Extending more than 1000km in length, The Drakensberg Escarpment forms part of The Great Escarpment and runs (roughly) from Rhodes in The Eastern Cape, to Tzaneen in the far North of the country. Spanning 4 provinces, it is the section which borders Lesotho which we refer to as The Drakensberg in a mountaineering sense. This section forms the Western border of Kwa Zulu Natal and Lesotho rising from c1700m above sea level to Southern Africa's highest point Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482m).
The Drakensberg (in our definition) is composed of a thick layer of Basalt which sits atop the youngest of the Karoo Supergroup sediments, the Clarens sandstone.
From a climbing point of view, both the Basalt and Sandstone in The Drakensberg do not lend themselves to climbing (in the same way The Cederberg Does) - The Basalt faces are mostly gear-less and the Sandstone often undercut while also not being generally accepting of gear.
However, the routes that do exist offer exceptional adventure climbing, often to the Peak Summits - the climbing, grade wise, generally not hard but certainly wild. Good mountain sense is either brought with you, or gained as a result of climbing in The Berg!
Most of the area is governed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and is a National Park (subject to General National Park Rules unless explicitly noted differently in the park areas.
The presiding ethic is Trad gear with pitons being accepted. A bolting policy exists which, essentially, limits bolts to ramp anchors or for protection of sections not protectable by traditional methods - it is generally accepted as a no-bolting region with few exceptions and all placed on lead.
These are big mountains and climbers and hikers should be prepared to encounter severe weather conditions on occasion. In general the prevailing wind on The Escarpment is West-East and is quite consistently present. Due to the height difference between the Escarpment (c3000m) and the KZN foothills (c1200m), the wind on the escarpment can reach upwards of 150kmph and this should be the foremost thought when pitching a tent preventatively.
On the rare still days, the silence is deafening due to the vastness up there!
Coastal (0m-1000m asl):
Warm day time temps often culminating in spectacular thunderstorms, summer is not the best climbing season but is a good hiking season. The high Summer Rainfall coupled with the alpine nature of routes/peaks means that Summer often has water-logged pitches or a high probability of rain during the climb where you are exposed to the elements.
The exception being the Harrismith Area which features multi-pitch sport routes which are not as difficult to retreat from.
Warm day time temps and cooler nights, Autumn is the best season for Alpine Rock routes in The Drakensberg. There is abundant water following the summer rains, the routes are dry and the potential for being caught in a storm while on a route is far reduced (particularly the later it is in the season). Temps are still generally warm enough for pleasant rock climbing.
The premium season for winter climbing in South Africa. The ice falls are generally in condition from early June to mid August (better in July). The winter snow gullies and Waterfall Ice routes tend to face South and retain their condition. Alpine Rock routes not facing North will be very cold.
The second best season for Alpine Rock Climbing in The Drakensberg. August can be VERY windy with minimal water (and resultant high wild-fire danger), but otherwise very similar to Autumn.
Each area is managed by its own area manager and team of conservationists from Ezemvelo. There is a Search & Rescue register which is mandatory to sign in / out so that S&R are able to track hikers and climbers (and have a good idea of where to look for you if you do not return).
There are a multitude of caves which serve as easy shelter both on the "Little Berg" (1600m-2300m) and "High Berg" (>2300m) which are often preferred as overnight venue's.
Water is plentiful and perfectly good to drink without treatment.
The Northern sections of The Drakensberg can be as easily accessed from Johannesburg.
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