Mountain Club of South Africa Magaliesberg Section Activities

Activities

[Club evenings] [Hiking] [Climbing] [Conservation] [Events]

Club evenings

There is a club evening (slide show on mountaineering, climbing, hiking and related topics) approximately every first and third Monday of the month (19:30 for 19:45). This is held at the CSIR Club House off Meiring Naudé Avenue. Click on map below to enlarge.

From the South: Take the Lynnwood Road off-ramp on the N1-north (there is no off-ramp of the N1-south), turn right across the bridge and immediately turn left at the traffic light, into Meiring Naudé. Cross the traffic light at the intersection with King’s Highway and turn right at the southern entrance to the CSIR and conference centre.

From the North: Take Church Street towards Silverton. After passing under the N1, keep right towards Lydiana/Botanical Gardens. Opposite the Gardens, turn right at the traffic lights. Turn left at the second (southern) entrance to the CSIR and conference centre. The same entrance is used for the CSIR/FRD, the CSIR conference centre, the “Tarentaal” pub and other recreation facilities. Turn left at the large traffic circle. Inform the guard at the security boom that you are going to the Mountain Club's club evening and collect a visitor’s card. From there, follow the signs to the clubhouse/"Tarentaal", which is situated beyond the conference centre. Parking is next to the volleyball field. The clubhouse is located on the far side of the volleyball field, behind an enclosed lapa. MCSA meetings are held in the hall next to the “Tarentaal”.

Hiking and Climbing

The Section arranges hiking & climbing meets at least every second weekend. Many of these meets are held in the Magaliesberg and in the mountains of the Mpumalanga Province.

Bronkhorstspruit, Waterval-Boven andEagle Mountain (Harrismith) are some of the places where sport climbing takes place.

Over long weekends, trips are arranged to the Wolkberg, Blouberg and the Drakensberg. Mountaineering meets to more distant areas such as the Western & Eastern Cape mountains and to Zimbabwe are arranged on a regular basis. There are often opportunities for trekking, climbing and mountaineering overseas.

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Conservation

One of the objectives of the MCSA is to initiate and support actions towards protecting the natural beauty and wilderness character of mountains and to promote their effective conservation management. The MCSA is the oldest conservation body in SA. The main playground of climbers and hikers in Gauteng is the Magaliesberg and this unique area therefore lies close to the heart of the Magaliesberg Section. The MCSA has been instrumental in the proclamation in 1977 of the Magaliesberg Nature Area which changed in 1994 to the Magaliesberg Protected Natural Environment. The MCSA owns and manages some of the kloofs in the Magaliesberg. The public have access via a permit system. The MCSA hereby shares this scarce wilderness resource with everybody and try to see it that it remains a wilderness to some extent.

The MCSA (Magaliesberg Section) is a founder member of the Magaliesberg Protection Association. The Magaliesberg Protection Association's objectives are to foster and encourage the preservation of the Magaliesberg and to advise the authorities and others on matters of policy and planning in so far as it affects the Magaliesberg. Any individual or voluntary organisation who support these aims can join the MPA.

Read more about the conservation of the Magaliesberg ... go to Conservation.

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Events

The Section arranges national meets and fundraising events at least once a year.

Many of these events are held in the Magaliesberg and in the mountains of the Mpumalanga Province in places such as Waterval-Boven and Mount Everest in Kwazulu Natal.

There are annual opportunities for trekking, climbing and mountaineering overseas.