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Giants Cup - Hiking Trail Tour

Price Per Person

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USD 1,000
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GIANTS CUP LUXURY TRAIL HIKING ITINERARY Day 0: Dinner Pick up at Durban airport and be transferred to the Southern Drakensburg. Overnight at Guest Lodge Day 1: Breakfast, packed lunch, and Dinner. (Approx 13 km): After a restful night . .
Country: Lesotho
City: Drakensberg
Duration: 6 Day(s) - 5 Night(s)
Tour Category: Hiking
Package Itinerary

GIANTS CUP LUXURY TRAIL – HIKING ITINERARY

Day 0: Dinner

Pick up at Durban airport and be transferred to the Southern Drakensburg.

Overnight at Guest Lodge

Day 1: Breakfast, packed lunch, and Dinner.

(Approx 13 km): After a restful night at Seaforth where you will gather for dinner the day before your hike, you will be transported to the start of the trail at the bottom of Sani Pass. The first objective is to cross the bridge between the Mkomazana and Gxalingwa valleys. Ngwenwa Pools is an ideal stop for lunch on a sunny day or, if it is raining, there is a cave a little further along the trail.

After this the trail gradually ascends through the attractive country into the Pholela valley, crossing a suspension bridge over the river to the Cobham reserve. You will be collected from this point for your transfer to you will overnight.

Overnight: Guest Lodge.

Day 2 (17 km): Breakfast, Packed Lunch, and Dinner.

This is the longest and most eventful day and you will need to make an early start to get the most out of it! You will be transported to the beginning of the day's walk at Cobham and continue the trail which ascends the Sipongweni Ridge past Tortoise Shell Rocks before traversing its southern flank and dropping down into the Mzimkulwana valley.

You will see the Mzimkulwana Hut (normally the 2nd night's hut on the GC Trail) nestling beside one of the tributaries of the Umzimkulu. A good spot along the way is the bath plug cave, named after a hole in the cave floor which disappears. Observe but do not touch the Bushman paintings on the cave walls.

Try and leave Mzimkulwana Hut after an early lunch in order to complete the remainder of the day's hike which will first take you on a long climb towards Little Bamboo Mountain. On the top of the ridge, you will find a number of small vleis (tarns) where blue cranes frequent and remains of petrified forests can still be found. The trail then continues down following a pleasant stream valley with tempting swimming pools, and finally reaches the tar road of the Drakensberg Gardens Valley where you will be picked up and taken to Orchid valley for the third night.

Overnight: Guest Lodge.

Day 3: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, and Dinner.

(13,5 km): You will need to be guided out of Orchid Valley to pick up the marked

Giants Cup Trail above Winterhoek Hut. The first half of the trail ascends the ridge to the West of Garden Castle mountain via the scenic but steep Black Eagle Pass. Be sure to fill your water bottle before you start as there is little surface water along this section of the trail.

You eventually reach an altitude of about 1900 meters between the two river valleys of the Mzimkulu and the Mzimude.

Many pleasant vistas present themselves as you follow the contour path to the top of the Drakensberg Gardens

Overnight: Guest Lodge

Day 4: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, and Dinner.

Continue the Giants Cup Hike to Bushmans Nek

The Giants Cup trail continues onto the Bushmans Nek valley, first crossing the wide

Mzimude valley, climbing up to the fire station look-out, before dropping gradually down to Bushmans Nek Police Station, an official border post between South Africa and Lesotho. The trail is relatively easy walking and about 12 km in length which should get you into the hotel for lunch and an early afternoon pick-up.

Overnight: Guest Lodge

Day 5: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, and Dinner.

A Climb Rhino Peak

The Rhino is a free-standing 3000-meter peak standing away from the main Drakensberg Wall and towering over the Drakensberg Gardens Hotel. Very fit hikers who enjoy a challenge can hike to the top of the Rhino Horn and return in one day. They must

be prepared to start early as it’s a 10 to 11-hour hike with about 1000 m ascent but the hike is non-technical (although there may be some scrabbling up the gully leading to the top of the escarpment). On a clear day the views from the top are unforgettable.

Overnight: Guest Lodge.

Day 6: Breakfast.

Depart after breakfast and be transferred. back to King Shaka /Durban airport.

END OF HIKE!

Included:

All accommodation + Meals
Transfers to accommodations
3 x meals a day
2 x mineral water pp a day
Entry fees
2x Airport Transfers

Excluded:

Personal expenses & Insurance
Tips to Guide
Own backpacks required

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