Drakensberg Things to Do

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The Zulu name for Cathkin Peak is Mdedelelo or ‘the Bully’ which Cathkin resembles, a big huge free-standing peak rising above all else. The peak was first climbed in 1912 along a route that is still the only semi-easy way up (‘E’ climb by South African standard; 5.0 by US). Along with the three heads of the Sterkhorn on one side and the incisor-shaped Monk’s Cowl on the other, the Cathkin free-standing (so-called as the peaks stand separately off of the main Escarpment rim) range make up one of the more memorable set of peaks in the entire range. To hike up here, you take the same path that goes up to the Sphinx and continue to the top of the Little Berg and then push higher to meet the Contour Trail at the base of the Sterkhorn. From here, you can turn left and there is a small campsite as you cross a little creek. From here a climbers footpath winds upward across the lower grassy slopes of the Sterkhorn. It is possible to ascend the lower northern summit via this path, but the true summit is actually the south peak, a climb which is considerably more challenging.

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A few miles south of the Cathedral Peak Hotel is the Champagne Valley, the most developed entry point into the Drakensberg. On the way in you pass retirement communities - complete with the requisite golf courses - and all sorts of hotels and guesthouses and assorted tourist ‘stops’. The road is good until you pass all of the hotels and come into the Drakensberg Park itself where potholes rule the road. From the road’s end in the Monk’s Cowl section of the Park - accommodations and campground both available - several take off to various and sundry destinations. One of the easier upward destinations is the rock formation known as the Sphinx - only a 6 kilometer round trip. En route you pass the pretty Crystal Falls where you can wash some of the sweat off. The Sphinx is only another half kilometer farther from atop which the views back down the Champagne Valley are grand, but it is the views west towards Cathkin Peak that might draw you on further. Another steep one kilometer climb takes you to the top of the Little Berg at the Breakfast Stream. Cathkin Peak and the Sterkhorn beckon nearby.

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The chain ladder dates back to 1930 when local pioneer, Otto Zunckel, installed the 200 rung ladders which take you to the top of the Escarpment. Two sets of ladders were originally in place covering some 30 meters of cliff. Two newer sets of ladders were added after sometime in order for faster climbers to bypass slower climbers or those who tend to freeze up on the cliff faces. The ladders give one a reasonably easy access to some of the best alpine terrain South Africa has to offer. ‘Easy’ is a word that applies as long as the wind is not howling.

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The Sentinel stands at the right hand side of the Amphitheatre, dominating the views from approaches from that direction. At 3165 meters high, the Sentinel is the highest free-standing peak in the local vicinity - slightly over 100 meters higher than its bookend on the other end of the Amphitheatre, the Eastern Buttress. The main trail to the top of the Drakensberg Escarpment, circles around the upper base of the Sentinel, giving one up close views of the massif. The Sentinel, due to the ease of access, is very popular with climbers (‘popular’ is a relative term in South Africa. A ‘popular’ berg pass might see one party a week, for example) and all sorts of routes exist from the reasonable easy original route (graded ‘D’ by South Africans being the equivalent to upper 4th class to maybe 5.0 by US standards) to routes that quickly rise in difficulty level.

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Coming off the Amphitheatre Rim, Thukela Falls is the second or third highest falls in the World - only Angel and possibly Yosemite are higher. The falls is at its maximum during the summer rains when it can be visible as far away as the Amphitheatre Backpackers Hostel on highway N74 near Bergville. If it has not been raining, however, the falls is but a trickle - the ‘river’ starts but a short distance from the Escarpment cliffs. I met a Bavarian fellow in the Thukela Gorge below who was pressing ever higher because his guidebook told him to do so for a proper view of the waterfall. Up on the rim a couple of days later reconfirmed my earlier thoughts that the only way you are going to see this waterfall in dry conditions is from the top itself.

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There are several points along the Drakensberg Escarpment where the adjective ‘magical’ could apply. Here, atop the rim of the Amphitheatre is one such place. Pictures do not do proper justice to the natural majesty. The rim is best seen at sunrise when, if you are lucky, the lower bowl is ensconced in a sea of clouds. Add the barking of a baboon hidden away somewhere in the cliffs below and the surreal scene becomes quickly World-class.

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Here in the overhang walls are the figures painted in ochre (eland blood may have been used as part of the binding agent) showing the life and roles of man and eland. Here you find a 'church' of the San set into the natural setting of the Berg. Silence is a matter of course. As we left to return, Busi got a call on her radio to find out how far from the caves she was. When she replied that we were already returning, the reply made her laugh, "They say we are too fast!" Hmm. The whole trip took us an hour and a half, but figure on a little longer normally. The guide is usually stationed up at the caves and visitors approach on the trail at their own pace. I don't normally run up trails except when being led by a rabbit. Luckily, at the Rock Art center below, there were cold drinks available - also a small curio/handicraft shop. The visit to Kamberg is an excellent chance to gain an important look into another chapter of human history in southern Africa. A DVD presentation is available at the center to give you a better explanation for the caves and figures painted in them. Cost for entrance into the Park is R20; the guides (the only way you can visit the caves) are another R25 and if you watch the DVD, that is another R25.

A final aside, on the 9 kilometers of dirt road back out of Kamberg, I blew the spare tire out just 50 meters short of the pavement - hard to do, I thought at 30-40 kph speeds, but obviously not impossible. That is, of course, food for another story.

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The path up is about 3.5 kilometers and gains a few hundred meters in elevation. You might want to carry some water though there is a stream at about the midway point where you can get a drink, as well. I was warned that the trek up and back would take four hours, but Busi took off at a fast pace. Sweating, I managed to stay up with her, trying to slow her down with a barrage of inane questions. I was somewhat relieved when she finally took off her coat just before we reached the midpoint stream. As we crossed, Busi warned me, "Now the way becomes steep!" Up we went. The cave at Game Pass Shelter is like most caves in the area, not a real cave but actually a large overhang worn away in the sandstone rock layers. You have a great view to the south as you climb and around the south corner from the cave you can see the pass that gives the cave its name. Here the hunters waited and passed the time, always searching for the eland herds that transversed the slopes of the Low Berg.