Hiking Trails

Kwazulu - Natal Drakensberg

Please note: The following trails constitute a fragment of the excursions offered. Please enquire for details of other hiking trips.

Features:

The Drakensberg range extends from the eastern Cape to the Northern Province, a distance of nearly 1000 km. The Zulu name for this mountain range is Ukhahlamba, which means Barrier of Spears. This range is most prominent south of the Royal Natal National Park (RNNP). Further north it “flattens” due to the loss of its lava cover of basalt.

The Drakensberg, south of the RNNP consists of an abrupt and continuous mountain wall. The crest heights average 3000m with the highest point, a mountain called Thabana Ntlenyana, standing at 3482m. The wall, or the escarpment as it is more commonly known, is a series of peaks, turrets, columns and needles formed by years of weathering. Prominent structures along its course include; Mont aux Sources (3282m), Cleft Peak (3281m), Champagne Castle (3248m) and Giant’s Castle (3314m). Below the escarpment are the foothills of the Drakensberg known as the “Little Berg”. They consist of a series of spurs projecting away from and at right angles to the escarpment. The Little Berg, which is capped with basalt, lies between 1830m and 2440m.

Apart from the many trails that are offered from a few hours to many days a few other trails offered there is also a great hike that one can do along the escarpment. I have two options starting from Sentinel and ending at Monks Cowl Nature Reserve.

Sentinel to Monks Cowl via Gray’s Pass (8 days)

The hike starts at Sentinel and ends at Monks Cowl situated in the Champagne valley. The entire trip apart from the last day is spent on the escarpment between an altitude of 2900 m and 3100 m. There are one or two higher peaks; maximum height is 3370m at Champagne Castle and 3284m at Cleft Peak. The distance along the escarpment is approximately 90 km. This makes a daily distance of a little under 15km. The route follows close to the steep cliffs of the escarpment, ensuring maximum opportunity to look at and photograph the magnificent views seen from the ridge.

General:

The distance traveled per day is a little under 15 km. The terrain is very mountainous along the escarpment with lots of hills to ascend and descend. The altitude ranges between 2900m to 3100m. There are the odd exceptions where we climb above this limit such as Cleft Peak (3284m). The air is ‘thin’, the temperatures do go below zero in the evenings, and the winds can get pretty strong, especially during the month of August. We could experience snow, sleet and or rain. This is a strenuous but most magnificent walk. The scenery is dramatic with mountain peaks and promontories along the entire route.