Sibebe Rock

On Sunday morning, Doug and I ventured 10 km down our road and into Pine Valley to climb the famous, Sibebe Rock. It is the largest exposed granite dome in the world – bigger than Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in California and bigger than Uluru (Ayer’s) Rock in Australia. Sibebe is estimated to be more than 3 billion years old and is quite a source of pride for Swaziland (so much so that the national beer is also called, Sibebe). It was a 3 ½ hour hike, round trip, and truly remarkable as we were the only people on the trail! The views of the Manzini region, our very own Pine Valley, and the Lubombo mountains were breathtaking.

At the base of the mountain as you begin the hike; there are a few more traditional homesteads and farms There are also some angry looking plants along the way
And a few caves formed by large boulders which have toppled down the mountain
After we ascended the first ridge, we walked along the saddle which was like a wheat field
And finally, at the top of Sibebe Rock (Doug is still looking at the map, as he always does, to make double and triple sure that we haven’t missed anything along the way…). The second shot is a picture from the side of Sibebe – it was impossible to capture the immense dome in a single frame, so you will just have to come and see it for yourself!
180 degrees of valley views