The scenic Queen Rose hiking trail
The Queen Rose hiking trail is situated on the Nelshoogte plantation and the Barberton forest, on the R36 between Barberton and Badplaas, Mpumalanga. The trail is surrounded by lush landscape, mountains and rivers; this is where the Montrose and Queen rivers meet. Its characterised by crisscrossing the two rivers, waterfalls, grasslands and lush forests with a diverse species of flora. If you’re lucky you’ll spot wildlife too, including, leopard, warthog, baboons, snakes, frogs and many bird species. The trail offers the most spectacular views and one can be easily distrusted by the scenic landscape and nature sounds.
The trail is mostly along the river banks and can be very slippery. More bridges would be a welcome addition.
The trail is about 28 kilometres, divided into two-day sections. The first is the Montrose trail, which is 17 kilometres – this is mostly downhill and the second section is uphill and the hike is about 11 kilometres. The trail is advertised as 26 kilometres, divided into 16 and 10 kilometres respectively, but using accurate GPS measurements it turned out to be 28 kilometres.
There are two waterfalls, the Alvin and Cupid falls. The Alvin fall can easily be missed as it is about 50 meters off the Montrose trail, and the Cupid fall can be seen along the Queens river cascading down the slippery rocks. The Alvin fall is a perfect spot to swim and have a picnic. Because the trail is along the riverine, there are several pools to dip your feet or swim. The waters are nice and cool but expect humid temperatures.
The two overnight huts are well kept and can accommodate up to 20 people at a time, the Queen and Delfonte Hut. Delfonte Hut is spacious, has a shower, kitchen fully kitted out, braai area and the hut is powered by gas and solar, which the Queen has electricity, braai facilities and ablution blocks – there’s little to no cellphone coverage. The beds have sheets but bring your own blanket and pillow.
While the trail is clearly marked, they could provide hikers with a map or landmark kilometre. These could be handy to ensure hikers keep to a pace and time.
Pack enough food, water and drinks – ask for slackpacking to transport your bags between overnight spots. Slackpacking costs R150, and if you plan to have a braai they also sell wood for R50. Be very clear with questions and answers with the hosts to avoid confusion.
Please feel free to leave all your questions and suggestions on the comment box.
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