Escarpment to Kruger, Old Gold Digger’s Trail Past Events

The traffic was practically grid-locked at Burgersfort, so our Leader Johan Kriek, took us around the town to avoid the chaos, and we headed for Penge Mine. This was an Asbestos Mine, owned by Transvaal Gold Mining Estates based in Pilgrims Rest, discontinued and now derelict, when Asbestos was banned because of its health risks to Miners and people having it in their homes. The scenery was stunning.

We crossed the Olifants River, and drove onto a Community owned Farm and head up into the Mountains to Thabakgolo Camp. This is a Community Project, run by the people. Built and maintained by them with some Sponsorship from Transfrontier Parks. The pass up the Mountain seems to have been man-made and for 4 x 4 vehicles only. The camp site is very neat, and showers and ablution were spotless. The clouds closed in and it started to rain just as we finished setting up tents. We used their Communal Dining Tent to sit and have sundowners, while the fire was started. Dennis braaid some Fish for us in soft rain, (Chris helping with umbrellas) and then it stopped raining for all to braai their meat. We ate while the rain came again, but it stopped for us to get into our tents and then rained heavily. It was not as cold as I thought it might be.

14 April 2017 - Mafefe Camp
We all packed wet tents, and ready to leave at 9h30, having showered and sat around chatting over coffee. We drive back down the mountain, across the Olifants River and turn right and drive along the river under huge Sycamore Fig trees and Jakkelberry trees. We stopped for a coffee break trying to identify some of the many varieties of trees.

We found a spot where it was possible to drive across the river, where the river bed was very rocky, giving the Disco a hard time with it’s stupid low tow bar. We had to drive through brush and reeds on a track that might have been a wagon trail, up into the Strydpoort Mountains. The track had to be cleared of branches to allow us through, sometimes in the rain, as the clouds built up heavily over us.

The Disco had its side awning front bracket lifted out of the roof-rack rail. Fortunately we managed to get it bolted back in place. The road zig-zagged up the escarpment (magic 4 x 4 driving) to a view point which we missed out on, as the hills were covered in cloud and mist, so we drove down the escarpment on the other side to the African Ivory Trail’s Mafefe Camp, arriving at 16h15 pm. Also a Community Project Camp, high up on the Escarpment. Two members of our group decided to upgrade to a Rondavel at a cost of R150 pp. Clean communal ablutions and a Lapa with a kitchen and a central fireplace, where we could all sit around and have sundowners and braai our meat on an open fire.

15th April 2017 - Leydsdorp Hotel
We slept a bit later than normal, so it was very nice and relaxing. After breakfast we were ready to leave at 10h00. We entered the Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve and descended the escarpment into spectacular rain forrest, on a very steep track in intermittent heavy rain—quite a lot of branch cutting for us to do. Vehicles are supposed to travel one way only, but we had four motor bikes, and then when we stopped for lunch, we waited half an hour for two vehicles to pass.

We pushed on only to find another three vehicles coming up, but they literally crashed their vehicles rather recklessly, into the brush either side, with one bumping into the vehicle in front of him. (Johaan said they were Hillbillies – very apt) We exited Lekgalameetse Reserve and into the Lowveld. Travelling via OFCOLACO (Officers of the Colonial Land Company), which land was acquired by Officers of the Colonial Army after the war to settle on. They and their descendants have been very successful on this beautiful, rich soil.

On to Leydsdorp Hotel, where President Kruger stayed to sign a proclamation. To make this signing valid, Leydsdorp Hotel and a few houses, were declared a CITY, which was legally necessary for the proclamation. With the Gold Rush at that time, there was a population of three to five thousand people staying in the vicinity. The large dance hall needed at the time, is now the dining hall. We were due to camp in their camp site, but owing to it being renovated, they put us up in their Hotel. (No extra charge) We decided to support them and had dinner and breakfast in their dining hall.

16th April 2017 - Baderoukwe Camp, Letaba Ranch
We set off for Letaba Ranch now open with Kruger Park, which in turn is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Arriving at the gate, we decide to go up the pass that Orrie Baragwaneth (of Baragwaneth hospital fame.) had made to his house on top of the mountain on the border, giving him a wonderful view over the Park. Clouds and mist prevented us getting a view from the top. We used the Levuvhu 4x4 trail to our camp, Baderoukwe, in the open in Big Five territory. Along the way we saw Elephant, Buffalo and Wild Dog, Giraffe, Zebra and Impala. After setting up camp, we enjoyed sundowners while watching a herd of Ellies in the Baderoukwe river below.

A really nice bonfire in the centre of our Land Rover circle, gave us a wonderful setting to enjoy our drinks (a few rounds of Jaegermaester loosened some tongues) and braai.

17th April 2017 - Baleni Camp
Elephant and a Buffalo greeted us in the morning, and we watched them drinking from their water holes they had dug in the river sand. We exited the Park on the Levuvhu Trail, and following the fence of Letaba Ranch on 4x4 tracks, we drive to the Little Letaba River, which we followed to its confluence with the Great Letaba River. We enjoyed a nice relaxing break at this beautiful spot.

Then we drive along the border of Kruger Park to a view point of the Little Letaba River, where we had lunch. We drove to a point where we were due to enter the riverbed and drive to our camp. The River at this point is too wet to drive to our camp. We decided to drive to the African Ivory Route’s Baleni Camp, (a community project) We settled in our rondavels, which all but one of us upgraded to at a cost of R200 pp, with en-suite bathrooms. We drove down to the River where we found it dry enough to drive a short distance, and settle down comfortably in the clean river sand, until sunset, having our sundowners.

We had hoped to see the woman gathering salt from waters in the tributaries flowing into Little Letaba River , which they have been doing for hundreds of years. The salt is processed from the water. All these Ladies were obviously still enjoying the Easter weekend.

18th April 2017 - Depart for home
We say farewells to our wonderful LROC group, and thank Johan Kriek for a job well done, and for a wonderful, well planned tour. We saw and experienced things, none of us would otherwise have experienced.