The Ploughman’s Kop rock pools are nestled in the Amphitheatre in the Northern Drakensberg. There are many rock pools along the rivers in the Drakensberg Mountains but none offer a more spectacular view than tha Ploughmans Kop pools. One of the best things about hiking in the Drakensberg is swimming in the clear streams and rock pools. Ploughman’s Kop is a mountain that situated as part of the Amphitheatre and there are a variety of day hikes to get to the rock pools.One of the nicest hikes is the Gudu Falls hike and the Crack and Mudslide hike each of which can be completed in under three hours which leaves plenty of time to swim in the Ploughmans Kop rock pools. The Gudu Falls fall directly into a rock pool and offers a great picnic site.
The Crack and Mudslide offer 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 Drakensberg
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