Harrismith and the Hills and Mountains

Harrismith is known for the life that the inhabitants live at the foot of Platberg. 

The Platberg, the Free State’s own “Table Mountain”, overlooks the town of Harrismith. It literally means the flat-mountain.
A high inselberg is a landmark & forms an imposing backdrop to the town.
It is an extension of the eastern foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains

The location of the town and the surroundings tells us that there is more.

Loskop is an isolated peak where you will find a huge, shallow pan.
In front is Staffordshire Hill and the Grant Quarries  

Slightly behind Loskop and further north, is Glen Paul. 
On top there is an odd rock formation like a crab's nipper standing up against the sky. 

Beside Glen Paul on a lower plateau, Bobbejaankop and Everest and Mooihoek (previously known as Wesselskop)
with its lower offshoot Tafelberg.
The locals call this group of mountains The Bull, the Cow and the Calf. 

Verkykerskop 

Mount Everest 

North East lies Nelson's Kop, on which a broken portion of the cliff bears a noticeable resemblance to the profile of 
Admiral Nelson wearing a naval cap.
There is the wonderful story of Nelson's Kop that was named after the horse Nelson that was killed by a lion.

Very close to it is Tandjesberg, whose rocky crown of boulders looks like a set of false teeth. 

These two mountains, along with five others stretching over a vast area and ending with Mont Pelaan. 

This range is known as the Seven Sisters. 

The photo was taken by Dirk Boukaert and we would like to thank him for the beautiful panorama of the mountains.

Thanks you to Johan Lodewyk Marais for sharing this panorama.
Pilaan, Skeurklip, Waterkop, Tandjiesberg, Nelson's Kop, Rensburgkop, Platberg, Mount Everest and Verkykerskop

Mabethlaan

Rensburg's Kop with the double humped summit near Swinburne.
Very close to Rensburg'skop is the Whispering Mountain and 
Tintwa Inyoni (haunted by birds) and Verloren Vallei.
Leon Strachan shared the following : this picture is much more interesting than it looks. The gap on top of Rensburgskop is not attributed to normal erosion patterns. It is a rare geological phenomenon, a primeval valley, with typical valley profile, in which a river ran many millions of moons ago before the area around the kop eroded at a faster tempo.

Tintwa Inyoni 

Verloren Vallei 

Kerkenberg, for here Piet Retief's followers held a thanksgiving service. 

Baker's Kop 

Baker's Kop is a fairly isolated peak with a huge overhang at the foot, 
which is big enough to house 300 - 400 sheep. 
Above the cliff is a large cave, inaccessible except with the help 
of a rope, and even then it is dangerous as the floor of the cave slopes out. 

Not far from Baker's Kop is Mount Paul. At its foot is a huge boulder 
beside which the Badenhorst family camped on their arrival in this 
district and we were told that they have carved their names and some dates. 

42nd Hill was previously known as Reitzheuwel 

The Turkey cave visible on Platberg 

The Story of Harrismith by EB Hawkins 
Till next time 

Sandra