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Start and finish Monks Cowl, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Park, Central Drakensberg.
3 Days
+-30km to 35km
Moderate
Itinerary.
The hike starts out at Monks Cowl Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife park, situated in the Cathkin Valley. The legs will get tested with a 300m vertical climb over 2.5km from the car park to the Sphinx, where we can chill out and hopefully get some awesome views of the mountains.
A 1 km climb will get us to Breakfast stream where we can take another extended break to let the legs recover slightly. From here, the path flattens out considerably and the main escarpment opens-up before us. The 6km mark will be at Blindmans corner, which is where we join the Contour path.
Take a moment to rest and enjoy the beauty of the Berg, whilst being dwarfed by the basalt giants of the main escarpment, with Sterkhorn and Cathkin Peak towering some 1000m above us.
The path contours below The Turret and Amphlets, as we make our way to Hlathikulu Nek, (9km), we then descend slightly and contours along to Zulu Cave, where we will spend the night. (13km)
Kickstart the day with Breakfast at Zulu Cave.
Then a ‘Wilderness’ trek across the lower berg will take us to the contour path which leads either to Cathedral Peak or back to Monks Cowl.
From here we have about a 2km climb with 400m elevation to the summit of Gatberg.
Take in the Panoramic views of the main escarpment stretching from Monks Cowl all the way to Cathedral Peak.
For those not too nervous of heights, we will then access the ‘hole’ in the mountain, which gives the mountain its Afrikaans name, Gat (hole) Mountain (Berg).
The hole itself stands is approximately 15 meters high and 5 meters wide, with a sheer drop off on either side.
We will then follow the same route back to Zulu Cave where we will spend the second night.
We leave Zulu Cave and head down to the river and backtrack on the path from Saturday as we head back up to Hlathikulu Nek, and then along the contour path back to Blindmans corner, Breakfast stream, Sphinx and finally back to the car park.
*Please note that the route may change at the last minute as this is dependent on the weather, which can be unpredictable in the Berg.*
**Tent not a necessity as we are staying in a cave**
Additional Information
Please note: This is a self-catered hike. (own food, camping & hiking equipment required)
50% non-refundable deposit required to secure spot – Limited to 8 people. If you bring your own tent please ensure it is adequate for the mountain weather.
Please book online should you be wanting to secure your booking.
- 2 nights /3 days conservation fee
- 2 nights camping fee
- 2 day guided hike
- food
- hiking and camping equipment
Testimonials
