GUNUNG · Afrika Selatan

Mariepskop

Mariepskop (Afrikaans) / Maripe (Sepulana)

Mariepskop dan kawasan Blyde River Canyon / Mariepskop and the Blyde River Canyon area. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 1.947 m
Country: Afrika Selatan (ZA)
Location / Range: Drakensberg Utara / Blyde River Canyon
Mountain type: Gunung batuan sedimen — non-vulkanik
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: -24.5472, 30.8733
Difficulty: Pilihan setengah hari hingga sehari penuh; MCSA melaporkan tanjakan awal 700 m dalam 4 km dari Kampersrus ke sadel, bukan ke puncak. / Half-day to full-day options; MCSA reports an initial 700 m climb over 4 km from Kampersrus to the saddle, not the summit.
Best Season: Pilih cuaca dan kondisi jalan yang sesuai bersama pemandu; kabut dapat mengurangi pandangan.
Permits & Rules: Runner’s World (2016) menyebut registrasi dan izin di Forestry Station wajib; Nomads Den (2024) juga mengarahkan pengunjung ke kantor State Forestry. Konfirmasikan prosedur, jam buka dan biaya terbaru dengan pengelola atau pemandu; tarif historis tidak dijadikan tarif sekarang.
Hazards: Tebing terbuka, lintasan curam, lumpur dan aliran air dilaporkan MCSA pada April 2026; kabut dan jalan akses rusak juga muncul dalam catatan pengunjung. / MCSA reported exposed cliffs, steep paths, mud and streams in April 2026; visitor accounts also describe mist and damaged access roads.

Description

Mariepskop is a non-volcanic, 1,947 m mountain in the northern Drakensberg near Blyde River Canyon. Forested slopes give way to open summit vegetation and Lowveld views. Visits can combine a 4x4 drive with walking or follow guided forest hikes. Named options include Bushpig–Loerie, Bushpig–Kgogweng and Bushpig to Kampersrus, distinguishing half-day outings from full-day traverses. Confirm road and trail access before visiting; historical trip reports do not establish present conditions. An April 2026 MCSA account adds a walk from the school in Kampersrus to the saddle and a forest circuit; this outing did not reach the summit. Sabrina’s 2024 account distinguishes viewpoints reached after driving uphill from the Pig Trail walk below the summit. Runner’s World’s field guide covers the technical trail network from the Forestry Station. Nomads Den distinguishes viewpoint visits from the Klaserie Waterfall walk and the Blyde River picnic area; these are not a single summit ascent.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Bushpig → Kampersrus

3/5 menurut operator / operator scale

Sehari penuh / full day

A route from the upper mountain towards Kampersrus. Arrange pickup and transport with the guide.

Source

Bushpig–Loerie

2/5 menurut operator / operator scale

Setengah hari / half day

A combined walk in upper Mariepskop. The guide arranges the meeting point; confirm transport needs beforehand.

Source

Kampersrus school → saddle → forest circuit

Berat; tebing terbuka dan lintasan basah / Strenuous; exposed cliffs and wet terrain

Sekitar 8,5 jam untuk peserta terakhir, April 2026 / About 8.5 hours for the last participants, April 2026

MCSA walked from Kampersrus school to the saddle, looped through forest and returned by the ascent trail. This is a forest circuit, not a completed summit route. The planned total was 15 km, without a measured GPS record in the article; it is therefore not entered as an exact distance.

Route Segments

1

Kampersrus school → saddle

↔ 4 km ↑ 700 m ⏱ Sekitar 2,5 jam / About 2.5 hours

Angka laporan klub; akhir tanjakan awal, bukan puncak. / Club-reported figures; top of the initial climb, not the summit.
2

Sadel → tepi tebing → hutan / saddle → cliff edge → forest

Laporan klub mengikuti tepi tebing dengan pandangan Lowveld, lalu hutan berkanopi rapat untuk berhenti makan. / The club followed exposed cliff edges with Lowveld views, then dense-canopy forest for a lunch stop.
3

Hutan → aliran air dan lahan basah → sadel / forest → streams and wetland → saddle

Bagian terakhir mencakup medan lebih teknis, lumpur, aliran air dan pintasan di rumput serta lahan basah. / The final section crossed more technical ground, mud, streams and a grass-and-wetland shortcut.
4

Sadel → sekolah Kampersrus / saddle → Kampersrus school

Turun melalui jalur naik yang sama; waktu 8,5 jam dalam laporan adalah waktu kelompok terakhir kembali. / Return along the ascent trail; the reported 8.5 hours is the last group’s total elapsed time.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Eight sources distinguish ascents from Kampersrus, forest walks after driving uphill, and trail running from the Forestry Station. The April 2026 club outing did not reach the summit, and operator package durations are not pure walking times. Runner’s World’s 2016 guide adds technical-terrain and registration context, while Nomads Den’s 2024 guide separates viewpoints, Klaserie Waterfall and the Blyde River picnic area. Confirm road conditions, permits and timing for the chosen outing.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.