5.00 based on 3 reviews

Lulu Chen

May 10, 2018

Hi Darren,
Thanks for the amazing trip, it was the perfect way to recharge the mind and soul (but not so much the body)! You guys have proven again that you are great at what you do and we would love to join you guys on another trip in the future.
To recognize the gone wells and areas of development:
a) Food: Very satisfied with the breakfast, the peanut butter was a good touch. Dinners were creative and tasty!
b) Portions: We would have loved to have more dinner so bring on bigger portions.
c) Tents: Clean, good! Just double check for wear and tear.
d) Stupid jokes? yes. Too many? Should you stop? no 
e) Pre-trip feedback: Glad we had the WhatsApp group for questions.
f) Ease of booking: Convenient payment method. Would like to have seen a group booking step because we couldn’t see all our bookings at a group level. We wanted to confirm that everything everyone had booked/rented was acknowledged.
g) Overall, I am very happy with your services. Really like how everything was prepared and little admin was required by us. Really appreciate how calm everything was handled, it was just the atmosphere we all needed. Ways to be more awesome: give explicit timeframes for pause/lunch breaks at stations so we don’t have the same situation again and delay others.
Huge thank you to the team!

Alli and Kathryn

July 18, 2018

This trek was absolutely incredible! The views were stunning and worth all the hard work. This adventure was the best way to reflect and detach from daily stresses and to become more intune with nature. It was isolated and remote in the best way possible to reconnect with oneself.

We also felt really comfortable and motivated with Darren as our guide. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable and experienced but he also provided ridiculous jokes and great conversation — not to mention delicious food. Thanks Darren for such a wonderful and memeorable experience.

-Alli and Kathryn

Graeme Bingham

June 15, 2019

Overall, a very enjoyable hike. Scenery was spectacular throughout, and whilst the hike was challenging physically (in particular the climb on day 2), it wasn’t technically difficult, so ideal from my perspective. Sleeping in caves on both nights was an unusual experience – definitely better than using the tents, and with fantastic views as an additional plus. Quite cold on the second night, but fortunately still above 0. Shade and Patrick were both excellent guides and the organisation was flawless. The only difficulty we encountered was keeping to the overrun trail on the first day – clearly this route is not overly used, which made keeping to the path challenging at times. Would definitely use South Africa Adventures for another hike in the Drakensberg. Thanks again!

Darren

June 19, 2019

Hi Graham, thankyou for the great feedback. We are super stoked that you had a fantastic experience in the Drakensberg. Safe travels and hopefully we get to see you soon

3 Day Mnweni Drakensberg Hike