Making memories on the Northwood Senior Hike

9 March 2023

The Northwood Senior Hike, held in the central Drakensberg, took place over the weekend of 3-5 March, with the boys being accompanied by Morgan Hosking, the Master in Charge of the Hiking Club, and Director of Sport, Shaun Baker.

Starting point

The group departed Durban on Friday and headed for Injisuthi, the starting point of the hike. From there, they set off for the Marble Baths Cave, a walk of about eight kilometres which ascends by 400 metres.

Marble Baths Cave, they found, looks down on the river below, with the cave well protected from the elements, should inclement weather occur.

The hike, Mr Baker said, was tougher and slower than expected because the river was flowing at a high level, which meant care had to be taken when selecting places to cross it.

At the overnight stop, the boys made full use of the Marble Baths, having great fun by sliding down the rapids into the cooling and clear waters.

Challenging

Overgrown paths made for a challenging hike to Grindstone Cave on the Saturday. Eventually, the hikers decided the easiest path was on top of the ridge, so that meant some ascending was on the cards.

At the top, no longer was progress being slowed by bushes grabbing at the group’s legs, but they soon had another challenge to deal with as a thunderstorm erupted above them. About two-and-a-half hours later, the Northwood boys were able to find shelter in a cave, where tea, coffee and hot chocolate was prepared to warm them up.

Grindstone Cave, as it turned out, was only a couple of hundred metres further on. Once there, the hikers set up tents, put their gas cookers to work, and any dampener that the thunderstorm had put onto the group’s spirits was soon forgotten.

Day three involved a descent to base camp, which was a whole lot simpler than the climb of the previous day.

Dirty, but happy, and back at the starting point of their three-day adventure, the Northwood Senior Hike participants then headed back to Durban, from the mountains of the Drakensberg to the blue waters of the Indian ocean.