Route: Vergelegen
to Mkhomazi Pass Distance: 23 km (46 km return) Duration: 9 -12 hours (three days for the return trip) Grade: 5 General: Mkhomazi Pass to Thabana Ntlenyana is an extesion of the Mkhomazi
Pass Hike. Thabana Ntlenyana at 3482 m is the peak in Southern Africa. The peak
is a popular destination and can be reache via a number of routes. The Thabana Ntlenyana has links to all these routes. Advisory:
Overnight hiking requires
that you sign the mountain register.
Directions:
About 500 m from the
picnic site the road does a 90 degree bend towards the KZN Wildlife Office,
take the path to the left, keeping paralell to the Mkhomazi River.
Cross a tributary after
2 km and cotinue alongside the river for a further 1,5 km.
The path then veers to
the right and clibs a ridge above the river for a further 2,5 km before descending
down to and crossing the river just above the confluence of the Mkhomazi and
Ka-Ntuba Rivers.
Here the path splits
to each side of the Ka-Ntuba Ridge, take the right fork and continue along
the left-hand bank of the Mkhomazi River.
After 4 km you'll reach
another junction, just past the confluence of the Mkhomazi and Nhlangeni Rivers,
keep right and follow the left-hand bank of the Nhlangeni River.
You will pass through
Ngcingweni forest and two stream crossings before after 1 km you'll cross
over the Nhlangeni River and over a ridge to the main valley of the Mkhomazi
River.
From here follow the
left-hand bank for another 2 km before once again following a tributary to
the left.
Follow this tributary
up a steep uphill for about 200 m and bypass a fork in the river another 200
m further on.
Cross the tributary and
then again another tributary before you come to a fork in the path.
The right fork takes
you across the Mkhomazi River towards The Saddle. You should take the left
fork and continue up the left-hand bank of the Mkhomazi River to reach the
contour path after about 2 km.
From the contour path,
2 km remains until you reach the top, once again, continue up the left-hand
bank of the Mkhomazi River for a further 1,5 km before veering away and then
back to the river before reaching the summit.