“Look at those giant ragged shapes on the horizon! It looks like a draak!” One of the early Voortrekkers could have said.

“I am not sure we can go any further! A barrier of spears is blocking us” A Zulu warrior might have said.

Draak is Afrikaans for dragon and the Zulu warrior and Afrikaner were talking about the same mountain range: the Drakensberg, or dragon mountains.

The mountain range stretches for about 1000 kilometres from the Blyde River Canyon to the Eastern Cape with Lesotho on its high plateau, where the most famous part of the Drakensberg culminates at 3000 metres in the South African province of KwaZuluNatal. It is not only famous for its cultural value of the Bushmen rock art but also for its biodiversity and stunning landscapes: it is the perfect playground for some serious adventures, from mountain biking to moderate to strenuous hiking and swimming holes!

The Tugela Gorge hike, Drakensberg, South Africa

The Amphitheatre from the start of the Tugela Gorge hike, Drakensberg, South Africa

At the foot of the Amphitheatre, down in the Tugela gorge, we have a hard time taking the measure of it. In the background, a terrain as old as Africa reveals itself in a 7-kilometre wide half-circular wall of rock that is one-kilometre high. The dramatic Amphitheatre is where world’s second highest waterfall drops 850 metres down from the plateau of Lesotho into the Tugela Gorge. It takes every visitor’s breath away. Downstream, where we are standing by the scenic Tugela River, the water has dug an impressive gorge with tunnels surrounded by caves, smaller waterfalls and swimming holes among protea trees and forests with an abundant wildlife.

View on the Tugela Falls from the Tugela Gorde, Drakensberg, South Africa

It is only once up the Amphitheatre, after a sporty hike that goes up thrilling chain ladders that we get a better feel for the scale of the site. Or that we are trying to, as thick white clouds are blocking the view and make the path hard to find. Up on the plateau, we can hear a waterfall. Looking at the trail route on maps.me on our iPhones, it must be another one. Somewhere. Close by. We keep walking in the clouds towards the Amphitheatre. Suddenly, the sun seems to pierce through and looking up, a small clearing between two thick clouds is pushed towards us by the strong winds. We instantly start running, hoping we will cover the remaining 700 metres on time to at least see the Tugela Fall. We must have looked like mad women, with the backpacks jumping on our backs and cameras at hand! But it is was worth it:

The Tugela Falls, Drakensberg, South Africa

View from the top of the Tugela Falls, Drakensberg, South Africa

The Tugela Falls, Drakensberg, South Africa

“Never anywhere, before or since, have I beheld such a glorious sight, or one of such stupendous magnificence and savage grandeur. Neither cloud or mist obscured our view, and there we sat perfectly entranced, never thinking of the flight of time, drinking in the beauty of the landscape, which lay stretched out, a glorious phantasmagoria, thousands of feet below.” wrote J.W. Matthews in his memoirs in 1887, the earliest visitors to go up the Amphitheatre. The scene he depicts has not changed much in over 160 years and we are both in awe as the weather clears up and allows us to observe the gorge down below where we hiked and swam, the proud Sentinel guarding the majestic Amphitheatre and the Tugela Falls.

The daunting chain ladder leading to the Tugela Falls, Drakensberg, South Africa

The daunting chain ladder leading to the Tugela Falls, Drakensberg, South Africa

A few metres to the top of the Tugela Falls, Drakensberg, South Africa

Claire & Marcella

Travel tips:

• The Montusi Lodge is the perfect location to explore the Northern Drakensberg. Designed to blend in with the natural environment, it is located in a splendid area with stunning views on the Drakensberg. The private trails are interesting to hike to discover Bushmen cave paintings, amazing viewpoints and waterfalls. The Montusi Lodge supports local communities funding education, promoting local initiatives by buying local, and employing staff from the nearby community.
• To explore the Northern Drakensberg, hop on a mountain bike!
• The Tugela Fall hike can be done from the Royal Natal Nature Reserve. The hike is about 38 kilometres round trip and will require a long day, including about 7 kilometres on a dirt road right before it joins the top part of the trail which GPS track is provided on the interactive map below.
• A more easy-going way is to pack your clothes for two nights and make it a multi-day adventure from the northern berg area slackpacking with Active Escapes.
• The other option is to drive around the mountains to start at the top of the trail, making it a 14-kilometre hike round trip. A very bumpy dirt road has to be driven and a high clearance vehicle is preferred (transport is also available from the park entrance to the top: inquire about times before you drive).The trail is well trodden and a guide isn’t necessary: the downloadable GPS track provided on the interactive map below will be sufficient.
  
• The weather can change very quickly and it can get very cold, rainy and windy: be prepared!
• Check out this interactive map for the specific details to help you plan your trip and more articles and photos (zoom out) about the area! Here is a short tutorial to download it.