Cathedral Peak hikes - 3 days

Hi Guys,

This is my first post ever on this forum, greetings to all!

I have done a couple of overnight hikes in the Drakensberg, and would like to do a 2 night hike over the Easter weekend with my girlfriend. We are relatively fit and could do about 15-20 km a day depending on the elevation.

Would really appreciate some suggestions of hikes with amazing views and some nice pools/waterfalls. Carrying a tent so don't need to sleep in huts or caves.

Thanks!

Oh and we would have to start and end at the same spot.

I am currently thinking of doing something around Sentinel or Monks Cowl.

Good rock pools around Sentinel. Don't think there are many of those - unless the Tugela pools on top are looking good or you are taking a walk into Lesotho. Monk's Cowl rock pools also don't spring to mind - but I haven't hiked the lower sections of that enough to be entirely sure.

If you want nice waterfalls, rock pools and views - I would go with Didima or Mnweni (RNNP isn't an option as you are not allowed to camp outside of the designated camp sites).

Perhaps head to Didima, up past Neptune Pools up to the contour path, camp at the campsite at the base of Mlambonja Pass (there is a well sheltered spot amongst the trees there on the true right side of the river - which incidentally has a small rock pool). From there I would go round to either One Tree Hill or Orange Peel Gap.

*Edit: I see you said 2 night, not 2 day. But with the long contour path at Didima, and plenty of small Berg trail that connect to either Didima or Cathedral Peak Hotel, there is plenty of potential in the area. There is a trail from Cathedral Peak Hotel to Didima as well. Tarn Hill to Orange Peel Gap would make for a good 3 day hike, although the contour path by Tseketseke can be tricky and overgrown.

Hi thanks for the feedback, will have a look at the routes you suggested. I have recently been in that area, hiking to Xeni cave.

I have all 6 of the Drakensberg maps, but it seems that Mnweni is not on any of them.

I suppose the pools and waterfalls are secondary, primarily looking for amazing scenery and adventure, getting deep into the mountains as apposed to just hiking around the foothills.

Is it worth hiking up Cathedral peak past Orange peel gap?

Mnweni is on map 1 - the area is shown, but the Mnweni Cultural Centre isn't shown.

Ok so after some research on this awesome site and berg.co.za I have come up with the following two options.

From what i have read it seems that Tseketseke pass is not in great condition, otherwise there would have been several more options.

Option 1 - First night sleep next to Xeni river. Up Cockade pass and the second night sleep around Windy Gap. Third day down Organ pipes pass over the Camel and back past Ribbon falls. Considered sleeping in Roland's cave on second night but after showing my girlfriend the pictures that option is off the table . Found an awesome writeup about this route here

Options 2 - First night hike to the spot next to river in uMlambonja valley. Second day take contour path past Nyosi falls to Tseketseke hut to camp for second night. Third day back past Ribbon falls. This is an easier option if the weather is bad or if ppl tel me I am crazy to try this.

Option1


Option2

If you do the Cockade route - I would camp near the base of the pass. The trail drops down to the river, and in the riverbed there is a small campsite. There is a GPS co-ord for it on the GPS track under the downloads section.

Cockade Pass and Organ Pipes Pass are both incredibly scenic passes. Cockade is badly overgrown at the bottom, and rocky for a period near the top. The overgrown section is painfully slow and route finding is practically impossible - if I did it again (in clear weather) I would stay on the bank on the true left (north) side of the river.

The rocky bit near the top is easy to work out if you plan your lines carefully, It is an awesome pass, but be sure you know what you are getting yourself into, and budget plenty of time for it. Also remember that the wet season is coming to an end, so the overgrowth will be bad this time of year.

But enjoy whichever route you do - both will be great routes. The views on the contour path around the base of Mlambonja Pass are awesome. The Mitre and Chessmen tower above you on one side, while Mlambonja Buttress is on the other side.

Ok great thanks, I would really like to ascend the escarpment and sleep at the top.

Would it help to get a gps to help for route finding? If we leave early enough we have the whole day to get up the pass, as long as we don't get lost.

I was impressed how well my GPS worked on the pass - seeing as GPSs usually don't work when you are near large cliffs, and Cockade is probably the single largest cliff in the Berg. I would take one, but don't bank on it being helpful. They usually aren't when on a pass. Especially when it is narrow pass and the GPS is telling you to walk through a cliff.

There is a good trail through the middle of the pass, which is helpful, but don't count on finding it (it is on the bank on the north slope of the pass, about 20m higher than the river). If you know how to read a map and keep your head, you should be fine - it is generally quite difficult to get lost in a narrow gully, but if you take the wrong fork up a side stream or you get hit by thick mist, it can get sticky.

This was the first pass I descended after being rescued off Bollard Pass, so my confidence in my ability to lead and navigate was shot. I did almost lose my nerve a few times on the way down, but fortunately I kept my cool (it helps that basically everyone in the team was an experienced hiker though).