Drakensberg Caves GPS Co-ordinates

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Just check your altitude on Marble baths cave 1.

Hi forum

Does anyone have the co-ordinates for the three caves below North Peak and Rockeries. They are Scaly, Sunshine and unnamed cave. They are not on the data base, but someone may have them stashed away somewhere. I want to add them to my growing ge data base.

Thanks

Scaly is the one to pick in this valley. Sunshine is a large cave and I have known it to be used as a stash site for dope. It is a little awkward to cross to compared with Scaly. Also Sunshine cave is very visible. You'll be noticed when there.

When I first went to the Mnweni area I stayed at the unnamed cave downstream of Scaly. Then it had a stone building in the eastern corner with semi-permanent occupation with cows in the overhangs nearby. I didn't stay there again because Scaly is further upstream and gets you in to Rockeries Pass faster.

Sunshine Cave S28 53.578 E29 03.529



As mnt_tiska indicated it's a large, obvious cave, with tricky, steep slopes to cross the river and a bushy approach, as evident in the foreground of the photo below.



When we stayed there in 2011 it was in good condition, although showing signs of recent use with a lot of grass rope lying around.

Thanks all for your info. It can now populate my GE data set.

Some more info on these caves. Over the long weekend we stayed over at Sunshine Cave on our way in to do Nguza Pass, and being early and better than expected weather, took the time to go and check out unnamed cave and Scaly Cave.

Unnamed cave is quite high up above the path along the river, with a steep path zigzagging up the ridge to the cave. The last section of the ridge to the cave is on a very bushy sideslope.



The cave is a long overhang with a narrow level terrace, lots of rocks around and hardly any cleared level areas.





There is a waterfall above the cave.



The cave is at S 28 53.542 E 29 04.077. With Scaly and Sunshine Caves nearby and more comfortable and accessible I see little point in using this cave. While approaching the cave through the bush, we decided that it was unnamed as any name would be unprintable. There are also two smaller overhangs in the same rock band to the left of the cave (visible in the top photo) but we didn't go to look at them due to the thick bush.

Scaly Cave is a small cave with a low roof, which as intrepid indicated is not that obvious.





Viewed from across the river on the approach to Sunshine Cave, Scaly Cave is at the bottom of the rock band to the left of the small ridge coming down from the rock band in the centre of the photo. The main path is visible in the burnt grass, with the short path going up the ridge to Scaly Cave visible to the right of the stream/gully coming down from above.



We chose to overnight in Sunshine Cave from a comfort point of view, and with water more easily obtainable.

Hi Tony

Did you take any images in the unnamed cave of the area with the rock wall which is at the end of the first section just before you get into the long grass?

Yes, this one, it partially shows the rock wall through the trees.

It was quite difficult to get photos with all the trees and bushes, and resulting light and dark contrasts.