The Drakensberg – Transportation fun, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and rain

(Originally published October 2010)

I had decided to head to the Berg with public transport, despite the owner from the lodge I’d booked telling me it would be better to rent a car! He would turn out to be right!

My 9am bus was cancelled and I was given a seat on the 10am that then left 1 hour late and broke down about 70km from Ladysmith… I finally got into town at 7pm. 5 hours late and with everything shut! So I’d overnight here and rent a car in the morning…

With the new freedom provided by my own wheels I decided to make some additional stops. Ladysmith is the home of the world renowned choral band Ladysmith Black Mambazo and it also boasts the finest Boer war museum and was the location of the siege of the British army by the Boer forces.

To complement my Boer war history tour I also went to the Spioen Kop battlefield, location of one of the bloodiest confrontations of the war where nearly 200 soldiers from the Lancaster regiment were taken prisoner. The location was the inspiration for the name of the most famous football stand in the world – Anfield’s Kop.

I arrived in the Champagne Valley of the Central Drakensberg in the afternoon, just as the clouds lifted. The mercury soared to 30 and the sunset was beautiful. That weather wasn’t to last however and my hiking hopes were scuppered for the following day when I woke up to rain and clouds all over the mountains. This is due to last all day and through the weekend. I hope they’re wrong!