Injasuti

Injasuti in the central Drakensberg is an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive in favourable conditions from Durban.  The road is tarred the whole way save for about five kilometres just before the main gate (February 2002).  From the N3 freeway take the Escourt North / Loskop exit (N3N-179) and then turn left at the Injasuti turnoff.  Any car will get there fine, but towing a trailer with a small front-wheel-drive in the rain is not advisable from personal experience.  Not unless you enjoy pushing trailers up hills in the mud and the rain and then bringing the car up out of the ditch again to rehitch.  The last thirty or so kilometres before the gate are through rural township.  Having heard of two hijackings in the area in recent months I would advise keeping one's eyes open and not travelling after dark.  Going in a convey would be nice, if possible.  Also, do not allow your car to get trapped up in the middle of a heard of cows, which is how at least one hijack has happened - rather sit back some distance from the herd until they have crossed the road, then go.  Watch for obstructed river crossings and bridges too.  GPS Route (Durban to Injasuti): N3N-179, LOS-INJSUT, NJ-GATE, NJ-CAMP, NJ-OFFICE.

Injasuti Office to Marble Baths Cave This walk is perfect for an overnight hike, or even as a day hike.  It makes a great introduction to backpacking in the 'berg for beginners as well as being an old favourite for the more experienced.  Moderate physical fittness would be advisable, but being more than that gives you the opportunity of lugging along some extra creature comforts for your night in the cave.  It's about 9km each way along the route described, and a climb of about 360m from the bottom to the cave.  You can make a detour to see Lower Injasuti Cave from the path, and this will bring the distance up to about 15km.  Starting from the main office proceed back along the entrance road, past the camp site (NJ-CAMP) to the trailhead just before the bridge (NJ003).  If the river is flowing strongly then it might be a better idea to start at the Poachers Stream trailhead (NJ004) which is across the bridge about 100 m or so.  That way you get to cross the river a little higher up.  Whichever point you start at does not matter: the two paths join later (NJ074).  We took the Poachers Stream option.  After an initial fairly steep incline the path levels out to the Poachers Stream crossing, at which there is a nice drinking/relaxing point (NJ073).  Thereafter the path stays farly flat until you reach the Marble Baths/Lower Injasutic Cave junction (NJ077).  You can make a detour from the junction to see the Lower Injasuti Cave (see the route below).  This will add about 6km onto the trip.  Just hide your backpacks near the path and make sure the baboons can't get into them.  Keep right, go straight down to the river and then across.  It's quite a wide crossing and if the river is flowing strongly you'll have to take your boots off and walk through.  After crossing the river the path leaves the river (NJ091) and starts to climb the valley.  Turn left at the signposted junction (NJ092) and proceed almost to the top of the hill.  When nearing the top of the hill keep a sharp lookout for a right turn in the path (NJ093).  It's not signposted, not easy to see and if you miss it you'll carry along your original path until it eventually runs out, like just about everyone else before you.  It was getting lost here that seeded the idea of getting a GPS into my head.  From here it is straightforward getting to the cave (NJ095-MBC).  The cave can comfortably sleep six people, but at a push and with a little bit of imagination you could get a couple more in.  As 'berg caves go it is fairly deep, and we were totally protected from a rather impressive thunderstorm which set in during the night.  The river is not as close to the cave as at some other destinations, so you might want to perhaps bring another (collapsible) water container (I use a Camel-Bak) to tide you over for cooking and diluting your brandy.  There is a stunning pool down at the river (the Marble Baths) which more than makes up for any extra effort spent getting down there.  GPS Route (Office to Marble Baths Cave): NJ-OFFICE, NJ-CAMP, NJ004, NJ070..NJ077, NJ089..NJ095-MBC.  Return via the same route, or if you have time for a slightly longer and more rewarding walk do the following.  I don't have waypoints for the first bit.  Cross the river at the marble baths and follow the contour path around until you come to another major river crossing.  If earlier on in the hike the idea of getting a GPS  was seeded then this was the moment that sealed it: don't follow the cairns going upstream, which you'll probably see in the middle of the crossing.  Just carry on straight across the river - the path will pick up there.  If you follow any cairns going upstream you're going to get very lost.  Once safely across the river proceed on up to the Elands' Gate (NJ051).  From here the path can easily be followed back to the camp.  The going is fairly flat for the first part, but there may well be a couple of marshy areas to cross.  The descent (starting NJ057) is quick and short and takes you past one of the Grindstone caves (NJ060-GC1).  GPS Route (Marble Baths to Office via Elands Gate): NJ095-MBC, NJ051-EG.  No in-between waypoints yet.  NJ051-EG..NJ069, NJ-OFFICE.                                                                          Next page                                                                           Home