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There is lots of ice climbing in South Africa!

Come climb steep water-ice in the Drakensberg with a guide or a Mountaineering Instructor.

There are routes from beginner grades right up to the extreme and it’s the best ice climbing in Africa. We can guide you up beautiful ice climbs or teach you an MTS Ice Climbing Skills course if you have prior rock climbing experience.

There are three main areas:

• Sani Pass: Easy access and mainly beginner routes. Accommodation is in rustic dormitories.
• Giant’s Castle: From easy to extreme climbing. This is in a remote location with a long hike to base camp. Accommodation is camping only in a wild wilderness area.
• Bokong (In northern Lesotho): Easy access by road with all grades available. Accommodation is in rustic huts. Bokong is 5 hours from Gauteng.

Snow Routes
Snow climbs tend to be easy routes in passes and gullies in the southern Drakensberg, near Underberg. They tend to form from mid July till the end of August and only form after good snow falls. They offer beautiful alpine type snow climbing.

We offer expert guiding on most climbs during the winter months. Peak High is the only guiding company that has ice and snow guides and instructors in South Africa.

We offer 3-day ice or snow courses under the auspices of the Mountain Training Standards (MTS) and certificates of attendance are issued. This is the best way to learn the basic skills of winter climbing, whether you are just intending to climb locally or have ambitions in the greater mountain ranges of the world.

Contact Gavin Raubenheimer gavin@peakhigh.co.za to book and find out more information on Drakensberg hiking and climbing tours.

Climbing Seasons and Conditions

The Drakensberg and Lesotho have their winters from June until August. The air is mainly very dry and is only interrupted by wet cold fronts every 10 days or so. Not all cold fronts bring snow or rain.

Water-ice: The water-ice routes tend to be very consistent, especially in the Giant’s Castle area, but less so at Sani Pass, Garden Castle and eastern Lesotho. Note, that for many water-ice routes to form, very little snow has to occur. In fact, in many instances the mountains will be devoid of any snow cover. The ice is only seen when actually looking into the gully where the route is. Snowfalls, especially during May and June simply enhance the size and thickness of the water-ice. At Giant’s Castle, climbable ice is usually formed from early June or even late May and remains so till mid August.

The other areas mentioned above tend to be more fickle and will be in season only from late June to mid August. Good snow early in the season can change all this and “sparse” areas like Black Mountain can become excellent routes.

Névé-ice: Névé-ice is dependant on good snowfalls, particularly in June and early July. If this occurs with several heavy falls, these routes can often stay in condition well into September. It is in fact possible to spend the night before the climb in semi-humid conditions below. Then climb for several hours in sub zero temperatures in the gully concerned, and then to top-out into tropical sunshine!

In order for it to change from soft snow to ice, there is a waiting period of at least 10 days, while the snow goes through a daily melting and re-freezing pattern, which causes the individual flakes to bind together. Take note that when these routes are in condition there can often be very little snow cover on the surrounding slopes.

Note these two points.
A) Do not be put off by the relatively high temperatures in June or July that can be experienced in the foothills or nearby towns and cities to the Drakensberg. The temperatures deep in gullies at the top of the mountains are mostly far below freezing all day long.
B) In late August and early September there can be heavy, widespread snowfalls in the Drakensberg and KZN province but this does not form winter routes, as the ambient temperature is already too high, and the snow never hardens and simply melts away.

 Safety:
All the above areas are not prone to snowfalls as experienced in many other mountain areas of the world. There is virtually no avalanche danger except in exceptional years. In these times there can be small powder slides in steep gullies or small soft cornices for a few days. These conditions seldom pose any real hazard. Rock falls do occur but are very sporadic and do not occur in regular patterns or areas. Generally the climbing takes place in very stable, safe conditions as experienced nowhere else in the world.

 Grades for ice climbing:
The Drakensberg uses a modified and shortened version of the system used in the Canadian Rockies. Here three aspects of a route are covered. The

commitment grade given in Roman numerals gives an indication of the difficulty of the approach and descent as well as how sustained the climbing will be.

The technical grade is simply how hard any single section of climbing is likely to be under average conditions. Grades range from 1-6. Pitches that normally take place on water-ice are prefixed by WI.

Technical rock grades are included if mixed ground is likely to be encountered. This is shown in the old South African system. Note that in keeping with international trends the rock grade is given in “how it feels” to climb a section of rock in heavy boots, crampons etc. It is not given as how difficult it is if climbed with summer rock shoes and warm hands!

Commitment Grades
Roman Numerals I to III.
“I” – A route with an easy walk-in of less than 3 hours and easy navigation to and from the route. Descent by walking off and with escape routes from the pitches. Characteristically these routes would seldom be more than 2 pitches in length.

“II” – Routes which could have walk-ins of several hours in remote areas. Descent could be by abseil or down unmarked routes. A good degree of mountain experience will be needed for the approach climb and descent.

“III” – Routes which will demand small expedition organisation and will usually, require a few days’ round trip. Camping or bivvying at high altitude in a remote wilderness area is required. Climbing will usually involve multi-pitch, sustained climbing. Descent or retreat will most likely be by abseil from rock or ice “V” thread belays (Abalakov Sandwich). 

Technical Grades
This grade denotes the hardest section of climbing during an average winter. If climbing is on water-ice the grade carries the acronym WI.

Grade 1 Easy walkable slopes with perhaps short steeper sections.
Grade 2 Easy angled front pointing, short sections of 80 degrees with good protection.
Grade 3 Sustained climbing up to 80 degrees between rests. Could have short sections of steeper ground. Good resting places and requires ability to place protection while on front points.
Grade 4 Sustained full pitch of off-vertical ice or shorter sections of dead vertical ground.
Grade 5 Long sustained pitch of near-vertical ice with few or no resting spots. Areas of chandeliers, bulges or featureless ice could be encountered.
Grade 6 A pitch of dead vertical ice or near vertical with sections of thin highly technical ice or other obstacles such as overhangs or bulges.

Protection will be scarce and placed while in very precarious positions. To date, no climbs of this grade have been opened in the Berg.

Here are some pictures of ice climbing at Giants Castle: