Sprightly seniors tackle Mont-Aux-Sources
The average age of the five climbers was 70 years.
GAIL Mitchell of Umtentweni didn’t realise the challenges that lay ahead when her husband Gordon, and her three brothers, Lynton, Roy and Clive Demont, talked her into tackling the formidable Mont-Aux-Sources in the Drakensberg.
With an average age of 70 years, the challenge was a daunting one for all of the intrepid members of the party.
“It was really difficult at times, but the sheer beauty of the mountains and the fantastic view from the top of Mont-Aux-Sources made it well worthwhile,” said Gail.
At the end of January the Mitchells and Roy, who lives in Paddock, drove to a resort in the Drakensberg, where they met up with Clive, from Port Elizabeth, and Lynton, from Richards Bay. Early the next morning they enjoyed a scenic drive to the Witzieshoek car park from where they set out to climb to the top of the Amphitheatre.
Roy had first climbed this most spectacular site in 1957 and had repeated the feat a number of times since then but none of the other party members had ever tackled this area of the Drakensberg before. They were fortunate as on the day of the climb, their only chance to do it, the fickle Drakensberg weather cleared, providing them with good climbing weather and perfect views of their magnificent surrounds.
At first, Gail didn’t find the climb too difficult – until they came to a steep, boulder-filled gully. “That gully – oh that gully! I found it incredibly difficult to negotiate,” said Gail.
However, she managed to scramble over the boulders and follow the rest of the party to the top of the Amphitheatre where, thanks to the clear weather, they were rewarded with a crystal clear view of the whole of the Drakensberg. The party was awed by this, one of the most spectacular vistas South Africa has to offer, and by the beauty of the world-famous Thukela Falls.
“Mont-aux-Sources itself is 3 278m or 10 755ft high and is the source of the Thukela Falls, the world’s fourth highest waterfall, after the Angel Falls in Venezuela, Yosemite Falls in the USA. and Mardalsfossen in Norway. The Thukela Falls plunges over the edge of the 3000ft escarpment and is officially measured as 617 metres or 2 024 ft high. After this the river tumbles through the Little Berg and flows through the Royal Natal National Park, made famous by the visit from the British Royal family in 1947. It is now a part of the Drakensberg-Maloti World Heritage Park,” said Roy.
They completed the arduous climb in only three and three-quarter hours, not bad for senior citizens. Needless to say, the effects of the unusual and strenuous exertion were felt by most of them for some time, but the unanimous decision was that you hadn’t lived until you had experienced what they had experienced that day.
