The Drakensberg Mountains
Drakensberg Statistics
There are 15 entrance gates to the Drakensberg Park. Members of the public enter either as
day or overnight visitors who make use of hutted
accommodation, camping facilities, caves and
mountain huts.
The highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, at 3,482 metres
(11,424 ft). Other notable peaks include Mafadi
at 3,450 m, Makoaneng at 3,416 m,
Njesuthi at 3,408m, Champagne Castle
at 3,377 m, Giant's
Castle at 3,315 m,
and Ben Macdhui at 3,001 m, all of these
are in the area bordering on Lesotho.
Drakensberg Climate
The altitude of the uKahlamba-Drakensberg
(3300 meters) and Midlands (1500 meters) region
keeps summer moderate, with temperatures rarely
reaching 30 degrees Celcius.
Summer (December to February), the rainy season,
is characterised by daily or every second day
by afternoon thunder showers. As a result
the area takes on a healthy green hue – “green
are the hills of KwaZulu-Natal”, Summer
is the best time for fly fishing and for the
scenery.
Winter days are warm – usually about
19 degrees celsius while the night temperatures
can plummet just below zero. Snow regularly
illuminates the peaks of the Drakensberg. Hikers
and climbers are advised to be prepared for
any kind of weather. Crackling log fires – good
conversation – fine wine. This is the
best time of year for watching the spectacular
sun sets.
Autumn, some say is the best time to visit.
This is when the rainfall drops and the lush
green mountain slopes slowly change to golden
blonde. This is when the best hiking can be
had.
Spring is a time of abundance. Occasional showers
are the precursor to summer rains. Spring sees
the Drakensberg transform into a wonderland
of wild flowers.
Average temperatures:
Summer 15-28 °C
Autumn 11-24 °C
Winter 0-19 °C
Spring 11-24 °C
The Drakensberg Mountains has some of the most
beautiful scenery that the South Africa offers.
The Drakensberg consists of four valleys, beginning
with the Champagne
Valley in the Central
Drakensberg, through
the Cathedral
Peak and Didima Valley, then the Royal
Natal National Park and the Amphitheatre,
and finally the Bushmans River valley headed
at Giants
Castle. Each of the four valleys has its
own kind of beauty and character; all have magnificent
mountain views.
Giants Castle Central Drakensberg
 - -
Giant's Castle Game Reserve takes its name
from the silhouette of the peaks and escarpment
that resemble the profile of a sleeping giant.
Giant's Castle camp is situated on a gassy plateau
among the deep valleys running down from the
face of the High Drakensberg, offering glorious
views for hikers and mountain climbers. Superb
rock art is high among its special attractions.
Visit the Main Caves Museum for fascinating
insight into the past lifestyle of the San people.
The renowned vulture restaurant is open for
visitors to watch bearded vultures and other
endangered species feeding. Black-backed jackal,
baboon, serval and caracal are found, and there
are trout in the Bushmans and Injasuti rivers.
A hide from which visitors may watch the rare
lammergeyer and other birds of prey may be reserved,
and birding enthusiasts will enjoy looking out
for the more than 140 species that have been
recorded.
Royal Natal National Park Northern Drakensberg
 - - -
This area of the Drakensberg is particularly
well known as a tourist attraction and accommodation
area. Situated in the Northern
Drakensberg, the most famous feature is
the Amphitheatre. Here the Drakensberg, for
the length of 5 kms raises straight up to the
sky, to a height of over 3000 feet. It is here
that the brave can climb up a chain ladder and
view the escarpment from the top. A further
feature of the Drakensberg is the Tugela
Falls cascading down 5 drops forming the
second highest waterfall in the world. Although
the highest waterfall, the Tugela is by no means
the only waterfall in the Drakensberg. Indeed
the Drakensberg has many splendid falls of interest
to the tourist. In the 8000 ha of the Royal
Natal National Park is situated the Cannibal
Cave, where tribal people had to resort to cannibalism
whilst hiding from the wrath of Shaka
Zulu as he purged the Drakensberg area of
his enemies.This area has numerous walks and
hikes to challenge the tourist, from easy to
day long treks.Tourists are encouraged to register
their presence when challenging this area of
the Drakensberg, as the weather can change dangerously
quickly.
Cathedral Peak and Didima Valley Northern
Drakensberg
 - -
The Cathedral Peak Area of the Drakensberg
has splendid scenery with the Dorian Falls as
an excellent example of a Drakensberg waterfall.
Views of the Central
Drakensberg can be had by venturing to the
top of Mike’s Pass (accessable with a
4x4 vehicle) and a natural feature of breath-taking
nature is the Rainbow Gorge, with two enormous
boulders forming a wedge, surely only seen in
the Drakensberg
Mountains.
The recently built Didima Resort and San Art
Centre, a KZN
Wildlife Project is well worth a visit whilst
in this area of the Drakensberg. A 4x4 trail
leads from the Amphitheatre in the Northern.Drakensberg
to Cathedral Peak via the Mweni
Valley. It provides a challenging drive
as well as a remoteness that is unique in today’s
world.The Mweni Cultural Centre, which provides
accommodation, trails and guides, is also in
this area as well as some of the most challenging
climbs in the entire Drakensberg.
The Cathkin and Champagne Valley Central
Drakensberg
 - -
Cathkin
Peak and Champagne
Castle have peaks at 3149m and 3248m respectfively.
These, together with Monks
Cowl (3234m) are some of the highest peaks
of the Drakensberg Mountains. Cathkin was named
after an area around Glasgow, Scotland by the
first Scottish settlers in the Drakensberg.
The Champagne Peak received its name as a result
of the first climber to reach its peak taking
a bottle of Champagne to celebrate his achievment
and accidently dropping it. Champagne
Valley is noted for its many different sporting activites,
especially golf, for which there are numerous
challenging golf courses.
Drakensberg San/Bushmen rock art
 - -
The San people or Bushmen first populated this
area of the Drakensberg and 17 shelters and
over 4000 Bushmans paintings are to be found
in Drakensberg caves and cliff overhangs.The
Bushmen are believed to have been exterminated
in the 1800’s by farmers and bounty hunters,
although in 1926 a bow, quiver and fresh grass
bed were discovered in this area of the Drakensberg.
The Giant’s Castle area of the Drakensberg
is rich in San Art Paintings and a visit to
the Cave Museum showing San family life with
clothes, tools and weapons is extremely interesting.
Near to Giant’s Castle is a Vulture Restaurant
where birds of prey like the Lemmergeier and
Black Eagle can be seen from a camouflaged hide.
A remote game reserve was established in 1903
between Champagne Valley and Giant’s Castle
near Injusuthi Dome (3409m), the highest peak
in the Drakensberg.
The Boer War Battlesites in the Drakensberg
region
 - -
The Drakensberg
Mountains form a backdrop to
Ladysmith and Colenso, towns which featured
highly during the Boer War. Both towns have
museums of great interest to students of this
conflict. Numerous graveyards exist in the area
and tour guides of considerable knowledge of
the conflict can bring history alive for the
tourist.The Siege and relief of Ladysmith is
perhaps the single most told incident of the
entire war, and was in fact a series of battles
before Ladysmith was finally relieved and this
area of the Drakensberg returned to British
control. Tourists can spend many interesting
hours visiting the Beor War Battlesites where
heroism and carnage were performed by both the
British and the Boer forces, and the names of
people like Winston Churchill, Mahatma Ghandi,
Emily Hobhouse, JanSmuts, Danie Smit and Louis
Botha became household names and world famous
later in time. |
