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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5 tips for staying warm in the Drakensberg Mountains I have been around for 40 years and have been hiking in the Drakensberg mountains in

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

Tips for hiking in the Drakensberg

Tips for hiking in the Drakensberg What to expect on a Drakensberg hike and how to prepare? A hike into the Drakensberg is not to

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Best time to hike Drakensberg Hello!!! My name is Darren and I have been leading hiking tours into the Drakensberg for the past 10 years.

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Tour Reviews

5.00 based on 2 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

3 Day Mnweni Drakensberg Hike