The Grotto Trail – Hiking Royal Natal National Park

The Royal Natal National Park in the Northern section of the Drakensberg mountains offers a treasure trove of activities for both local and international visitors. We stayed at Mahai River Camp in the National Park but there are various other accommodation options available in the vicinity.

Early April saw the last of the season’s rain clouds sweep over the berg and we were sceptical over the possibility of actually hiking the trail as it was not peak season so the chances of being alone on the trail were quite high. Checking the weather regularly, we saw a gap of sunshine for about 5 hours in the late morning and decided to attempt the trail.

We entered the trailhead at the Mahai Campsite, but there are trailheads at the visitor centre and parking areas as well. Simply follow the route markers pointing to The Grotto. Be sure to pack sunscreen, water bottles and enough snacks for a strenuous 3-5 hour hike depending on your fitness levels. We hiked 5 hours on the 12 Kilometer trail, attempting all the Geocaches en route.

The trail itself was well marked but became quite overgrown once you left the more popular short day walks and started following the Golide River into the mountains. Being the rainy season, there was ample running streams which supplied fresh Drakensberg water throughout the day. During our hike we witnessed Eland standing on the tip of the berg high above us, admiring their view and Duikers sprinting across the mountainous landscape. This route itself can be hiked as a point-to-point or a loop joining with the Gudu Falls trail.

Having not read much about The Grotto beforehand we found the destination quite underwhelming. A simple cave with the distant rumbling of waterfalls. At that moment we realised we can climb down the cave and the initial disappointment was suddenly a distant memory. The Grotto is a large chamber with big flat rocks to enjoy lunch at. As entertainment a series of waterfalls flows down into a stream within the cave before it makes it way downstream. We always carry a small torch in our backpack which assisted us in the descend and ascend into and out of the cave.

The route to The Grotto from Mahai can be treated as a point-to-point or loop. We opted for the loop, continuing towards the Mudslide trail. Unfortunately, plans do not always work out and a troop of about 30 baboons awaited us shortly after beginning our return to camp. We considered our options and opted to return the route we came. Baboons are wild animals and should be respected, it was late afternoon by that time and we did not want to take any unnecessary risks.

The hike back to camp delivered beautiful scenery as the last rays of sunshine spread across the landscape. This hike could easily be done in half the time it took us but we enjoyed the scenery, took photos and found caches which made the extra time worth it.

Some tips when planning your hike to The Grotto:

• Watch out for baboons on the trail, rather avoid than try and confront them.
• Always sign the hiking register. This helps keep track of hikers and provides useful information to the trail maintenance team.
• Carry a water bottle with you. Even though there are streams in the mountains, these are sometimes inaccessible.
• Pack snacks for the hike, but also pack extra in case an unexpected event happens.
• Don’t leave camp without a poncho, penknife, matches and a small torch. These items do not weight much but may be invaluable in case of an emergency