Journey to Northern Drakensberg

“Quathlamba! A mass of spears. Named thus by Zulu warriors before the white man came. Today called the Drakensberg, mountains of the dragon. A name given by the Voortrekkers. Evocative names, both equally applicable to South Africa’s mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.”

I found this quote at the front of the first book I bought on uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, which most South Africans know as “The ‘Berg”. The book was “A Camera in Quathlamba”, a black and white photographic masterpiece published in 1980 by R.O. Pearse, a legendary explorer of these mountains. The photos in the book blew me away, and being a Cape Town boy who loved Table Mountain, I made up my mind then to get to know the ‘Berg better.

In subsequent years I explored the lower Drakensberg several times, and hiked the large river valleys, up to the base of the huge basalt cliffs. But I’d never missioned up the steep passes to the top.

Then, two years ago during winter I went hiking for four days in the Mnweni area of northern Drakensberg mountains in South Africa with guide Caiphus Mthabela. We spent four very cold days and nights at 3 000 metres in one of the most spectacular landscapes I had seen in Southern Africa.

This northern part of South Africa’s largest mountain range made a strong impression on me, as it has on many other photographers and nature-lovers. Like a shy leopard, it’s aloof, but oh so beautiful and immensely worthy of your patience. The sort of place you can go for weeks at a time without seeing anyone except a Basotho shepherd. (You can read my article on a previous trip to Mnweni, for British Airways Magazine, here.)

And so, this year I planned to go back. This time we’d walk for six days from The Sentinel Peak near Witsieshoek in the far north, to Didima Gorge in the Cathedral Peak area further south. The route would traverse what almost all the Berg experts rate as the most beautiful part of the Drakensberg.

The route would include Mnweni and it’s dramatic basalt towers, which I had fallen in love with two years ago. It would include the iconic Amphitheatre, with its five-km long basalt wall of cliffs and Thukela Waterfall, the second-highest in the world. It would include the impressive rock formations of Rockeries Pass, and it would include some of the most impressive rock paintings on Earth.

I roped in my friends and neighbours Miguel and Abigail Ferreira da-Silva, and being adventurous souls themselves, it took them exactly five minutes to book their tickets to Durban. I also picked up the phone to Caiphus, an expert guide who knows these mountains better than anyone.

You can go hiking in the high Berg on your own, but it’s not always safe for a variety of reasons: not only are there Basotho dagga smugglers and renegade shepherds who may relieve you of your heavy backpack, but more importantly, this is a vast, complicated and rugged landscape, which combined with the unpredictable weather can make hiking dangerous if you don’t know where you’re going. It’s easy to get lost – especially when the mist, rain and snow sets in.

We knew our hike would be tough physically. We’d be carrying all our food, our tents and clothing. We’d pitch camp where the landscape allowed. We’d hike an average of 10 to 12 kms for about 8 hours every day on average (except the last day, which turned out to be a 12 hour and 32km day). We’d be hiking at around 3 000 metres most of the way, and we’d swim in the streams and go to the loo behind a suitable rock. The nights would be cold, probably down to minus 5 or ten degrees Celsius.

One thing I did not realise beforehand is how rugged the landscape is on TOP of the escarpment. From below, the escarpment looks mostly flat. Yes, the hikes up the passes to the top are very tough and steep, but the ridges on top of the escarpment are also high and long, and they’re no joke. (But it does help to laugh while you’re trudging up hill!)

So, we were expecting an adventure, and the Drakensberg certainly delivered!

Contact Caiphus Mthabela on +27-73-603-9107. His daily rate depends on length of hike, and size of the hiking group. You can also email him on caiphus@emachibini.co.za.

Contact Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge on +27-58-713-6361.

Contact Cathedral Peak Hotel on +27-36-488-1888.