- A trekking holiday from the Amphitheatre to Cathedral Peak
- Superb Drakensberg trekking at its finest
- Climbing Cathedral Peak
- Porter supported trekking
- `Explore More` - the finest adventure holidays on the planet
Rising above 3000 metres on the western edge of the South African province of KwaZulu Natal, the rugged escarpment of the Drakensberg is home to a wealth of scenic trekking. From a comfortable bush-camp in the Northern Berg, we begin our exploration with a day hike into the Thukela Gorge, below the dramatic cliffs of the Amphitheatre. Then, with porter support, we make the tough trek to the crest of the range, before setting off on a continuous 4-day traverse from the lip of the 850 metre-high Thukela Falls, southwards to the iconic Cathedral Peak (3004m). Camping on the escarpment provides a real 'out there' experience and also allows us to enjoy the ever-changing views of rock formations such as 'Madonna and her Worshippers' and the Mnweni Pinnacles. With its airy pathways and sections of scrambling, the ascent of Cathedral Peak makes a suitably exciting finale to this extraordinary expedition.
This trip is one of our ‘Explore More' range of outstanding adventure holidays which we are running in conjunction with our friends at Allibert and Hauser (France and Germany's leading adventure travel operators). The trips we have chosen for this range are undoubtedly some of the finest adventures on the planet. They are also ‘specialist' and will appeal to those who have ‘been there, done that' in many parts of the world and are now looking for something new. The cosmopolitan nature of the groups will be an important part of the Explore More experience!
Trip Guide
The Drakensberg mountains have not (yet) been developed for trekking. Once in the mountains there are no huts or fixed camps so for a real adventure trip such as this it is necessary to wild camp or use natural shelters such as caves. For most of the trip there are well marked paths except on days 4 and 5 on the escarpment were there are few clear trails. In some parts the terrain is rugged but not technical except for sections of chain ladder on day 3 and a small ladder section on Cathedral Peak. We have given this trip our DEMANDING grade. The days are quite long and distances hiked each day require that group members are in good physical condition. In addition, the weather can change very rapidly and you may experience extreme conditions. After heavy rain it can be wet underfoot, and there may be numerous stream crossings. This is not a sightseeing tour around the edges of the Drakensberg but a traverse of the range culminating in an ascent of Cathedral Peak, and this trip should appeal to keen hikers with a real sense of adventure.
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