Ploughman’s Kop rock pools

OOne of the best things about hiking in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains is being able to plunge a hot, tired body into a clear, cold rock pool to cool off. 

Although rock pools of varying shapes and sizes abound in this World Heritage Site, the Ploughman’s Kop rock pools at Gudu Falls rate among the best. 

Ploughman's Kop is a mountain that runs along the left arm of the Amphitheatre, where a variety of day hikes lead you up, down and around the mountain and provide access to a number of rock pools. 

For the best swimming we recommend the Gudu Falls hike and the Crack and Mudslide hike, each of which can be completed in under 3 hours, allowing sufficient time for a good wallow in the water before heading home. 

The slender Gudu Falls slide down the mountainside into a refreshing pool that’s a perfect spot for picnicking and whiling away the day. 

The Crack and Mudslide is a slightly longer hike, which affords those who make the effort a wonderful view of the Amphitheatre from the top of the mountain. The Ploughman's Kop rock pools are situated at the top of the Gudu Falls. 

These 'jacuzzi-style' pools lie in a shallow cutaway connected by slippery ‘bum slides’. 

The Royal Natal National Park encompasses the whole of the Amphitheatre and a hike to see the Ploughman’s Kop rock pools might tempt you to try a hike up the Thukela Gorge to the Thukela Falls, the second highest waterfall in the world. No trip would be complete without a hike to the top of the Amphitheatre, which may be accessed by chain ladder from the head of the gorge. 

Try other hiking trails by consulting a hiking guide on sale at the visitor centre at Tendele camp office and at the main entrance gate. The brochure includes a map and detailed hiking trails. 

Trout fishing at Royal Natal is available in a dam in the park and in the Mahai and Thukela rivers, and picnicking and swimming in the clear mountain streams are popular pastimes. 

Why wait? Grab your swimming costume and a good pair of walking shoes and indulge yourself in the wonder that is the ‘Berg.