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Hiking Mnweni - The Drakensberg's True Wilderness in 4K
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- Опубліковано 15 сер 2024
- Watch in 4K (or at least HD), and subscribe if you enjoy!
The Mnweni region of the Drakensberg is vast, remote, and breathtakingly dramatic, with some of the most unique and impressive mountains found anywhere in South Africa (and probably the world). Last month, I got the chance to explore this incredible place with Simon, Aidan, Amy and my dad. We spent the first day hiking to Mbundini 1 cave, and then headed up Fangs Pass to the summit the next. After spending the second night split between tents and Rat Hole Cave, we traversed across to Ledgers Cave, and then made our way down Rockeries Pass on the final day.
This is without a doubt the most majestic place in which I've hiked - the sunrises we woke up to were quite unlike anything I'd seen before, and the sheer scale of everything was really humbling. Hiking in Mnweni involves very long distances, and intense elevation gains. The altitude on the summit means that oxygen is in shorter supply, and so this adds to the challenge. Temperatures at night drop well below freezing, and water spots are often frozen in Winter, and so these hikes should not be attempted without a good deal of experience in the Drakensberg, and a solid level of fitness. Nonetheless, it's an unforgettable experience, and definitely one to aim towards!
Feel free to contact me if you'd like more info about hiking in the area, and what things you'll need to be aware of.
Music: The Oh Hellos - Like the Dawn
Novo Amor - Carry You
Filmed on a GoPro Hero 7 Black and a DJI Mavic Pro
Edited with Sony Vegas Pro 13.0
Magical. Seriously talented 🤯
Your video is fantastic. Good old memories for me.
I know the different peaks in the mountain. Perhaps you can tell the viewers more about different peaks valleys, rivers and caves. Little bit info won't hurt anybody!
Keep on hiking in the wild places!
Amazing!
Magic to watch the video, thanks Dan. A good 4 day hike for sure.
My friend, Belinda and I thought we could zoot up Mweni Pass, sleep at Legends cave, then follow the escarpment before heading down to Cathedral Peak Hotel the next day. (Ambitious I know). Our plans were thwarted by very thick mist. Finding Legends was a mission for a start, but we managed after checking out several gullies, getting colder and colder all the time.
Next day, our plan to follow the escarpment was bedeviled by the mist, and we ended up way in Lesotho. At one point, the mist cleared for a few minutes, and we caught a sighting of Cathedral Peak in the distance, and it was in completely the wrong place. After a moment of reflection, we figured that it was more likely that we were in the wrong place. Using that as our only, brief marker, as everything closed in again, we managed to find our way through tough terrain back to the escarpment, and freakishly, Belinda found a path that ultimately took us down to Twins Cave to take shelter for the night. We had no sooner arrived, exhausted, when the heavens opened and we were treated to a beautiful thunder and lightning display. Having planned for only one night, provisions were very low.
We descended the next day to the hotel to a raised eyebrow or two. You would think we were novices wouldn't you? We do tend to do things raw, but lots of lessons learnt, and oh, so much fun.
Sounds like a spectacular hike, wow! and probably also a bit terrifying - those are definitely not mountains to be underestimated. I was treated to a similar lightning display from Twins Cave while doing the Bell Traverse last year, not something I'll ever forget. There's something so thrilling about making it to a cave just before a storm.
Have only once done the traverse south from Mnweni Pass, but with GPS and clear skies we definitely had a much easier time of it. Stayed in Easter Cave, which was also magical!
It's always great hearing stories like these. I find it very humbling to reflect on just how many adventures have been had in those ancient mountains - really reminds us that we're just brief visitors to those places
Thanks for sharing this - not everyone is experienced or fit enough to make it. What an unforgettable experience. Our beautiful Berg!!
The drone footage is magnificent, well done! ignited my wanderlust
Thanks man! That's what I hope to do with these videos, so I'm happy to hear it :)
@@daniel_johnson_pmbpk let me know if you ever want more company :)
Very nicely done! Can’t wait to meet this challenge myself
This is a superb video
Best images i've seen from the Berg! Spectacular!
I live close to Amsterdam but already travellend twice to the RSA with seeing many other valleys (Cathedral peak area, Monk's cowl, Giants castle, Amphitheater and the Sani Pass).
Then I decided to go for a 3rd visit in 2019, to some less visited areas: Highmoor, Lotheni, and to Mnweni as well.
I was stunned by the emptyness there, truly amazing experience.
Thank you for this upload, capturing Mnweni's beaty.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it :) it's exactly that vastness and emptiness that makes Mnweni so special. We were lucky enough to be the only hikers in the entire region for the time we were there, such a privilege. Hope you get to visit South Africa again!
Looks incredible! I'm taking inspiration from your videos for an upcoming trip to Cape Town. Thanks for documenting it all so well.
Very glad you've enjoyed them, and enjoy your trip! Feel free to get in touch if you're looking for more ideas for your visit :D
Absolutely world class videos and a brilliant channel. Best of luck on all your adventures. I'll definitely be watching. 🔥
Why thank you! Heading back into the mountains today, definitely lots more to come 😁
Y'all making me homesick
Beautiful footage, thanks for sharing..... one for the bucket list!!
Absolutely stunning footage! So pleased to have been part of such an amazing trip with you guys. Next up, Ship’s Prow Pass 😬😂
Yes!! Can't wait :D
Yooh, a pass that's on my bucket list for sure - please film it for us!
I must tell you my about my ship's prow pass ascent
Those packs look mad heavy!
I think we managed to keep it around 20kg, which is not the worst I've had. Temperatures were mostly below zero on the summit, even during the day, and so a lot of space and weight went to preparing for that. Rather safe than sorry!
Awesome video👌👌👌
Enjoy Ships😜
Amazing cinematography on an amazing hike. Planning on going up in a couple of weeks myself. Did you do it over 5 days, since you went up Fangs and came down Rockeries?
Thank you! We did it in 4 - one day to Mbundini 1 cave, one day up Fangs, one day across to Ledger's cave, and then the last day down Rockeries and to the Cultural Centre. It's definitely doable for a fit group, but be very sure to get very familiar with the route, heard from some hikers who got lost and added several hours to the route. The 2nd and 3rd days in particular are fairly long, so I would leave early to avoid arriving at your caves in the dark
wow! this is awesome footage, well done. are you able to please share gpx details?
Amazing video Daniel! Loved the transitions and drone shots! Should try turning down the music when you speak and using a higher frame rate for the drone shots, some of them were hopping a bit. Take a look at my Hogsback vlog; we have very similar shooting styles!
Thank you! The issue with the drone footage was the shutter speed I think, not the frame rate (which was set to maximum). I think the camera compensated with changing the iso, which gave a bit of grain sometimes - still very new to drone videography, so learning as I go. Could definitely have played around a bit more with the relative volumes when I was speaking. Will check it out! Hogsback is a great spot :)
Special
Is this the Mnweni marathon route?
Not quite - the Mnweni marathon just goes up Mnweni Pass, whereas we did Fangs Pass instead. So our 1st and 4th days are covered in the marathon, but the 2nd day we went up a more challenging pass further north, which meant hiking south to the top of Mnweni Pass on day 3 (to rejoin the route followed by the marathon)
This is fantastic. Can this be done in 3 days and what level of fitness is required for this incredible hike?
Glad you liked it! Realistically, 3 days would be really strenuous, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it. Some people choose to do this route in 5 actually. You'll see in the video that on both the 2nd and 3rd days we arrived at our caves after sunset - those days are a little tough, Fangs Pass is quite relentless, and it's quite a big trek across the escarpment, but of course these things are all relative, and it's such a rewarding experience. What kinds of routes have you done?
If you are looking for something in Mnweni that's a little less intense, can be done in 3 days, but is still really spectacular, I'd recommend the Mnweni Circuit (up Mnweni Pass, down Rockeries).
Beautiful thank you.
What drone/camera did you use?
Would love to take a drone on my drakensberg adventures!
I use a GoPro Hero 7 Black and a DJI Mavic Pro. The GoPro is perfect for hiking - super compact! A Mavic Air would probably be the better drone option, because it's lighter and more compact, but the Pro works really well as well. It's of course very important to fly responsibly, check up on regulations, and avoid any animals (birds especially), but there are some unbelievable landscapes to be captured :)
Thanks dude appreciate it. 👍🏻
Slept in rat hole cave many years ago, after going up Pins. Any problems doing this under level 3?
Pins is definitely on the bucket list! So it's of course best to check the official guidelines, but we called in to the centre and got a green light to go ahead. Just make sure to check in with the Mnweni Cultural Centre beforehand, if you're thinking of going
which month did you go and hike this?
I think it was June, if I remember correctly
Breathtaking scenery...not sure about the music; could do without the voices
Helooo!!! Do you have a *.*gpx ? Thanks mate!!
Hi Ludovic, send me an email on danjohnsonpeter@gmail.com, I'd be happy to share the route!