Reprinted
Walking in the Drakensberg
75 walks in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park
Walking in the Drakensberg
75 walks in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park
This guidebook presents 75 day walks of 1 to 26km in South Africa's Maloti-Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in KwaZulu Natal and easily accessible from Johannesburg, Harrismith, Pietermaritzburg and Durban, the region boasts dramatic cliffs, gorges and waterfalls, abundant wildlife and 2000 year old rock paintings.Discover the Drakensberg and explore one of Africa's most dramatic mountain landscapes, where towering basalt cliffs, deep river gorges, thundering waterfalls, and 3000m peaks rise from the rolling hills of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa's Maloti-Drakensberg Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary natural beauty, the Drakensberg also holds one of the world's greatest collections of Bushman rock paintings, some over 2000 years old.
Graded from easy to strenuous and suitable for a wide range of abilities, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook describes 75 day walks across 11 distinct areas of the park. Routes range from 1 to 26km (1–16 miles) and can be enjoyed in 1–10 hours, making the Drakensberg accessible to casual strollers and experienced hikers alike.
- Choose from 75 graded day walks across 11 areas of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, from gentle riverside strolls in the Royal Natal National Park to challenging summit hikes above Giant's Castle and Cathedral Peak, with routes exploring dramatic cliffs, gorges, waterfalls, and high mountain terrain throughout.
- Discover the highlights of the Drakensberg, including the Amphitheatre, Thukela Gorge with its world-famous waterfall, Cathedral Peak, Monk's Cowl, Giant's Castle, and the ancient Bushman rock paintings found throughout the park, some dating back over 2000 years.
- Navigate with confidence using clear route descriptions illustrated with 1:50,000 sketch maps, with safety advice and information on specific challenges, including navigational difficulty, exposure, and chain ladders.
- Plan your Drakensberg walking trip with practical information on getting there, accommodation, permits, and facilities across all 11 park areas, including the Royal Natal National Park, Injisuthi, Highmoor, Kamberg, Cobham, and Bushman's Nek.
- Prepare fully for walking in the Drakensberg with detailed guidance on health matters, safety, security, and the particular challenges of mountain weather in KwaZulu-Natal, including summer thunderstorms and winter snow.
- Experience the best of the region with comprehensive notes on the Drakensberg's geology, mammals, birds, snakes, habitats, and the rich history of the Bushman paintings that make this UNESCO World Heritage Site so remarkable.
Explore the wild mountains of KwaZulu-Natal with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. Immerse yourself in the dramatic scenery, abundant wildlife, and ancient cultural heritage of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, one of Africa's most extraordinary walking destinations.
Walking in the Drakensberg – Quick Facts
Guide name: Walking in the Drakensberg: 75 Walks in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park
Location: South Africa – KwaZulu-Natal, Maloti-Drakensberg Park and Royal Natal National Park
Routes covered: 75 graded day walks (1–26km/1–16 miles) across 11 areas of the park
Typical duration: 1–10 hours per walk; wide range of options from short strolls to full-day hikes
Difficulty: Graded from easy to strenuous; suitable for casual walkers and experienced hikers; some routes involve scrambling, chain ladders, and exposed terrain
Terrain: Mountain paths, river valleys, gorges, cliff edges, high plateau, and rocky summit approaches
Navigation/mapping: 1:50,000 sketch maps and clear route descriptions included; safety advice and notes on specific challenges provided for every route
Key centres: Royal Natal National Park, Cathedral Peak, Monk's Cowl, Injisuthi, Giant's Castle, Highmoor, Kamberg, Lotheni, Cobham, Garden Castle, Bushman's Nek
Highlights: The Amphitheatre, Thukela Gorge and waterfall, Cathedral Peak, Giant's Castle, Monk's Cowl, Cleft Peak, and 2000-year-old Bushman rock paintings throughout the park
Accommodation & logistics: Practical information on getting there, accommodation of all types, permits, and facilities across all park areas
Best time to go: Walks can be undertaken at any time of year; snow is most common in June and July; severe thunderstorms are frequent in summer
Author Highlight
“It is a land of spectacular natural beauty; an extraordinary mountain range of huge peaks, towering basalt cliffs, massive sandstone outcrops, deep gorges and crystal-clear mountain streams. There is a good chance of seeing a variety of antelope and the area has a regular bird list of well over 200 species. Add to this the fascinating history exemplified by the Bushman rock paintings spread widely across the whole area, together with its unique geological structure, and you can understand why it has been designated a World Heritage Site.”
- Jeff Williams, author of Walking in the Drakensberg
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781852848811
Availability
Published
Published
18 Apr 2017
Edition
Second
Pages
256
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm
Weight
280g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device. To access your eBook, you will need an eReader app. For more details, visit the eBook FAQs.
INTRODUCTION
Geography
Geology
Mammals
Snakes
Birds
The habitats
Bushman Paintings
The development of the Park
About the walks
Getting there
Accommodation
The climate – when to visit
Health matters
Safety
Security
Telecommunications
Using this Guide
Maps
THE WALKS
1 Royal Natal National Park
Walks 1 to 13
2 Cathedral Peak
Walks 14 to 25
3 Monk’s Cowl
Walks 26 to 37
4 Injisuthi
Walks 38 to 43
5 Giant’s Castle
Walks 44 to 47
6 Highmoor
Walks 48 to 51
7 Kamberg
Walk 52
8 Lotheni
Walks 53 to 57
9 Cobham
Walks 58 to 68
10 Garden Castle
Walks 69 to 74
11 Bushman’s Nek
Walk 75
APPENDIX A: Walk summary table
APPENDIX B: Facilities within the Park areas
APPENDIX C: Useful contacts
APPENDIX D: Further reading
Seasons
the walks in this book can be undertaken at any time of year. The limitations imposed by adverse weather conditions can occur in any month. However, snow is most common in June and July and there are frequent and sometimes severe thunderstorms in summer.
Centres
The key centres for the walks are the entrances to the individual areas of the Park and usually have nearby accommodation of all types. They include the Royal Natal National Park, Cathedral Peak, Monk's Cowl, Injisuthi, Giant's Castle, Highmoor, Kamberg, Lotheni, the Himeville and Underberg districts, plus Bushman's Nek.
Difficulty
These are all day walks from 1km to 20km, easy strolls to strenuous day hikes. A simple classification of difficulty is used which takes into consideration distance, height gain, expected duration and any physical issues such as scrambling, ladders and exposure.
Must See
A dramatic, exciting and unique mountainous region of South Africa nestling on the eastern side of Lesotho. Stunning scenery, towering basalt cliffs (eg the Amphitheatre), 3000m mountains (eg Cleft Peak), deep gorges (eg Thukela with the second highest waterfall in the world); abundant wildlife; 2000-year old Bushman rock paintings.
November 2019
Walk 20
This amendment to the route description is for p102 of the 2nd edition book.
Turn R (W) and follow the Contour Path, still gaining height slowly, as it curves into a deep re-entrant.This is where things get confusing because the KZNW map is incorrect. Keep going until you find an obvious old jeep track heading N. This isn’t marked on the map. Take this, ensuring you are indeed generally heading N. It leads you to the junction marked on the KZNW map as C27 2050m, the junction with the path from Ribbon Falls.
Now it is decision time. Either turn N and head down past Ribbon Falls (following Walk 17, the quickest route) or continue NW along the old jeep track towards Tarn Hill and Mushroom Rock (Walk 19).
October 2019
Walk 18 Xeni Cave
2nd para of route description states:
"Fork L here and follow the obvious path until, after 300m, you meet the Xeni stream. Cross over and 50m up re-cross to the E bank. Keep on a faint path on this side of the stream until it disappears and then take to the boulders along the stream itself. Flooding regularly removes paths and cairns hereabouts."
A visitor in late 2017 reports that the Xeni stream has indeed moved a lot of material in this area. Instead of the crossing and re-crossing referred to in the route description, it's a case of boulder hopping for a few hundred metres up the stream to pick up cairns further on. These will take you to the rocky wall pictured in the guidebook and a ladder stile.
On the return route, the "obvious path" mentioned above - and the point at which you leave the stream - is found about 1km from the ladder style by the rocky wall.
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