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There is no road running between Sehlabathebe National Park and Sani Pass. In between the places there is only solitude...

One Year Africa: Solitude in the Drakensberg

Maarten de Boeck
2006-05-01 19:27:35

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There is no road running between Sehlabathebe National Park and Sani Pass. In between the places there is only solitude; no houses, no people, no cattle, no dogs. The ideal place to retreat from the world, to lead a hermit's life midst one of the loveliest places on earth.

I love solitude. I felt as a fish in the water when I camped there high in the mountains, far from anyone or anything. Quietly I stood in front of my tent. I looked over the extraordinary panorama. Below me I saw the mist stealing between these beautifully shaped mountains. I saw the sun, slowly disappearing behind the horizon and the moon come over the mountain the other side.
I loved to be there, it was an awesome place. For me, the highpoint of romanticism.

It had been already dark when I started cooking. I was seated in front of my tent. I waited for the water to boil. I kept on waiting in the nocturnal cold, it simply didn't. Not even after fifty minutes, it was ridiculous. Apparently my new gas stove didn't give enough heat to boil the water.
I was hungry. I simply poured in the spaghetti, let it soak for a while in the warm water, added some instant soup and ate it. It was a crunchy meal, although I must say uncooked spaghetti isn't that tasty. It was better than nothing.

A feeling of melancholy mastered me. I spent the evening breathing in the atmosphere of that magnificent place. At night I lay in my tent, listening to the wind playing in the canvas. I thought it to be very romantic, high up in the mountains, alone.
It had been a marvellous day. I felt joy. I wondered if there should have been someone to share this with? I don't know.

That day I had commenced my journey in Sehlabathebe. During the day I strode through a huge cloud of mist. The white blanket ...