Cathedral Peak
The characteristics of this outdoor cathedral include beautiful views, fresh air and fascinating paintings in the caves that make visitors feel closer to heaven without backpacking all the way up this mountain that rises 3,004 m (or 9,856 feet) in the Natal Drakensberg. The mountain is also known as Mponjwana (Little Horn) by the local Amangwane people and forms part of the Cathedral Ridge which is at right angles to the main range. Other peaks in the spur are the Twins, also known as the Triplets, (2,899 m), the Bell (2,930m), the Outer (3,006m) and Inner (3,005m) Horns, the Chessmen (2,987m) and Mitre Peak (3,023m). Walking becomes a conscious choice and a long holiday with about 120 km of footpaths in the Cathedral Peak State Forest and the Mlambonja Wilderness Area.
The first recorded hike was undertaken by D.W Basset-Smith, R.G. Kingdon in 1917 and the paths have seen much traffic since. The ascent of Cathedral Peak takes about nine hours for this strenuous round trip of about 18 km. The Cathedral Peak Hotel owners have developed several scenic trails to suit the abilities of all fitness levels and great accommodation after a long day of rock scrambling and backpacking. Other routes include Cathedral Peak itself, the Organ Pipes and Ndedema Gorge and there are many caves and interesting landmarks in the area. Sebayeni Gave is the first and largest of the painted shelters in the gorge, containing more than 1,100 individual paintings with interesting scenes of 30 antelope headed and human figures.
