Itinerary for 2 day Amphitheatre trek
Day One:
Set off from Sungubala via vehicle for a 2 hour drive to the Sentinel car park and start of the Amphitheatre trail. From this point the route follows a very sensible gradiented path to the summit of the Amphitheatre near Mont-aux-Sources, via the Chain Ladders (40m). Once on top the work is over! One walks down the plateau to the edge of the Thukela Falls (850m), second highest in the world. The views from here are breathtaking. After setting up camp the rest of the afternoon can be spent at leisure incl. swimming in the Thukela.
Total time: 3 – 4 hours hiking plus 2 hour drive.
Easy gradients
Day Two:
Option One:
Getting up for sunrise is a must. After breaking up camp and breakfast, the route follows the edge of the escarpment to descend via the Gully. From the this point the route is the same back to the car park. After an 8km walk along the dirt road leading up to the car park, one arrives back at Witsieshoek hotel. One descends down towards the top of the Gudu Falls and using the Mudslide, which is an adventurous scramble down a Little ‘Berg pass, the route joins with a Contour path back to Sungubala via Surprise Ridge.
Total Time: 8 – 10 hours. Descent 1500m. Paths the whole way.
Option Two:
Getting up for sunrise is a must. After breaking up camp and breakfast, the route follows the edge of the escarpment to descend via the Gully. From the this point the route is the same back to the car park. After an 8km walk along the dirt road leading up to the car park, one arrives back at Witsieshoek hotel. One descends down the Mahai Valley to the KZN Wildlife visitors centre, where the group is collected and transferred back to Sungubala reception/camp.
Total Time: 6 – 7 hours
Descent of 1500m, but on sensible gradients and a path the whole way.
General Comment:
This walk is one of the most stunning in the Drakensberg. The effort of “getting on top” is minimised by driving to the start of the walk, with the long day’s walk on the second day.
