Interesting readingParadigm Shift 57Angus-Leppan 50th Anniversary Ascent 64Here be Dragons – First ascent 68The ’Berg is for Baboons and Vultures 72South-East Arête – First free ascent 74The Devil’s Tyrolean 86Tooth in a Day 92Teales Climbing in the ’Berg 96Lion Heart – First ascent 100Icidi Pencil – First ascent 114Amphitheatre Southern Pinnacle 120Inner Mnweni Pinnacle 141Cathedral Peak – Three decades later 154Not so Auto – Hardest route in the ’Berg 198Epic on the Western Injisuthi Triplet 222Lammergeier – A solo ascent 242Main Lotheni Couloir 266Sani Pass on Skis 274Jack and the Beanstalk – First ascent 308

Historical AnecdotesTragedy on the Sentinel 47First Ascent of South Ifidi Pinnacle 106First Ascent of Mponjwane 134Mponjwane and Cathedral Peak Names 135Tragedy on the Bell 161Organ Pipes Historical Fact 175The Epic First Ascent of the Column 182Barry’s Death on Monk’s Cowl 194Chief Langalibalele 229Dodgy Conservation in Giant’s Castle 233The Start of Ice Climbing in South Africa 252Discovering the highest peak 270Tragedy on Sani Ice 276The Story of the Sani Pass 277Sculduggery and Tragedy in the ’Berg 281Old Cave Dwellings and Irish Cave 314

Introduction

Camping on the north-east ridge of Cathedral Peak. Photo GAVIN RAUBENHEIMER

Foreword .......................................... 14Preface ............................................. 16Introduction ...................................... 18Acknowledgements .......................... 20Human history .................................. 22Climbing history ................................ 23Using this guidebook ........................ 26Topo legend ...................................... 26Access .............................................. 26Maps and navigation ......................... 26Geography ........................................ 27Weather ............................................ 28Best time to visit ................................ 28Nature of climbing and protection ..... 28Abseiling ........................................... 29Bolting ............................................... 29Accommodation and camping ........... 30

Shelters ............................................. 30Flora .................................................. 31Fauna ................................................ 32Birds .................................................. 33Snakes .............................................. 33Conservation and ethics ................... 34Water ................................................ 34Human waste .................................... 35Security on the Lesotho border ......... 35Rescue .............................................. 36What to do in an emergency ............. 36Grading system ................................. 38Guides and porters ........................... 39General information .......................... 39References and bibliography ............ 40Map of the Drakensberg ................... 41

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1: Sentinel Peak • Witches • Beacon Buttress ................................................ 42General Information .......................................................................................................... 44Chain Ladder Trail – .......................................................................................................... 46Witches ................................................................................................................................. 48 Butterfly Ridge ..................................................................................................................... 48Sentinel ................................................................................................................................ 50 Standard Route ................................................................................................................... 50 McLeod’s Variation .............................................................................................................. 50 Fifty Shades of Grey ............................................................................................................ 52 MCM .................................................................................................................................... 53 Gendarme West Ridge ........................................................................................................ 54 Blood on the Rocks ............................................................................................................. 56 Angus-Leppan Route .......................................................................................................... 60 North-East Face .................................................................................................................. 62 Paradigm Shift ..................................................................................................................... 63 Here Be Dragons ................................................................................................................. 66 South-East Arête ................................................................................................................. 70Beacon Buttress ................................................................................................................ 76 North-West Ridge ................................................................................................................ 76 Beacon Buttress Ridge ........................................................................................................ 78 Beacon Buttress West Gully ................................................................................................ 78

2: Devil’s Tooth • Eastern Buttress ....................................................................... 80General Information .......................................................................................................... 82Tugela Gorge – ................................................................................................................. 82Devil’s Tooth ....................................................................................................................... 90Eastern Buttress ................................................................................................................ 94 Kelly’s Route ....................................................................................................................... 94 Lion Heart ............................................................................................................................ 98 Singati Arête ...................................................................................................................... 102

3: Ifidi • Icidi .................................................................................................................... 104General Information ........................................................................................................ 106Ifidi via the chain ladders – .............................................................................................. 107 South Ifidi Pinnacle ............................................................................................................ 108 Ifidi Gendarme .................................................................................................................... 111 North Ifidi Pinnacle ............................................................................................................. 112 Icidi Pencil – Eastern Arête ................................................................................................ 116 Amphitheatre Southern Pinnacle ....................................................................................... 118

4: The Saddle • Mponjwane Peak • Mnweni Pinnacles .............................. 122General Information ........................................................................................................ 124Rockeries Pass and Mnweni Pass – ............................................................................... 126 Saddle North Peak ........................................................................................................... 128 North Peak Frontal ............................................................................................................ 128 North-West Spur ................................................................................................................ 132Mponjwane ........................................................................................................................ 134 Thomson’s Route .............................................................................................................. 134 S-Crack Variation ............................................................................................................... 134 West Face .......................................................................................................................... 136Mnweni Pinnacles ............................................................................................................ 138 Inner Mnweni Pinnacle ...................................................................................................... 138 Outer Mnweni Pinnacle – South Face ............................................................................... 140

Aloe arberesence in the Mnweni area. Photo T. MANN

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5: Cathedral Peak • Bell • Outer Horn • Ntonjelane Needle • Mitre • Twins 144General Information ........................................................................................................ 146The Bell-Twins Traverse – .............................................................................................. 148Cathedral Peak ................................................................................................................. 152 North-East Ridge ............................................................................................................... 152 Standard Route ................................................................................................................. 153 South-West Chimney ......................................................................................................... 158The Bell ............................................................................................................................... 160 Wong’s Route .................................................................................................................... 160 Hooper’s Route ................................................................................................................. 162Outer Horn – Standard Route ........................................................................................... 164Ntonjelane Needle – East Face ....................................................................................... 166Mitre – Standard Route ....................................................................................................... 167Twins – Standard Route ...................................................................................................... 168

6: Cleft Peak • Pyramid • Column ....................................................................... 170General Information ........................................................................................................ 172Tlanyaku Pass and Organ Pipes Pass – ........................................................................ 174Cleft Peak via Camel Pass – ............................................................................................... 176Cleft Peak – Frontal Route ................................................................................................ 178Column ............................................................................................................................... 180 Escarpment Arête ............................................................................................................. 180 Thomson’s Route .............................................................................................................. 182Pyramid – Standard Route ................................................................................................. 184

7: Champagne Castle • Monk’s Cowl • Cathkin Peak • Sterkhorn Amphlett • Turret .................................................................................................... 186General Information ........................................................................................................ 188Champagne Castle via Grey’s Pass – ............................................................................ 190Monk’s Cowl ...................................................................................................................... 192 Standard Route ................................................................................................................. 192 Barry’s Route ..................................................................................................................... 194 Not So Auto ....................................................................................................................... 196Cathkin Peak ..................................................................................................................... 202 South Gully ........................................................................................................................ 202 South-East Ridge .............................................................................................................. 204Sterkhorn – Standard Route .............................................................................................. 206Amphlett ............................................................................................................................. 206Turret ................................................................................................................................... 207

8: Mafadi • Injisuthi Triplets • Old Woman Grinding Corn ...................... 208General Information ........................................................................................................ 210Mafadi via Judge Pass – ................................................................................................. 212Eastern Injisuthi Triplet .................................................................................................. 214 Standard Route .................................................................................................................. 214 Between a Rock and a Hard Place ................................................................................... 216 North Ridge ....................................................................................................................... 218Middle Injisuthi Triplet ................................................................................................... 219 Escarpment Face .............................................................................................................. 219Western Injisuthi Triplet ...................................................................................................... 220 North-West Ridge .............................................................................................................. 220Old Woman Grinding Corn ................................................................................................. 225 Direct Route ...................................................................................................................... 225

Hikers on the escarpment, looking down into the Mnweni Valley. Photo ANTHONY VAN TONDER 10

9: Giant’s Castle • Kambule • Potterill • Bond • Erskine Bannerman Rib ....................................................................................................... 226General Information ........................................................................................................ 228Giant’s Castle summit – .................................................................................................. 230Giant’s Castle .................................................................................................................... 232 South-East Ridge ............................................................................................................... 234 Eastern Gully ..................................................................................................................... 235 Sherman’s Route ............................................................................................................... 236 Schole’s Route .................................................................................................................. 238 Colli Extendenticum ........................................................................................................... 239 Land der Gesetzlosen ........................................................................................................ 240 Lammegeier ...................................................................................................................... 241The Carbineers ................................................................................................................. 246 Kambule – Frontal Arête .................................................................................................... 246 Potterill – Frontal Ridge ..................................................................................................... 247 Bond – Frontal East Ridge ................................................................................................ 248 Erskine – North East Ridge ............................................................................................... 249Bannerman Rib ................................................................................................................. 250

10: Giant’s Castle – ice routes ............................................................................. 252General Information ........................................................................................................ 254 Shiza Gully ........................................................................................................................ 256 Makhaza ............................................................................................................................ 258 Makhaza Amphitheatre ...................................................................................................... 259 Future X ............................................................................................................................. 262 Main Event ......................................................................................................................... 262 Tight Screws Cold Hands .................................................................................................. 263 Walkie Talkies .................................................................................................................... 263 Tip Toe ............................................................................................................................... 263 If Pigs Could Fly ................................................................................................................ 264 Big Foot Little Step ............................................................................................................ 264 Madiba’s Choice ................................................................................................................ 264 Main Lotheni Couloir .......................................................................................................... 264

11: Sani Pass area – Thaba Ntlenyana • Giant’s Cup • Sani ice routes .... 268General Information ........................................................................................................ 270Thabana Ntlenyana – ...................................................................................................... 271Giant’s Cup – Hodgson’s Peaks – .................................................................................. 273Sani ice climbs ................................................................................................................. 276 Cool Bananas .................................................................................................................... 278 Banana Split ...................................................................................................................... 278 Cool Bananas Left Fork .................................................................................................... 278 Banana Daiquiri ................................................................................................................. 279 The Wailing Wall ................................................................................................................ 280 French Wench ................................................................................................................... 280

12: Cobham area ......................................................................................................... 282General Information ........................................................................................................ 284Masubasuba Pass to Stones Pass – .............................................................................. 285Pholela Cave and eSiphongweni – ................................................................................. 286

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13: Garden Castle area – Rhino Peak • Mlambonja Peak Mashai Peak • The Monk • Garden Castle .............................................. 288General Information ........................................................................................................ 290Mashai Pass to Mzimude Pass – .................................................................................... 292Rhino Peak ........................................................................................................................ 294Rhino Peak summit – ...................................................................................................... 294 The Eastern Arête .............................................................................................................. 296 S Route .............................................................................................................................. 297 Rutting Rhino Route .......................................................................................................... 298Mlambonja Peak ............................................................................................................... 300 Mlambonja Buttress Ridge ................................................................................................ 300 Mlambonja Couloir ............................................................................................................ 301Mashai Peak ...................................................................................................................... 302 South Face S Gully ........................................................................................................... 302Sandstone routes ............................................................................................................ 304 The Monk – Where’re the Handholds ............................................................................... 304 Jack and the Beanstalk ..................................................................................................... 305 Southern Friction ............................................................................................................... 307 Garden Castle – The Spout .............................................................................................. 310

14: Bushman’s Nek area – The Devil’s Knuckles ....................................... 312General Information ........................................................................................................ 314Devil’s Knuckles and Thamathu Pass – .......................................................................... 316 Middle Devil’s Knuckle – North Gully ................................................................................. 319

15: Bokong Ice routes .............................................................................................. 320General Information ........................................................................................................ 322Number 1 Gully ................................................................................................................ 325 Main Falls .......................................................................................................................... 325 The Siberian Enema .......................................................................................................... 326 Coitus Interruptus .............................................................................................................. 326 Sexual Salami ................................................................................................................... 326 Number 1 Gully ................................................................................................................. 329 Ménage à Trois .................................................................................................................. 329Half Gully ........................................................................................................................... 329 César’s Pride .................................................................................................................... 329 Katana Playground ............................................................................................................ 329Three-Quarter Gully ........................................................................................................ 330Number 2 Gully ................................................................................................................ 330Number 3 Gully ................................................................................................................ 330Vapour Trail ....................................................................................................................... 330

16. Drakensberg Grand and Mini Traverse .................................................... 332General Information ........................................................................................................ 334Grand and Mini Traverse – ............................................................................................. 336

17. Caves • Bivvies • Shelters • GPS co-ordinates for Pass Summits ... 340

Hiking across Ndumeni Dome after fresh snowfalls. Photo NOELLE GODFREY

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