A free-standing peak in the central Drakensberg, with a long-running hotel at its foot and trails to suit everyone. Gentle walks and a forested gorge for most, and one of the Berg's great summit climbs for the fit and well-prepared.
Cathedral Peak stands a little apart from the main Drakensberg wall, a free-standing summit of around 3,004 metres in the central Berg, with a long-running hotel at its foot and a whole range of pointed peaks behind it: the Bell, the Horns, the Mitre. It’s one of the most walked corners of the mountains, with trails for every level fanning out from the valley, and it doubles as both a gentle base and a serious objective.
For most people the draw is the easy walking. Paths from the Cathedral Peak Hotel and the Didima camp lead through forest to Rainbow Gorge, with its famous boulder wedged between the walls, to Doreen Falls and Mushroom Rock, and up Mike’s Pass for a wide view of the range. The Didima San Art Centre nearby is the place to understand the rock art that runs through the Berg, the richest concentration in Africa, with guided visits to painted caves.
The peak itself is the prize for the fit and well-prepared. It’s one of the few major Berg summits you can reach without ropes, but make no mistake: it’s a long day of around twenty kilometres, with a steep climb and some exposed scrambling near the top, and the weather can turn in an afternoon. Go with a guide from the hotel, start at first light, and the summit pays you back with a view clear across the high Berg into Lesotho.
Gentle valley walks, the rock art, and the long climb to the summit. A day or two.
For an easy day, the trails from the hotel and Didima lead to Rainbow Gorge, a forested ravine with a wedged boulder, to Doreen Falls and Mushroom Rock, and up Mike's Pass for the view. The Didima San Art Centre nearby tells the story of the rock paintings that make the Berg a World Heritage Site.
The peak itself is one of the few major Berg summits you can reach without ropes, but it's a long, hard day of around 20 km with a steep climb and some exposed scrambling near the top. The reward is a vast view over the high Berg into Lesotho. Go with a guide and start at dawn.
The climb is long, exposed and easy to lose in cloud, with scrambling near the top. A guide from the Cathedral Peak Hotel makes it safer and surer.
You don't have to climb the peak. Rainbow Gorge and Doreen Falls are gentle, shady and family-friendly, with the same mountains overhead.
The San Art Centre near Didima Camp explains the Berg's rock paintings, with guided visits to painted caves in the area.
It's a full day on the summit route, and the weather often turns in the afternoon. Set out early, carry plenty of water, and turn back if cloud comes in.
The Cathedral Peak Hotel and the Ezemvelo camp at Didima both have trails from the door. Book ahead, especially in the holidays.
It changes fast and can turn cold and wet in minutes. Carry warm, waterproof layers, food and water, and tell someone your route.
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A two-day trip from Durban into the Berg, with a guided hike, mountain scenery and a night in the mountains.
Book on GetYourGuide →A guided walk in the Cathedral Peak area, from the easy gorge trails to the long summit climb, with a guide who knows the routes.
See guided hikes →A guided walk to a painted cave in the central Berg, for the San rock art at the heart of the World Heritage Site.
See rock-art walks →The Cathedral Peak Hotel and the Didima camp at the foot of the range, with trails from the door.
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Cathedral Peak is the central Berg's great climb. See the rest of what the mountains hold.
