Date; Sunday 7 December
Led by John Lowsby from National History Society of Eswatini (NHSe)
Another beautiful ridge walk on the western Highveld close to Mbabane. This impressive landform, often called the ‘Backbone’ or ‘Spine’ Ridge, sits directly opposite the iconic Sibebe Rock. At a height of 1 400 metres, the views are simply stunning. Look across to the massive granite dome of Sibebe (1 488m) with the Mbuluzi River marking the lowest points at Pine Valley (1 000m).
The route begins from the community parking point, which avoids crossing the Mbuluzi River. We will follow paths for a slow ascent to the saddle at the southern end, gradually reaching the top.
There are many interesting vantage points on the ridge, including the colourful hanging rock. You might even spot proteas in bloom! Seeing Sibebe from ‘the other side’ will totally change your concept of the big bold rock at Pine Valley. On this outing, you may visualise the claim that Sibebe is arguably the second largest granite outcrop in the world. This is a round-trip outing descending on the Mahebedla side. It will take about four hours to cover the route, on which an altitude gain and loss of about 400m will be encountered.
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