The Dome Pools - Magaliesburg: Rules, Permits, and Bee Stings

So, my son Salt and I finally tackled The Dome Pools, but not before surviving the bureaucratic jungle that is the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA).

These guys don't play around. But to be fair, It’s a volunteer-driven, non-profit powerhouse that protects South Africa’s mountain wilderness for future generations. Absolute heroes

Which means that they have a truckload of rules and regulations. You know, to keep all us heathens in check. Because yes, there will always be heathens!!

I briefly considered joining them, imagining myself as a noble conservationist. Then I saw the fine print: “Attend a weekday evening meeting to learn......” And just like that, my dream of being a planet saving hero vanished.

Getting to The Dome Pools Trail

Our first attempt to hike here had ended in defeat by admin avalanche. But now that Salt and I are basically semi-professional hikers with trail privileges, we decided to try again.

We re-read the long list of rules, warnings, and “stay vigilant” reminders. I signed the permit, made peace with my fate, and warned my other son, Pepper, that Salt and I might not make it back.

“Lock the doors and live your best life,” I told him.

He shrugged.

AMALOOLOO

The Start of the Dome Pools Adventure

I made a strategic decision to minimize liquid intake — because bush-peeing is not on my bucket list. We followed the very specific MCSA parking directions to a T, since apparently, previous visitors had parked like heathens.

To my surprise, we were greeted by a friendly man, friendlier dogs, and an “amalooloo.” Best name. Ever.

After I “loo-loo-ed”, we bumped into a young couple also heading out. Comforting, honestly — if we got lost or eaten by leopards, at least there’d be witnesses.

Trail Markers: Better Than Expected (Mostly)

Despite dire warnings, the trail was actually well-marked — better than some “official” hikes we’ve done. The first stretch was gentle, with pretty views and small rock pools teasing what was to come.

As the climb progressed, so did the scenery. The path opened up to views that made every sweat bead worth it. We kept crossing paths with that same couple, which somehow made me feel less like we were about to star in "127 Hours: Magalies Edition."

The Bee Incident

As we neared the pinnacle of the pools, I

could practically feel Salt’s excitement radiating off him. Then my fearless hiking partner, bounded ahead like a mountain goat - until he let out a scream that could wake the ancestors.

He’d been stung by a bee. Right in the middle of his forehead.

Now, Salt doesn’t do bee stings very well. He inflates like a cartoon balloon, and he almost immediately morphed into the human version of a bear with a sore head.

This, together with his worsening mood made the next decision easy. When he asked me to make a decision about whether to take a route that involved conquering my fear of heights (think edge-of-the-cliff type heights), I decided that the risk wasn’t worth the reward, especially with Salt in that mood.

We are still not sure if that was the way to end the trail, but let me tell you, if it was, and we had managed to not die, it would have been the icing on the cake.

Instead, we decided to backtrack, which, to be fair, was also fabulous.

AREA - Magaliesburg

COST - R 120 pp (plus R 60 parking).

DIFFICULTY

It's an all-sorts of adventure.

It wasn’t so much about inclines; it was more about strategizing how to haul my old ass up or down. My favourite hikes!

LENGTH

Approx 10 km

ELEVATION

Don't even remember—too busy dealing with an overload of awe!

MARKERS 

The trail was way more well-marked by MCSA than we expected, especially at the start. For the most part, it was a fairly obvious path to follow.

The real problems began when something awesome off-track caught our attention, and finding the trail again afterward was a challenge.

Honestly, without AllTrails, there were a couple of spots where we would’ve been utterly lost.

Ironically (or luckily), we got a bit lost getting to the parking lot. But we got there eventually.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Dome Pools themselves. Salt managed to dive into a crystal-clear pool for the second week in a row.

ABLUTIONS

CHARGED PARKING

AMENITIES 

None

ON A FINAL NOTE

So, there were some rips and tears. A lot of thorny bushes needed dodging. My faithful hiking jacket - ripped. Also, a lot of dead branches snagged on my clothes along the way.

But don't let that deter you. What's a little bloodshed and shredded clothing in the name of adventure, right???

ON A REALLY FINAL NOTE

We might have missed the final loop of the trail, but honestly, it didn’t matter. The scenery, the challenge, and even the chaos made it unforgettable.

And to the MCSA..... let me skip that weekday evening meeting, and you'll have a dedicated and hardworking member. Think about it!!

Just no bees, okay?!