Scramble Routes

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The South African grading system begins with:

A – Walkable path.
B – Steep walking where hands are at times on easy rock.
C – Easy rock scrambling where a rope may be needed at times.

Peak High Mountaineering guides the following 3 scramble routes in the northern and central Drakensberg:

Cathedral Peak via the Standard Route

This scramble and hike starts from the Nature Conservation office at Cathedral Peak wilderness area, with an elevation of 1300m. The route follows a good path, Grade A, to the foot of the main peak. It then ascends the final few hundred meters to the summit, via several scramble sections. It can be climbed in one day but Peak High usually guides this route by staying overnight in a rock overhang and doing the climb the following day. It is also possible to camp in tents further up the peak. The entire route is a moderate hike, taking about 10 hours of actual walking and is on steep paths all the way. Only day-packs are carried from the overnight camp to the summit and back.

Beacon Buttress

This scramble takes in some of the best scenery in the Drakensberg. It is relatively easy hiking with an exposed scramble and takes one to the top of the main escarpment scramble on Beacon Buttress.

We start at the famous Sentinel car park below Sentinel Peak. An easy 1.5 hour hike on a good path brings one to the start of the route. After some 20 minutes of scrambling up the Beacon Buttress gully, the route moves left out onto the ridge. Here there are amazing views of the Tugela Valley and Sentinel Peak. The summit of Beacon Buttress is then climbed by a few hundred meters of “C” grade scrambling, where the guide usually ropes clients up in certain exposed sections. This brings one to the top of the main Drakensberg escarpment and the world famous Tugela Falls is a 30 minute hike away. The descent is usually via the well-known chain ladders and back to the car park. The trip is usually done in one day, but can be made into a very pleasant 1.5 day hike with a camp out in Sentinel Cave.

Sterkhorn

Sterkhorn is a sharp, angular peak in the Central Drakensberg rising to 2973m. It is sometimes called Mount Memory, in remembrance of the fallen allied soldiers of WW1. It is climbed via the C grade standard route and can be done as a one day trip or 1.5 days by camping at a beautiful campsite at the foot of the peak.