Giants Castle hikes - 4 days or longer

Hi All

It is amazing to find such a wealth of information on this forum, thanks so much for all the effort, it really is an awesome forum.

More to the point, a friend and I are looking to do an overnight hike in the Giants Castle area on the Easter Weekend and i was hoping to get some feedback from people who have been there before. This will be our second Drakensberg hike and having survived the thunderstorm going up Cathedral Peak the last time, I feel we are better prepared for the adventure.

If anyone could give some feedback on the route, specifically on the caves we are planning on using and on the saecurity of the area and overnight locations.

Day 1
Giants Castle main camp - Giants Hut

Day 2
Giants Hut - Giants Castle Summit (via Giants Pass, im not sure if there is another approach?) - Either Giants Cave or Lotheni Cave (from the photos ive seen Lotheni cave is not as 'comfortable' as Giants cave but it would be great to wake with a different view)

Day 3
Giants/Lotheni Cave - Bannerman Cave (Via the escarpment)(We would like to descend Langalibalele Pass on day 4, would this be the best place to camp for the night or are there alternatives close to the top of Langalibalele Pass?)

Day 4
Bannerman Cave - Ginats Calse main Camp (Via Langalibalele Pass

I will do a write up on the hike once we are back in society so that others can get first hand info on the route, ill try to include some photos as well. Any feed back on the above will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Watson

Welcome to the site

Giants Castle is probably the area I know best - having done Langalibalele Pass 13 times, I am on a first name basis with half the rocks - please tell Steve (the third rock above the waterfall) that he still owes me R10

Jokes aside, responses to your route below:

The Sindarian wrote: Day 1
Giants Castle main camp - Giants Hut

The hut has no roof, you can camp near it if you have a tent, but sleeping inside will only shelter you from the wind.

The Sindarian wrote: Day 2
Giants Hut - Giants Castle Summit (via Giants Pass, im not sure if there is another approach?) - Either Giants Cave or Lotheni Cave (from the photos ive seen Lotheni cave is not as 'comfortable' as Giants cave but it would be great to wake with a different view)

Technically there are other route - but, for lack of a better term, they are mostly technical (or very roundabout - e.g. Elandhoek Pass). Giants Pass is one of my favourite passes - if you haven't done it before, there is no reason to look for a better route.

To be clear - there are a lot of Giant's Caves. Are you talking about the summit one? The summit one is great for a small team, but not as sheltered as you may hope. Also make sure you know where to look. Lotheni Cave is quite a walk from the top of Giants Pass - it is slightly more sheltered, but doesn't have as good a view. Neither are close to water (unless the top of the pass is a mash - which it would probably be right now). The different view from the sides can be achieved by standing at the top of the pass anyway - due to the shape of the mountains.

The Sindarian wrote: Day 3
Giants/Lotheni Cave - Bannerman Cave (Via the escarpment)(We would like to descend Langalibalele Pass on day 4, would this be the best place to camp for the night or are there alternatives close to the top of Langalibalele Pass?)

Read up on Durnford Gap - this is one of the hardest escarpment ridges, so be ready for a slog! It is easier from the south, but just be ready for it, and make sure you know how to find a way through - there is a substantial cliff to avoid, with very few gaps. Giants Ridge is not easy either, but if you don't use Lotheni Cave, you start halfway up it, so it isn't so bad.

Will you have a GPS? Bannerman Cave can be tricky to find if you don't know where to look. There are cairns to guide you, but they are too small and far apart to be much use if you don't know where to look.

The cave is also far from water - so fill up before you slog up to it!

The Sindarian wrote: Day 4
Bannerman Cave - Ginats Calse main Camp (Via Langalibalele Pass

Easy - provided you pick a good line between the cave and the pass. I usually stay high from the cave until rounding the corner, and then drop steeply down the river, making a straight line for the pass. Once you hit the pass, you are on a good trail right back to the camp. Even a slow group can do this day in under 6 hours. I have done the top of the pass to the car in 1h56 before - admittedly there was a bit of running in that time.

Hi Ghaznavid

I love the profile picture, it looks like a magic art.

Thanks so much for the feedback! its so amazing to find a community of people who enjoy these mountains. I do apologize for the late reply, the last few weeks have been hectic.

Based on your advice i think we'll avoid the Lotheni caves/pass side for this trip. We'll camp at the base of Giants pass the first night and either stay in one of Giants caves or find a spot to camp on the escarpment in at the top of Giants pass. For the third nigh we'll head to Bannerman cave.

I will be taking a GPS and have got the coordinates for bannerman cave and the Durnford Gap. Thanks again for that advice, i can see it saving me hours of wandering

From what ive read there is water available in Giants Pass and on top of the escarpment so the hike looks like its coming together nicely. cant wait for the mountains.

Thanks again.

The Sindarian wrote: I love the profile picture, it looks like a magic art.

Thanks, it is a Ted Nasmith painting of Túrin Turambar slaying Glaurung using Anglachel in the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras (in the land of Beleriand). The story appears in Tolkien's books Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Narn i Chîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Hurin). A brilliantly written, but very sad story.

The Sindarian wrote: I will be taking a GPS and have got the coordinates for bannerman cave and the Durnford Gap. Thanks again for that advice, i can see it saving me hours of wandering

Under the downloads section there is a GPS track for passes and caves, which should give you all the info you need. Intrepid's GT track should also come in handy. According to my records, Durnford Gap is at S29° 18.236' E29° 26.110' (WGS84 datum).

The Sindarian wrote: From what ive read there is water available in Giants Pass and on top of the escarpment so the hike looks like its coming together nicely. cant wait for the mountains.

It depends on how the rivers are doing. There is usually water till at least 2700m (around the lower Giants Caves), but you won't know till you get there. The escarpment in the area is usually quite marshy, but the nearest drinkable water is often further around towards Long Wall. I usually camp on the Long Wall side of the ridge for this reason (in addition to it being further from the routes more commonly used by locals.

It is a beautiful spot, enjoy it!

ghaznavid wrote:

The Sindarian wrote: I love the profile picture, it looks like a magic art.

Thanks, it is a Ted Nasmith painting of Túrin Turambar slaying Glaurung using Anglachel in the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras (in the land of Beleriand). The story appears in Tolkien's books Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Narn i Chîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Hurin). A brilliantly written, but very sad story.

Just a minor correction.
The sword at that point was called Gurthang not Anglachel - he reforged and renamed it after Gwindor gave it to him.
:-D

Coeta wrote:

ghaznavid wrote:

The Sindarian wrote: I love the profile picture, it looks like a magic art.

Thanks, it is a Ted Nasmith painting of Túrin Turambar slaying Glaurung using Anglachel in the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras (in the land of Beleriand). The story appears in Tolkien's books Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Narn i Chîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Hurin). A brilliantly written, but very sad story.

Just a minor correction.
The sword at that point was called Gurthang not Anglachel - he reforged and renamed it after Gwindor gave it to him.
:-D

Oh yes, of course. I think I need to read those books again - it has been too long...

Thanks again,

Ill keep the idea of camping on the long wall side in mind when we're up there.

Im familiar with the story. Although ive read it many years ago. My dogs are named Luthien and Huan from the story of the Luthien and Beren and their quest to retrieve the Silmarils from Morgoth. Such amazing story telling.

Im sure itll be a great hike, thanks.

The Sindarian wrote: Im familiar with the story. Although ive read it many years ago. My dogs are named Luthien and Huan from the story of the Luthien and Beren and their quest to retrieve the Silmarils from Morgoth. Such amazing story telling.

The profile name should have been a giveaway

I am working my way through the Song of Ice and Fire books again, hoping Winds of Winter will come out soon (hopefully before 2033)...