Drakensberg 4-day weekend trip
Eight of the nine of us photographers took up the option of a 4-day weekend photography course in the Drakensberg with Emil (emilvonmaltitz.blogspot.com). After a 7 ½ hour drive to get there, we set up camp and then took a short walk to the nearby cascades, to learn more about water photography.
Not much sleeping was done that night as the temperature dropped and most of us froze.
Day 2 was a 16 hour hike to the Tunnel where you could swim if you wanted to in freezing cold water. Only Emil was tempted.
Day 3 was again roughly 16kms but we started around 3.45am in the pitch black with headtorches so we could make it to ‘Witches’ for sunrise.
I guess the good thing is that you can’t see what you’re about to climb so it makes it less daunting. My water bottle fell and smashed to pieces just as we left so I had to rely on others to get water the whole way. I had also picked up a cold from another volunteer in Mozambique and it had gotten worse over the last couple of days. There was one really steep part near the top after a precarious chain ladder where the effort combined with the fact we were over 10,000 feet meant I could barely breathe.
Once we reached the top it was much better – and I took the time to get to know a few lizards.
Coming down was when we could truly appreciate how high we’d climbed as we could now see it in daylight though there was a tough rock scramble on the way.
And on the 4th day, we slept all the way home.
Brief summary of the volunteers
Jody – you would know her nationality before you know her name as ‘Canada’ is emblazoned across the front of her hoodie. A down-to-earth chick from north of Calgary, where everybody knows everybody and where nights out under the stars are an everyday occurrence. She pronounces ‘giraffe’ as ‘giraaaaf’ and ‘zebra’ as ‘zeeebra’ though we are slowly working on changing that. She is always keen to pop down to the local pub (25 mins away) for a good milkshake. Also loves cereal.
Carice – a well-travelled, super-fit chick from the UK who loves exercising after exercising. Also always up for a good milkshake – but the straw must stand up in it. A proper vegetarian who doesn’t crack at the smell of bacon or sausages even after a hangover (or the occasional slice of prosciutto!) – unlike others… Just celebrated her birthday with over 100 kids at Mdletshe school who all sung ‘Happy bursday’ to her in English and in Zulu.
Annie – a laid-back German videographer who loves the ocean and who’s every holiday to date has involved an island or beach of some sort. She loves the sun and may well retire on an island one day. Didn’t come to the Drakensberg as she didn’t want to freeze.
Keith – my other, funnier and more patient, half. Also known as ‘Dung Beetle’ man as coined by the headmistress of Mdletshe school. Ready to give anything a go although may hesitate when confronted head on with an elephant bull on musth.
Guido – a Swiss family guy with a passion for macro photography and a great lens to match. Got hit by tick bite fever which will impress his friends at the Tropical Institute. His whole family is going to be matchy-matchy with their new Thanda jumpers.
Yossi – a quiet Israeli guy who’s been passionate about photography for a long time. Slow and steady he can do anything he sets out to, no matter what difficulties present themselves.
Romeo – I’m sure he hears it all the time – ‘Oh Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo’ – particularly when one cannot find him. He has the biggest lens of the whole group, which may accidentally hit you whilst on a game drive. A total Nikon ambassador with full Nikon gear and hat. Told everyone in the first week that he ‘sleeps with’ Peter without understanding the true meaning of what he said as he’s Croatian and English is his second language. Hasn’t lived it down ever since and Peter plays along to it. They are like an old bickering married couple. Loves the clicks in the Zulu and Xhosa languages, particularly ‘amaqanda’. May communicate in clicks – one means yes, two means no. Also recently came down with tick bite fever so currently a little high on drugs. Was pleased to show us the tick he collected in a plastic bag and even more pleased to tell us he found it between his balls.
Peter – probably the photographer who’s always ‘on duty’ – always catching interesting things out of the corner of his eye and taking photos of something other than the subject we are meant to be photographing i.e. his best photo from the croc centre was a locust on a nearby bush. Also known as ‘Juliet’ due to his link to Romeo as above. Newly crowned as ‘insane’ as he got charged by a lion near the camp fence in an attempt to get a good photo.
Brief summary of the staff
Amanda – research volunteer co-ordinator from the UK with a bubbly personality and infectious laugh. Seems to attract the more unusual types.
Martijn – photography volunteer co-ordinator from Holland – very patient and always ready to help with seemingly stupid or just plain stupid Lightroom questions. Loves milkshakes and chocolate and the latter makes a good bribe for those who need to make up for breaking his camera or taking his card reader away with them for a 4-day weekend (you two, you know who you are!)
Natascha – project manager from the UK – always happy, sociable and very diplomatic. Had a close encounter with a lion recently but made it back home safely. Loves running between the game reserve fences and so far hasn’t come across any dangerous animals whilst doing so.
Mariana – our tracker/driver/guide – excellent tracker but has been blamed for losing an entire elephant herd (though my defence for her was that elephants are silent as they walk on their tiptoes)! Loves all animals and passionate about her job which makes it all the more enjoyable spending time with her. Without her we wouldn’t have had the most incredible experience of our time here (lion darting story to come next)…
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