The Zulu and Afrikanse name are both used for this exceptional mountain range and both names are superb in their own rights. “uKhahlamba” is the Zulu name meaning ‘Barrier of Spears’.  The escarpment resembles the name from the distance. “Drakensberg”, the Afrikanse name, means ‘Dragon’s Mountain’.  A mythical beast one would not be altogether surprised at seeing when climbing/hiking amongst the often-misty rock walls and towers of the range.

Coming from the western US, the dramatic rock wall escarpment is not unlike the mountain walls found in the Great Basin country – the Sierra Nevada or South Warner Mountains of California; Ruby Mountains of Nevada; Steens Mountain of Oregon. These ranges, as here in South Africa, gradually gain height in the west, terminating in a grand wall of cliffs and towers along the eastern side.  This trek would be a celebration.

THE DRAKENSBERG

THE DRAKENSBERG

The Drakensberg is a wild and lonely land of mountains. There exists a fair network of trails near the eastern base of the range along the South African side. There are even a few ‘trails’ snaking up to the rim of the Escarpment itself. These tend to be frail affairs having a nasty habit of disappearing at times. This magnificent outdoor venue offers one of Africa’s best outdoor adventures. The Drakensberg Traverse, a multi-day affair taking you over and atop some of the best terrain the range has to offer. One of the best internet sources for information on the range is found at Vertical Endeavour.

The views are simply magical. A good camera is a must. Of course, YouTube can capture the value of a Drakensberg trek photographically. Photographer Alex Nail has eight different videos geared towards trying to capture the magic with his camera on a guided trek he took with some clients. The clips are long if you go through all of them, but they do show the beauty of the Drak and are illuminating on where and how to capture some of the Dragon’s magic.

In my mind, a multi-day traverse along the top of the Drakensberg Escarpment is the peak of African alpine adventures. Kilimanjaro may be higher, but the Drakensberg is light years beyond in both wilderness experience and scenic beauty. Where crowds inhabit the tracks of Kili, you can walk for a week or more here in the Drak without seeing another soul. The ‘normal’ traverse – all routes are mostly trail-less affairs much of the way.

Trekking Overview

The route runs from the Sentinel/Chain Ladder trail on the west edge of the Royal Natal National Park to the Cathedral Peak Hotel, a trek taking 4 to 6 days. Another week would take you over Cleft and Champagne Peaks, maybe as far as Giant’s Castle. Or you could just continue to walk towards Sani Pass and beyond. Just a matter of time and physical condition.

Be aware that you will need to be in good shape to accomplish this trek. You need to be fully equipped for the weather and must carry everything upon your back. You need to be able to navigate with map and compass and keep your wits about you when the dragon mists swirl about you. An alpine guide is invaluable for someone not acquainted with the Drakensberg.  It is easy to get yourself into trouble out here.

Seasons

Most of South Africa, except for Cape Town, is best visited out of the summer season. This really holds true for the Drakensberg, especially the higher up you venture. Thunderstorms are the norm for afternoons here. Even in shoulder seasons, mists constantly swirl amongst the rock walls and towers of the Drakensberg Escarpment. One moment it will be perfectly clear and the next …. It is particularly important for you to know where you are and where you are going always. Experience or a guide are invaluable allies to have up here. The only topographical map for the range is available on a 1:50000 scale known to display some inaccuracies – especially regarding cave shelter locations. The mists and rock towers truly invoke the theme of dragons about. Be ever vigilant and do not get burned.

NORTH TO SOUTH

Beginnings

There are no rules detailing directions up here.  My trek was done south-to-north keeping the sun at our backs.  We did the trek from Royal Natal to Cathedral Peak Hotel using five days. Much of the first and last day involved long amounts of driving.  It is a long way to the Drakensberg from most cities in South Africa.  From Johannesburg – or Durban – it is around 370 kilometers to Witsiehoek Mountain Lodge and the road ends another 7 kilometers beyond at a gated parking area.  Follow the directions on the lodge website.  From Cape Town, it is about 1150 kilometers.

Here is maybe one of the better reasons to engage a mountain guide – transportation to and from wherever you are starting from or finishing at.  It is a long drive between the road end above Witisiehoek and Cathedral Peak Hotel.  Plus, the trek is usually done as a one-way hike and not a loop.  The trail up from Witsiehoek is the easiest way to get on top of the Drakensberg.  Figure on at least half a day to get up to the start of the trek, the road end leading to the Sentinel Peak-Chain Ladders trail.

up to The Chain Ladders

From the car park high above Phuthaditjhaba, you are at 2560 meters elevation.  You have about six kilometers on a fairly easy graded trail – the first 500 meters are concrete – to reach the Ladders.  The views are stupendous as you traverse below the magnificent spire of Sentinel Peak.  To the base of the ladders, the trail has gained 472 meters of elevation.  There are two chain ladders to ascend – 17 meters and 13 meters – with two sets of the ladders.  This can be the most crowded section of the trek, but we had the whole area to ourselves.  The ladder section is not particularly hard, just one rung after another.  Going down would be more interesting than up, but going in one direction, I did not have the opportunity.

the ladders

The chain ladder dates to 1930. Local pioneer Otto Zunckel installed the 200 rung ladders taking 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 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 if the wind is not howling or the ladders are not ice encased.

There are a couple of interesting videos you can watch on Youtube, several clips show the ladder section and some of the views from above – search for “chain ladders Drakensberg”, “Sentinel Peak hike Drakensberg” or “Tugela Falls hike”.

TOP OF THE AMPHITHEATRE

the rim

Once atop the ladders, you are on top of the Drak and the terrain levels out somewhat. 

You walk east along the little Thukela River; much smaller than the mighty river it becomes as it tumbles through the heart of KwaZulu Natal Province.  The river begins on the east flank of Mont-aux-Sources which lies another couple kilometers behind the Crow’s Nest Peak.  You can see a guard station lying just above the stream on the south side. 

The original thought was to push a road up over the Escarpment into Lesotho from Phuthaditjhabab on the Free State side. That road ends at the Sentinel Car Park, with the last chance for cold beer some 6-7 rough miles lower down at the Witzieschoek Mountain Resort. The road was never finished. But the Chain Ladders were built by the same busy man responsible for the Witzieschoek Mountain Resort, along with a former restaurant and hotel in Bergville – Otto Zunckel.

Recent problems are limiting use to only one of the ladders until repairs can be made.

the guard hut

Otto was also responsible for building this stone hut near the top of Tugela Falls. The original cabin had tables, chairs, beds with mattresses, a stove, and a fireplace. The cabin had been open to all mountaineers. With time, the cabin was ransacked, falling into disrepair. Lately, the cabin was repaired – albeit minus the chairs, tables, beds, and mattresses – to make room for rangers of the EZKZN (KZN Park rangers) as their home atop the rim.

Luckily for most of us, the Park rangers are rarely out. So, there is usually no problem laying you sleeping bag out on one of the floors with your tent folded away. It is much easier to endure a thunderstorm with pelting rain and hail from inside these stone walls and metal roof, than from outside in a tent. Here, I speak from personal experience.

THE falls

Hiking another few kilometers to the east of the Ladders gains the rim of the Amphitheater and the top of the Thukela Falls.  Thukela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world.  Falling off the rim of the Drakensberg – 3036 meters – down 948 meters into the heart of the Amphitheatre far below. 

sunrise over the amphitheatre

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 area. It is 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. You have 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. 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 rising quickly in difficulty level.

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. 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.

HEADING SOUTH

Leaving the magnificent Amphitheatre rim behind reluctantly, the first part of the day’s hike descends the Kubedu River valley.  The Kubedu is another of the streams beginning on the slopes of Mont-aux-Sources.  It runs for 50 – 60 kilometers to the south before joining the Sengu, the local Sotho name for South Africa’s greatest river, the Orange.  The hike follows a fairly obvious route passing small cattle kraals hidden in the slopes above the river.

down the river

The country beyond the escarpment of the Drakensberg is rolling barren mountains dissected by river valleys.  There are no trees up here at almost 3000 meters.  We were hiking around Easter, in April – Fall was definitely present in the high barren mountainscape.  The valleys serve as a vast pastureland for the Sotho.  Cattle, sheep, horses all can be seen grazing.  Young lads tend the herds.  This late in the season, however, we did not see many of the young men nor the flocks.  Most must have migrated to lower elevations for the winter.

I have seen entries going both ways concerning the youths.  Some parties welcomed the young men, while others sought to avoid them because of theft and possible crime.   My guide wanted us to steer far clear of the herders and we did.  Many of the pass trails are maintained by cattle trains stolen from the Zulu down below to the east.  The cattle are then rustled up high on paths utterly steep by the Sotho.  Not all of the cows make it as you can see from the skeletal evidence along the trails.  Ganga – marijuana – is also a big commodity going over the border from Lesotho to the mines to the north.

back up to the rim

Much of the time when you are hiking the Drak Traverse, you are not walking along the escarpment, itself.  That would increase the adventure exponentially.  You end up hiking up desolate valleys towards the next pass, sometimes on a path of sorts and most times just through the barren grasses.  The high points are usually those points of the trek where you do touch upon passes coming up to the escarpment rim from the east.

Descending along the Kubedu to the third little valley coming in from the east and the ascend.  Nearly reaching the rim, we head up a side branch to the south to make for a small pass.  For the rest of the day, we stay fairly close to the rim as we walk around just below Fangs Pass.  Along the way, we gain a quick glimpse of the Madonna and her Worshippers through swirling mists rising in the afternoon from the Mnewni valleys to the east.

weather in the drak

Weather is always a crucial point on a Drak Traverse.  In the Great Basin of the US, clear weather is usually be ordained.  Not here in humid South Africa.  Sunrise can be clear, but that can change quickly.  During this hike, we had great weather the first day; a huge thunderstorm the first night; a magnificent sunrise over the Amphitheatre; and a mix from there on.  Rock spires, when we come onto the escarpment rim, were often swirled in mists.

The second night was not as dramatic as the first night, with the only sound being the whisper of wind past the tents.  Sleep came easy as this would prove to be our longest day.  We had started the day at about 2980 meters elevation before dropping to 2900 meters and ending back up at just under 3000 meters.

DAY THREE – Mnewni, the Orange and South Peak

Waking early, we stayed high as we traversed around the Mnweni Cutback, another large amphitheater carved into the escarpment some five kilometers across and deep.  Off to the west, the gorge of the Kubedu was deepening as we walked past a small herd of horses grazing high along the ridge. 

diamonds in the hills

Peering off into the mountainous vastness of eastern Lesotho I gazed upon a large building along the western ridge above the Kubedu canyon.  The building sat incongruously in the middle of nothing.  It was only later I learned the building was part of the Letšeng Diamond Mine complex.  Opened in 1968, closed in the 1970’s but reopened again in 2000.  The mine is the world’s highest diamond mine at 3100 meters.  Temperatures at the mine drop well below 0°C in the winter.  Some of the largest diamonds ever found have come out of the open pits at Letšeng.  The mine is the world’s richest based on an average price per carat basis.  Again, totally incongruous for such an overall poor country as Lesotho.

But today is about diamonds of another sort – experiences.  Skirting the southern reaches of the Cutback, we stay at 3100-3200 meters working our way over one little pass after another.  Heading north a short way on a high traverse, we are greeted with a magnificent view over the jutting high altitude peninsula of the valley of the source of the Sengu – the Orange River, one of the most important rivers in both Lesotho and South Africa.  Mists swirl around the rocky spires jutting off the Escarpment.  The Dragon is definitely roused.

An interesting sideline is there are diamonds are the origin of the Orange River here high in the Drakensberg and at the river’s end in the Atlantic – the diamond mining town of Oranjemund in Namibia – the river forms the border between South Africa and Namibia.

ACROSS THE SOURCE OF THE ORANGE

We drop 200 meters into the valley, having lunch along one of the Sengu’s primordial tributaries.  The towering Rockeries, spires lending to the credence of the Zulu name of the range, come in and out of view as clouds swirl.  Our goal for the day, North Peak, can be seen far away while we were descending, floating above the clouds.  There is no one else up here.

final day’s push

Two passes come up onto this peninsula, one out of the Cutback, Mnweni Pass and one from the east out of the gorge of the west branch of the Ntonjelana River, Rockeries Pass.  Eventually, we reach the youthful Sengu River at about 2800 meters.  Elevation lost needs to be quickly regained, so we climb to a small pass 200 meters gained in about a kilometer.  The pass allows us to traverse high above the Kokoatsoan valley, one of the Sengu’s early contributors.  Two and a half kilometers later, we make our camp high in veldt sited between North and South Peaks.

Along the traverse, we pass the top of Nquza Pass, enjoying a magical look at the vertical prow of North Peak – 3153 meters.  Meadows ramp up the peak gently from the south only to be interrupted by a short cut making access a bit more difficult.  On the north side, cliffs drop immediately 400 meters before continuing to the canyon floor below at a still precipitous pace – 1500 meters below the peak.

MAGIC OF THE eSCARPMENT

After making camp and looking at the map, I decide to walk a bit farther up to South Peak.  The weather now at near sunset has finally cleared.  The map appears to show a promising view along the Escarpment both to the north and south.  Promise becomes reality. 

The rock spires of the Escarpment soar magnificently to the northwest, as the view goes all the way back to the Amphitheatre where the journey began.  The view to the southwest is even more magical with the towers of Cathedral Peak, the Bell, the Horns and Mitre Peak glow in the setting sunlight.   

Magic end of day

The crazy steep trail below the ridge leads up to Ntonjelana Pass, eroded from countless cows rustled up the cliffs into the mountain fastness of Lesotho.  From somewhere below, a seemingly ever-present baboon howls at the brazenness of human intrusion.

PENULTIMATE – Off the Rim

traverse the final rim

The next morning, the day starts out fairly clear as we push up the end of the Kokoatsoan valley to cross over another little pass.  This is the last day atop the rim.  From the pass, we have a great view over the headwater valley of the Koakoatsi, with the tracks leading across Ntonjelana Pass in broad evidence below us. 

the final pass

Dropping through some minor cliffs, we cross the many paths dug into the earth by the many feet of people, donkeys, and cattle.  There is only us today as the rock spires of the Bell-Cathedral Traverse disappear in mists seriously building from below.  Another kilometer and a half traversing up the valley brings us to our exit from the Escarpment rim, Mlambonja Pass.

Mlambonja is a steep pass leading straight down towards the Cathedral Hotel.  The headwaters of the Mlambonja River begin in the Escarpment cliffs around the pass.  Locals rate the pass tougher than the nearby Ntonjelana – 6/10 versus 4/10.  The clouds had built up considerably at this point.  The possibility of doing the Bell Traverse going north off to the north from near the top of the pass – rated as one of the most spectacular in the Drakensberg – dropped quickly to zero.  We were heading down. Bell’s would have to wait for YouTube.

Down

And down we went quickly.  From the pass at 2980 meters, in two kilometers you quickly drop almost 1000 meters.  Somewhat better to be going down than up with a fully loaded pack.  Even yet, the going is tedious in the growing mists, as the rim is quickly forgotten. Your whole world focuses on the path and the never-ending drop.  Vegetation begins to pick up, while looking down into the creek bed you can see evidence of cows failing, literally, to make the grade.

contour to one tree hill

The downclimb finally ends at the intersection with the Contour Path at 2040 meters.  The Contour Path is an interesting path running from Cathedral Peak Hotel northwest to reach the 2000-meter level.  The path heads south in a very convoluted manner as it attempts to stay at about the same elevation level going in and out of every little valley and gorge dropping off the 3000-meter-high Escarpment.  If you go the full distance, you eventually will reach Sani Pass – the same point the full Drakensberg Traverse ends at.  The time it takes you because of the constant convolutions in order to try and keep the path at about the same elevation would mean a lot more time involved.  The path was built more with a man on a horse in mind.

We head north on the Contour Path for a few kilometers. Then we contour around a gorge dropping off from between the Inner and Outer Horns high above in the dense clouds.  Finally, as the Contour Path makes another sharp turn to the north, we drop down onto the large open plain of One Tree Hill, just under 2000 meters.  Here, we make our final camp.

evening adventure

The Drakensberg has the nefarious reputation of being the area in the world seeing more ground strikes from lightning than anywhere else.  We got our tents up and ate a quick dinner before the second monsoon of our trip began.  Thunderstorms I am familiar with last an hour or so.  The first night in the Guard Hut up above the Amphitheatre was spectacular, not seeming as dangerous because of the comfort of the sturdy stone walls.  Here on the open One Tree Hill, it was just us and our tents.  The lightning, accompanied by almost instantaneous thunder, went on for what seemed like forever into the night.  A good tent was invaluable as the storm roared and lashed.

END OF A JOURNEY

Waking up the next morning was not only a relief for having survived the night, but the weather had cleared and the mountains surrounding were in glorious display.  On one side, Cathedral Peak tempted.  This day might have been a great one – if we had survived the night up high at Twins Cave – to have done the Bell Traverse.  And to the south, the Escarpment was in regal form topped by Cleft Peak – a fantastic viewpoint if you have the time to add another day to your trek.  Underneath, the Column and Pyramid rose with a few misting clouds rising in the early morning light.

the dragon awakes again

And already as we finished a quick breakfast, clouds began to swirl.  First, Cathedral Peak was encased and quickly after that, the whole rim of the Escarpment.  Nothing to do but finish the hike.  Crossing the three-kilometer-long plain of One Tree Hill, we then dropped down 400 meters on switchbacks taking us down to cross the uMlambonja River on sandbags just before Cathedral Peak Hotel.  Our waiting vehicle was parked in a car park just beyond.  We reached the cars just as the rains started to fall. Not a day for the Bells, after all. Take what the dragon gives you.