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Hiking in The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park: Drakensberg Hiking Maps Make it Safe

Drakensberg Hiking Maps

	Royal Natal (Rugged Glen - Mweni) - Hiking Mapin Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. The KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in South Africa, averaging about 3,000m. Much of it has been placed under the control of the KwaZulu-Natal conservation Service, which is responsible for some 260,000 ha. This area is known as the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and it incorporates all the game and nature reserves run by the KwaZulu-Natal Conservation Service, as well as all the state forests. It is the third largest conservation area in the country. Hutted accommodation is offered at all main reserves, except for Rugged Glen, Himeville, Monk’s Cowl, Cobham, Cathedral Peak, Garden Castle and Highmoor where there are camp sites only.
	Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park - Cathedral Peak (Culfargie - Monk's Cowl) - Hiking Map No.2 Some of the finest scenery in the country is in the Natal Drakensberg, whose buttresses and peaks sweep south-eastwards in a great semi-circle along the Lesotho border. Easily distinguishable from north to south on the skyline are Mont-aux-Sources (3,282m), the Amphitheatre flanked by the Eastern Buttress and the Sentinel (3,257m) , Cathedral Peak (3,005m), Cathkin Peak (3,141m), Champagne Castle (3,377m) and, at the eastern-most rim of the semi-circle, Giant’s Castle (3,315m). There are numerous resorts in the Drakensberg, wonderful for mountain holidays where you can ride, climb, walk in the mountains, or fish for trout.
	Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park - Giant's Castle (Giant's Castle - Injisuthi) - Hiking Map No.3 The Drakensberg scenery is spectacular and rugged, but the underlying geology is simple. At lower altitudes are a series of near horizontal sedimentary sandstones, mudstones and shale, these are topped by deep basalt flows up to 1 km thick, forming the main escarpment. Outcrops of dolerite, which have pushed through faults in molten form, are common and often occur as straight dykes across the landscape. The sandstone zone, often referred to as the Little Berg, forms cliffs of multicoloured rock, ranging from almost black and grey, blue and red shale and mudstones, to cream, yellow, brown and pink sandstones. It is here that erosion and weathering has formed most of the caves once inhabited by the San people. Above the sandstone is a zone of relatively rolling country leading to the scree slopes and buttresses and sheer walls of the main escarpment. At the summit the topography is incised and broken, with rugged cut-backs and steep passes.
	Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park - Highmoor (Giant's Castle - Kamberg - Mkhomazi) Map No. 4 Distribution of the main vegetation types is closely associated with these landforms and with aspect. On the summit is the Alpine Belt, characterized by low heath-type vegetation dominated by Erica and Helichrysum species. Cover is sparse and there are no trees. Because of the harsh conditions animal life is also sparse and it is unlikely that more than the occasional grey rhebuck, ice rat, bearded vulture or small troop of baboons will be seen. Domestic sheep and goats belonging to Basotho people are often encountered.
	Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park - Cobham (Loteni - Vergelegen - Cobham(n)) Map No. 5 Between the escarpment and the Little Berg, in the Sub-alpine Belt, the country is covered by grassland. The grasslands vary with altitude and aspect, temperate evergreen grassland characterized by the spiky Festuca costata on the moist south-facing slopes and on the scree slopes, and shorter highland sourveld grassland, with Themeda triandra, which goes red in winter, covering large areas. Woody vegetation is largely confined to sheltered slopes and valleys and consists mainly of Leucosidea sericea (‘umTshitshi’) scrub or sub-alpine fynbos. The Drakensberg cycad (Encephalartos ghellinckii) is found in this belt and is more common in the northern Drakensberg than in the south. In some places there are large colonies of dwarf proteas (Protea dracomontana), which survive fire by having most of their growth underground in the form of large rootstocks. Closer to the sandstone taller protea species (Protea caffra) form attractive open woodland communities. Animal life is more prolific here, with eland and baboons most numerous. Oribi and grey rhebuck will be seen in the grasslands and klipspringer may be sighted on the basalt slopes. Large birds to be seen include the bearded vulture, Cape vulture, black eagle and secretary bird.
	Drakensberg Garden Castle Hiking Map: Cobham to Bushman's Nek in Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. Map No. 6 Below the sandstone, in the Montane Belt, there is a greater variety of plant communities and animal life. On the scree slopes, where boulders which have fallen from the cliffs afford some protection from fire, small patches of woody plants, including the attractive tree fuschia and the sagewood, are found. Tree ferns grow in wet places and bracken ferns form dense cover in suitable sites. On south-facing slopes beautiful montane forests, with tall yellowwood trees, are found. Protea woodlands grow on the drier north-facing slopes. Rock dassies live in the piles of fallen boulders under sandstone cliffs, and baboon troops are bigger in size and more numerous in this relatively hospitable zone. Eland move here in winter to browse on the woody plants rather than grazing the dry grass of the higher areas, and bushbuck and common duiker can be seen on the forest edges. Mountain reedbuck favour the valleys of the montane belt and grey rhebuck distribution extends here too. Bird life is more prolific, with jackal buzzards and rock kestrels being common raptors.