Climbing Mafadi |
 This photograph of part of Otto’s map shows the route we took. On Day 1, we left the Injisuthi Hutted Camp and – by and large – headed south past the turnoff to Marble Baths, up to Centenary Hut, and then on for another three kilometres or so to our first campsite (marked by purple triangle 1). On Day 2, we climbed Judge Pass and entered Lesotho, then made our way west to the ridge between Injisuthi Dome (3,410 metres / 11,187 feet) and Mafadi (3,450 metres / 11,319 feet). We dropped down on to the eastern side of the ridge, and – because the ridge is the watershed line and thus the boundary between Lesotho and South Africa – we were back into South Africa, where we pitched our tents and spent our second night. On Day 3, we headed up to the summit of Mafadi, which is situated on the border between South Africa and Lesotho. We then hiked north-west along the border between the two countries before descending into Lesotho. We crossed the border again for the final time, back into South Africa, at Leslie’s Pass, which was our steep descent route due east down the Drakensberg escarpment. Our third and final campsite was at the foot of Leslie’s Pass. On Day 4, we walked east down the Njesuthi river, past Marble Baths, and then – after reaching the junction of the two trails – we headed north, retracing our steps back to the Injisuthi Hutted Camp. |