This group tour is a real must for active hill walkers wishing to explore some of the best trekking terrain that South Africa has to offer, and experience a variety of contrasting regions. The tour commences in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, with a 6-day traverse of the high escarpment from the Amphitheatre down to Mnweni, just before Cathedral Peak. The second stage takes you to the Western Cape, which combines a climb of Table Mountain and short sojourn in Cape Town with a four-day hiking trip in the starkly beautiful Cederberg Wilderness Area.
Week 1: Kwa-Zulu Natal Drakensberg (Northern Region)
This is a classical traverse of the Northern Drakensberg escarpment, the so-called “Barrier of Spears”, which forms the border between the mountain kingdom of Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and which rises dramatically from rolling foothills to heights in excess of 3000m or 10,000 feet. This trek shows off the pride of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, beginning with an ascent of the Amphitheatre and then making a southerly traverse along the rim of the escarpment towards Cathedral Peak, before dropping down the Rockeries Pass into the Mnweni Valleys.
While the trek is not technical, it passes over fairly rugged terrain in a pristine wilderness area - the only people you are likely to encounter is the occasional Basotho herder. You will be travelling along the African Watershed where the water in the streams is the purest on the continent! On your descent into Mnweni, you will experience the cultural heritage of the Amangwane (Zulu) tribal community by spending a night in a traditional Zulu home, and will have the chance to view bushman paintings if you have the stamina and inclination after a long trek.
For more information and photos of the Northern Drakensberg, see our Northern Drakensberg pages
Week 2: Cape Town, Table Mountain and the Cederberg Range
The second week of the tour is spent in the Western Cape, where you will start by making a steep climb of iconic Table Mountain from either the City Bowl or Camps Bay, traverse to Maclear’s Beacon and descend down Smuts track into Skelton Gorge and eventually Kirstenbosch Gardens. Two nights are spent in Cape Town, a short walk from the bustling Waterfront.
You’ll then move on to the very different Cederberg Mountains, located 3 hours drive north of Cape Town. The Cederberg Wilderness Area is a 71,000 Ha rock wilderness, consisting of several parallel ridges containing some significant peaks, the highest being Sneeuberg at 2027m. The area is best known for its fantastic rock formations, including Wolfberg Arch, the extensive and alluring Wolfberg Cracks and the 20m high Maltese Cross, which have been formed by acidic rain and snow eating into the quartzitic sandstone boulders and cliffs. Our trek takes in two of the major, and most interesting hikes in the region, coupled some more gentle excursions on arrival and departure day.
For more information and photos of the Cederberg, see our Cederberg pages