I have spent some time plotting a proposed route on Google earth to assertain where would be suitable camping sites on route. I have taken some concideration towards where the possibilities of water and streams might be found to make the best overnight camping possible if weather conditions such as vicious thunderstorms, snowfall etc permits us to do so. Our ideal plan is to achieve an average distance of 25km per day to reach our planned 12 day 260km destination at Bushmans Nek. It must be said that certain days we will probably only do 15 to 18km through certian sections of the trek as terrian plays a major role on how much distance can be done in one day (06h00 - 17h00) It will be expected of us to, at some days have to melt ice, if available, for cooking as some sections does not always provide with water and therefore this unknown factor puts much emphasis on proper route and recourse planning. In this area most of the water in the streams are drinkable and quite fresh, I must say that on previous outtings to the Drakensberg the water was the best I've ever tatsted. So the challenge for us "3 musketeers" is to maintain a constant pace and distance as much as possible with the managing of the weight on our backs for the durations of 12 days in an enviroment 3000m above sea level with all the different weather situations that the "Draak" is notorius for dishing out.Alas this is not a race but an oppertunity, in retrospeck to do some introspection of oneself and enjoy the experience that very few has accomplished in one of the most spectacular landscapes South Africa has to offer.
Day 1 will start us off at Sentinel car park and take us up to the escarpment to the top of Tugela gourge, past Tugela Falls up to Mount Amery for our first nights camp
Day 2 will take us from Mount Amery past Ifidi and Icidi butress all along the contours of the escarpmet up to Fangs pass where we will be overnighting for day 2
Day 3 will lead us from Fangs pass past Shepards cave, Hwaqa cave and past mount Neefie towards Pins cave and eventually close to the Mnweni cutback
Day 4 will guide us on the edge of escarpment to a view of the "Apsotles" , Mnweni Butress, Hanging Valley, where from Mponjwane we will have a spectacular view of Puddings, Cathedral Peak,Bell, and the outer and innder horns where we will end at north peak for the night
Day 5 will start by dropping down some butresses and the climbing up some valleys again and getting onto the ridge of the butress past twins cave with the Mlambonja valley beneath us and presenting us with a view of "The tooth" where we will camp for the night
Day 6 and we will drop down significantly down to the valley and passing "windy gap" and around Cleft peak and climbing up again to a view of "Organ Pipes" and sleeping presumably at "Windsor castle"
Day 7 will take us through plent of up and downs, left and rights with views of "Sugaloaf kop", "the Sphinx", "Monks Cowel" and on towards Giants castle for our over night's rest
Day 8 will lead us from giants castle and keeps hugging the edge and looking down the Njesuthi valley
Day 9 will keep us on the back of the butresses with the Giants castle nature reserve on our left and Lesotho on our right. As we head onto our over night spot we will be hugging the high cliffs packed with some snow hopefully and a spectacular view of the Lotheni vallye 3000+ m down below. Its here where we'll probably be presented with the nororius thunder storms of the Malutis. Once we pass the Lotheni rim we will sleep at Redi peak
Day 10 will guide us on the Kwantuba ridge with the Cobham nature reserve below us and the Thabana Ntlenyana plains on our right towards Sani top and the 12 Apostles
Day 11 will take us away from Sani pass and pass the Mshweshwe's finger all along the edge pass Hodges Peak and towards the butress where the view of Rhino peak and Masai fangs will be presented. Down below will be a spectacular sight of Umzimkulu river valley
Day 12 will then lead us off the mountain through some extreme sections and finally towards Bushmans nek border post
