Be Snow my Heart in Bulwer KZN

 

 

 

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Bulwer Mountain (1840m)

Snow is fairly common on the Southern Drakensberg mountains April to July. In 2017 we saw snow as late as November on Sani Pass (2873m above sea level), and most recently, Black Mountain (3240m) in neighbouring country Lesotho had snow on 10 December 2018!

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Bulwer Mountain at sunrise on the road to Cottage Imvana

But, snow is not-so-common at ground level in Bulwer, and occasional atop Bulwer mountain (1840m).

 

Bedtime on this Saturday night was as normal  any other; my parents comfortably settled in at Cottage Imvana on a 7 day visit from Cape Town to KwaZulu-Natal, the furkids and I just up the way.

I keep a firm and fascinated eye on the weather, and tonight seemed an ordinary winter’s night in sleepy little Bulwer: temperatures dropping close to zero degrees and no snow news. When I awoke, it was around 6:30 am on Sunday 09.09.18. In mandatory fashion, I headed for the kettle, taking an also mandatory glance through the un-curtained patio door and the always-open-curtains of the balcony window (a luxury of country life).

I didn’t make it to the kettle, or the pitstop to the bathroom. Instead I threw on a jacket and my trusty gumboots and dashed to Cottage Imvana, puppies in tow. The lounge light was on in the cottage, as usual mom had been praying from the early hours.

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Later, Mom said that she in turn could hear that I was not panicked but rather excited and she knew I was not in danger, but did not know why the urgency of my tone.

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Wintery view from the front door of Cottage Imvana

 

We woke Dad and for the next while there a was chorus of happy exclamation, “wow, amazing, incredible God” were some of repetitive lyrics. We then all danced around the garden with various forms of camera, then furious finger dance began, snowy joy being texted to family and friends across the world.

“Ma look, look” I tried not to scream as I hurled past the kitchen window and to the front door. “I’m coming, what, what?!” mom replied as she unlocked the door. I could hear the confusion in her voice, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

 

Later, Mom said that she in turn could hear that I was not panicked but rather excited and she knew I was not in danger, but did not know why the urgency of my tone.

We woke Dad and for the next while there a was chorus of happy exclamation, “wow, amazing, incredible God” were some of repetitive lyrics. We then all danced around the garden with various forms of camera, then furious finger dance began, snowy joy being texted to family and friends across the world.

 

Before the parents arrived, I had said many a prayer for snow to fall during their visit, and God heard me. and what a gift it was! That look of completely happy surprise and joy on Mother’s face will stay with me forever, captured not by dslr or phone, but in the deeper place of my heart’s eye.

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Cottage Imvana

But perhaps more than that, it was the feeling of this shared wonder, a connection beyond normal experience that will forever be snow my heart.

Colourful KZN weather Wonderings

Every once in a while I climb on my rooftop to capture the KwazuluNatal (KZN) mountain sunrise. She rises beyond the KZN Midlands and igniting Durban‘s golden shores from her Indian Ocean horizon.

Today it seems the KZN Midlands is having her Sunday morning lie-in under a thick blanket of  mist; I brave the cold to capture her sleeping beauty.

Again the old wise saying rings true; our red sky this morning sure is a shepherds warning. A cold, wet and snowy spell has hit South Africa, predicted to arrive in Bulwer this evening. The Southern Drakensberg is expected to see temperatures of around -3° Celsius (27° Fahrenheit) during the night, with possible snow.

Something interesting is that this morning was completely devoid of birds; even the sturdy Hadedas were nowhere in sight, as if they’re aware of approaching weather.

Climbing to and from the rooftop is a little more tricky at this time of year, a thin layer of ice coats its surface. About a week ago got brain freeze from my mouthwash, and its now a daily occurrence. But there is still no place I’d rather be.

Drakensberg Snow Road Trip: Sani Pass

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“Do you think we’ll get up?” I asked Craig nervously as the 4×4 wheels of our Toyota Fortuna skidded confidently the in thick mud.

He didn’t bat an eyelid at the sliding vehicle and said, “We’ll get close! Good thing we got in early before the rest of the world coming to see the Sani Pass snow, the more the cars pass through, the more messy the road becomes with melting snow.”

Two days ago, the first proper snowfall of the season had blanketed the Southern Drakensberg, just in time to turn our road-trip into a snow-trip. Saturday 13 May 2017 we left Bulwer before 9am wearing 3 pairs of socks, gloves, beanies, thermals and our cold faces. The trip from Bulwer up to Sani Pass is <70km, passing through the KwaZuluNatal towns of Underberg and Himeville, then over the South Africa/Lesotho border, and finally the steep climb up the Southern Drakensberg mountains.

“Here, ask this family coming past what’s happening further up the pass!” I urged as the second of 4 vehicles gingerly made its way down towards us.

It wasn’t good news; we were told the road was very bad ahead and a few of the early-bird explorers had turned back. But fortunately, Craig is a seasoned Sani Pass tripper, having done it plenty times, and he reassured me we would be fine to press on.

A few times we had to stop and wait; either at a safe following distance behind an ascending car, or far enough over for a descending car to pass.  The die-hard explorers without 4x4s had long since disappeared and the majority of 4x4s were proudly Toyota, their passengers of all ages. I was stirred by the intense feeling of comraderie between us travellers; the sheer epic of the Sani Pass experience formed a common bond. Almost every person you make eye contact with smiles, and there is a knowing in their eyes.

After a 4 minute stop at border control and a stamp in our passports, we were back on the muddy road and could see the thick snow on the Drakensberg peaks. As we climbed, the dark green landscape became more and speckled with white, until all around us was winter wonderland and sparkling snowflakes were falling from the sky.

About 80% of the way up and before the zigzag section, there were at least 15 cars creeping down the slope and we could see a queue up ahead. The the road was barely wide enough for 2 vehicles side by side, but fortunately just up the way there was a verge.

We pulled over and I lurched from the van and began to frolic in the 30-60cm snow in my leopard print gumboots, throwing snowballs and feeling like a kid – completely forgetting my frozen fingers in the fun of it all.

On the verge, there was a solo traveller that made the trip annually to stay in the mountains for a few days. He told us that up ahead a vehicle has lost its cargo and this had caused a traffic jam on both sides, with at least 18 cars waiting to ascend.

It was now around 11am and the snow was falling rapidly, dramatically reducing visibility. So reluctantly I said “Let’s go back, it’s a pity we will not get to Sani Mountain Lodge for lunch though. But we’ll will do Sani Pass again, on a sunny day, so we can get the most of the views from the top.” And at that we began our hair-raising descent, slipping and sliding down the pass.

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Back down where there was more mud than snow, we saw one of the few non-4×4 vehicles on the road. A MiniBus Taxi, fully loaded with commuters and luggage appeared to be helplessly stuck in the mud, like a wildebeest about to be taken by a mountain of a crocodile. We were at the top of a hill they were trying to ascend, so we stopped and waited. But this was no problem at all for these locals! Out the vehicle they jumped, some unloading and carrying baggage up the hill, while the rest began to push and within I minutes the taxi was back on its way.

 

I was quite astounded, but Craig gave me the insider’s perspective “These are the Basotho people, they grew up in these mountains and have travelled this road many times. This must be a regular thing on the drive to and from work in and around Underberg. They know what they are doing.”

A couple of slippery and sludgey kilometres later, we were back through the border and onto tar road, on an absolute high! We came, we saw, and the way my heart felt, I could conquer the world.

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Top things To Do in Southern Drakensberg

Ever wondered what there is to do in the Southern Drakensberg? Well, let me point you in the right direction to find your perfect blend of country serenity and outdoor adrenaline.

Written & pictured by Monique van der Walt

The Drakensberg (Dutch – Dragon Mountains) is the largest and highest mountain range in South Africa, described best by her Zulu name “uKhahlamba” which means ‘barrier of spears’. The mountains majestically span…read more 

Cape Town – Christmas 2013

As I do every year, I went to my hometown for Christmas.

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These are a few pics of the places my family and I visited.

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En route to Somerset West, on the N2, we passed Cape Town Studios (A rather windy day).

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They are currently doing a 16 week shoot for the series Black Sails.

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Some of their other recent projects include Max Max: Fury Road and Safe House.

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Hospital Bend interchange. Big Lions Head in the distance

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Devil’s Peak

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The back of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak from Ottery Road

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Kirstenbosch Gardens

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Cycad at Kirstenbosch Gardens

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Beautiful quiet stream

Peaceful shade and cool of the trees.

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A pathway opens the door to all sorts of wonderment as it leads mysteriously through the foliage

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Tadpoles thrive in the merry stream, creating hours of fun for kids and adults alike

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The rocks of the stream is God’s playground, children climbing, building and frolicking about. Families from all over gather on their picnic blankets in pockets of shade, most likely eating Christmas lunch left-overs, as we did.

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That same afternoon, Friday 27 December 2013, the rolling cloud seeped over Table Mountain.

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The temperature dropped with the onslaught of the cloud, a welcome relief.

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I thought o the families at Kirstenbosch, all breathing a sigh of relief in the shade of the cloud.