Any hike that finishes some distance from where it starts needs good logistical planning.
Starting the Traverse at Sentinel Car Park means that all have to get there at a specific time. For
an early morning start, accommodation must be arranged nearby and transport to Car Park
organised.
Finishing at Bushmans Nek, some 230 km south of the start, meant that we needed one or more
vehicles at or close to the end point.
The approach we took was as follows:
-
Andre, coming from East London, overnighted at Witsieshoek Hotel on Sunday. We met him
for first time at the Sentinel Car Park on Monday at the start of the hike. He was dropped off
by his family who then returned to East London.
-
Sue, enjoying her birthday in the central berg, drove herself to meet us at Harrismith
Backpackers, Sunday evening before the start. She was to leave her car at Harrismith
Backpackers for the duration of the hike.
-
Bernard and Hilke drove from JHB to Harrismith Backers to be there the Sunday evening before
the start, and also to leave car at backpackers for duration of the hike
-
Mike and George drove George's Landrover to Himeville Arms Hotel on Saturday, overnighted,
and leaving Landrover at Himeville Arms for duration of hike, we made our way, thumbing
rides back to Harrismith to join rest of team, except Andre, Sunday evening.
We now had 2 cars in Harrismith and a Landrover at Himeville. We had accommodation booked in
Harrismith and early Monday morning, about 06h00, Jan and Helen of Harrismith Backpackers
drove the 5 of us to Sentinel Car Park where we met Andre and started the hike.
On completion of the hike, we had arranged for Himeville Arms to collect us at Bushmans and we
all overnighted at the Himeville Arms on 24th. Thereafter we left Andre behind as his wife was
collecting him from Himeville, and we all piled in to our Landrover to return to Harrismith where we
collected our respective cars and headed home.
All worked out well in the end. Although we had investigated bus charters, combi rental etc., our
arrangements worked out fairly cost effective. The backpackers and Himeville Arms were both
affordable and we were well received and amply assisted.
1. What is the Drakensberg Grand ...
