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DRAKENSBERG |
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GoVertical’s Drakensberg mountain guides invite you to join them in exploring this magnificent mountain range of huge basalt walls, cliffs, peaks and pinnacles that tower over the coastal lowlands of Kwa-Zulu Natal separating it from the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
This is a wilderness area of untouched beauty and was granted cultural and natural UNESCO |
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You can visit the Drakensberg at anytime of the year, it’s always beautiful. WEATHER As with all mountains, weather can be unpredictable and it is advisable to be prepared for icy nights, snow or blistering hot sunshine at any time of the year. Typically you can expect:
SPRING- September, October; High rain fall moderate temperatures, a spectacular change from winter browns to a riot of flowering alpine plants with water often cascading over the escarpment. SUMMER- November to March; High daytime temps, often in the 30’s warm clear nights. The brilliantly green Berg is a magnificent backdrop to the dramatic afternoon thunder and lightening storms. AUTUMN -Mid March to April; fairly stable weather, the alpine plants & grasslands taking on autumn hues. WINTER -May to end of August; Often snow, frosts, sub zero temperatures at nights, day temps often don't rise above 5 deg Celsius, days and nights generally clear. |
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To make a booking or to request more information please contact Garth or Lee-Anne at GoVertical Mountaineering Adventures by email : Bookings |
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Copyright © 2011 GoVertical Mountaineering Adventures |
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World Heritage Status in 2000 for the unique environmental diversity and priceless legacy of Rock Art preserved in sandstone rock shelters which offer us a glimpse into the enigmatic lives and rituals the San people who once lived in these mountains. Typically at the base of the Drakensberg, altitudes are 2000m, while the High Berg escarpment rises and falls at an altitude around 3000m above sea level.
The Drakensberg is also South Africa’s major watershed and many of the country’s biggest rivers start in these Mountains which include the Tugela which flows out to the Indian ocean on the east coast, north of Durban and the Orange River that winds its way West to the Atlantic ocean. |
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ACCESS The closest Major freeway to the Drakensberg is the N3 which runs from Johannesburg to Durban. There are access roads to the Berg towns and hiking areas from Harrismith to Howick. Most secondary roads are tarred, a notable exception is Sani Pass in the Southern Drakensberg where a 4x4 vehicle is required.
FACILITIES At the base of the High Drakensberg, an area known as the ‘Little Berg’, there are many towns with an abundance of accommodation & tourism attractions. The main towns in the Drakensberg regions are: NORTHERN DRAKENSBERG: Bergville, Winterton CENTRAL DRAKENSBERG: Estcourt, Nottingham Road, Rosetta, SOUTHERN DRAKENSBERG: Underberg, Himeville, Howick
IN THE MOUNTAINS The Drakensberg escarpment, where most of our trekking & adventures take place, is a wilderness area, this means there are no facilities, no forms of civilisation. We camp in mountaineering tents & carry all our provisions with us for the trip. Fires and littering are strictly forbidden. The water from streams in the High Drakensberg is safe to drink. |
