This is the hike to the top of the amphitheater plateau. However there is a hike that comes up through the tugela valley and then all the way up to the top of the plateau as well. So I’m not sure which is officially named the amphitheater hike.
Thanks for the author of the video, we used it as our guide on the hike this April. It get REALLY cold up on top in the evening and night. All the water was frozen, and so was the waterfall. Be prepared and bring a lot of warm clothes.
Thanks for the feedback. Yes the weather on the top generally is a bit more extreme than lower altitudes and it’s always good to check what the conditions are going to be before hiking. It can also vary significantly with warm days to cold nights or lots of wind and rain. And the tent is not much protection.
Thank brother for your detailed video that made it possible for us MERE MORTALS to also believe we can do it. We have attempted the same hike in 2018 with two of my great friends Leighdo and Kevie but we only made it ALMOST to the Chain Ladders. The time of day did not allow us to complete because we did not plan to overnight on the Plateau. Your video is awesome and inspired me to go and complete that hike.
It’s such an awesome hike and if you plan it right you can even get up and down in a day. I’ve done overnights 4 times now and each one has been special in its own right!
This video was truly awesome 😍 My partner and I loved it, that chain ladder had us on the edge of our seats as well as some of those tight lanes on the trail had me feeling vertigo just watching... Thank You it was wonderful viewing 🙏
Thanks so much! For me it is a tough hike because of the fear of heights but I push through I guess. The views from the top are incredible and definitely worth it!
We did it in April as well a couple years back. Temperature dropped below freezing. Make sure your sleeping bag especially is rated for -3 up for comfort…
Hi there. I think it is generally busy enough that you will have other overnight campers with you at the top. It will of course depend on when you go. Summer time is busier and weekends in the summer will mean more hikers.
I think it really depends on the hiker. The very first time we attempted the hike a friend with vertigo managed to get up the ladders. Coming down we thought we’d do the gulley route and the thought of coming down the gulley was almost worse than the ladders so we back tracked and came down the ladders again. Climbing up or down the ladders allows you to just focus in front of you and is shorter. Coming down the gulley let’s you see all the way down…
@@SouthAfricanWanderer thanks I am starting to consider if another hike would be better for us. As she loves hiking but battles with heights especially ladders. Thanks. I'll think about it.
Yes we tented and I should have done video. But we were fighting with the wind and a tent that came with no instructions so it was a bit difficult. You can find a good flat spot but mostly it’s hard ground so securing the tents are a problem. And then sleeping on the ground is also tough so air mattresses are definitely a must. I have a three person hiking tent I recently acquired and we used a first accent two person tent but that was tiny so I wouldn’t recommend it. Temps dropped to a single digits so good sleeping bag is a must and layers for clothing. No toilets so the best bush/rock will have to do. Flowing water in the river itself…
Hi Ram. There are still some really bad sections to the road up to the sentinel car park. I think it still required at least all wheel drive with a high enough clearance. We went up in a Toyota Hilux and still had a couple spots where it was difficult to plot a path through the rocks.
Did anyone get too scared of the chain ladders when you got to that point? I am worried about seeing the ladders in person and then chickening out! I assume you can you come down the path from the alternative route?
Hi Eilis. I think there were a lot of nerves but going up is the easier journey with the chain ladders so on my two trips no one really chickened out going up. Coming back down is a bit more daunting. We saw a few people who came down "in tandem" where one would almost take the lead and guide a second person down step by step. You can go up and come down the alternate path - the gulley. However it is also very steep - on our first trip we got to the top of the gulley and gauged the steepness and decided to actually go back and do the ladders going down as well. Feel free to email with any other questions (southafricanwanderer@gmail.com) or if you want to WhatsApp I can also share my number.
@@eilisvandermerwe3100 Ah great to check out options - there are so many hikes worth doing. Marble baths comes to mind as well as the Mweni circuit which includes Tugela falls. I think my one caution would be that its heading into winter so temperatures will start dropping below zero during the night. With the right equipment you can get through just fine though...
It has been classified as the highest single drop waterfall in the world. Angel falls still has the record for the overall highest waterfall, but has multiple drops.
