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Almost all my experience in the Berg has been Giants and north thereof. The closest I've come to the southern Berg is taking a motorbike up Sani Pass a number of times when the roads up there were all dirt.

I always aimed for the N Berg because there were more free standers, bigger forests, deeper valley and less of a block like structure to the escarpment/Little Berg that starts to become really obvious in the Giants area. So what have I been missing in the southern Berg?

MUCH

Go pilgrim and ye shall SEE.

For me the Southern Berg is all about exploring the Little Berg and it's very different to the North!

For one, the rock formations seem to be on steroids in the South - plenty of huge pillars, caves, etc. I also really enjoy the lack of paths. Just pick an area and explore. It has a real wilderness feel to it.

Some of my Southern Berg highlights:

- The Mzimkhulu Pipeline
- Sleeping Beauty Cave and the valley above it
- A pathless traverse from Bushman's Cave to Mzimude Pass
- A pathless traverse from Mzimkhulu Cave to Lakes Cave.

Totally agree with Stijn. A 'wild' feel 2nd to none in the Berg. When I hiked in Vergelegen (a long walk in to Passes), the prev group there was 10 days ago !

Rock formations are very different, Lower Berg is not as high as in Northern Berg.

Cobham tops Injisuthi as the best Lower Berg experience. I spent 5 awesome days there exploring, checking out the caves. Views of the rolling Lower Berg here with its numerous Tarns are mind blowing.
Garden Castle has stunning views from the Rhino.
Bushmans Neck has the awesome Tarn cave, and the spiritual Langalibalele cave.

And if you looking to reach the Escarp, challenges of some great Passes, and Hodgsons Peaks to climb. Sandleni cave, albeit wet at times is an awesome cave perched on edge of Escarp.

Unfortunately, the drive from Gauteng is loooong, else I'd be there more often.

Stijn wrote:


Hey Stijn


"Sleeping Beauty Cave and the valley above it"...

One of my faves. If you have been into the valley above have you not seen or been up the (newly named) BOLLARD Pass?

What an area! No paths other than animaaaal paths.

Magan wrote:


Hey Magan

Some of the highest points are found on the Southern Escarpment !
Just quicker and easier to access than Northern areas!

(Thaba Ntelyana aside )