Tackling the Ingonyama River gorge

In several outing reports by Tony Abbott, he made reference to a forested gorge in northern Pondoland which he found to be particularly rich in Pondoland endemic species. We have wanted to return there for some time but lacked knowledge of how to get there, so when local nurseryman, Simon Woodley spoke of visiting there we leaped at the opportunity.

Apart from delays caused by the construction work on upgrading the R61, the road access was surprisingly good (for a Pondoland site) and it was not long before we were walking off across grasslands towards the Ingonyama gorge (a tributary to the Mzamba River) with Simon as our guide. When we arrived at the edge of the cliffs above the gorge, he said we would decend via an "easier" route than the "traditional route". If the route we used was easier than the traditional route then those that visited the gorge before us were made of stern stuff!
 

Heading across the grassland towards the gorge in the background.

Once we reached the bottom of the valley, it was a relatively simple boulder-hop from there on. Just before we reached the stream, we came across a large, fallen Lydenburgia abbottii (Endangered endemic), probably brought down during one of the fairly violent wind storms we have experienced recently.

Our guide, Simon, and Pondoland Crew ladies in front of the fallen Lydenburgia trunk.

All along the forested edges of the stream we were finding endemic species such as Rhynchocalyx lawsonoides, Eugenia umtamvunensis and some as-yet undescribed species, Eugenia sp. and Syzygium sp., but most noteworthy were several old, gnarled, Lydenburgia abbottii. We stopped to pose in front of one venerable specimen (Tony's tree) which, some years ago, was subjected to a number of tests by Prof. Braam van Wyk.

In front of Tony's big tree

In front of Tony's big tree

While the riverside trees were interesting it was hard to keep looking at them as the scenery unfolding before us as we continued down the stream was splendid. Nevertheless we did note the Plectranthus stylesii (Critically Rare) in the shade along the banks.

A big pool upstream of the waterfall

We eventually reached the waterfall and paused for lunch in a small cave overlooking the falls. Anne even braved the drop down to the pool below to capture a photo on her phone.

Anne getting the photo of the day

The lunch stop - Simon taking a nap on the right

The top of the waterfall

 

Panoramic view of waterfall from one of the caves

Necessarily fortified by our lunch, we toiled back out of the gorge, and up onto the grasslands to get back to the vehicle, tired but very satisfied with what we had seen.

Making our way out of the gorge

Participants: Anne S, Graham G, Kate G, Simon W, Uschi T.