Drakensberg Select: Rock climbing, Ice climbing, Trekking, Day hikes, by Gavin Raubenheimer and Tony Lourens

Drakensberg Select: Rock climbing, Ice climbing, Trekking, Day hikes, by Gavin Raubenheimer and Tony Lourens. Blue Mountain Design & Publishing

Drakensberg Select: Rock climbing, Ice climbing, Trekking, Day hikes, by Gavin Raubenheimer and Tony Lourens is an extensive guide to the best South Africa's Drakensberg mountains have to offer.

Tony Lourens  

Preface

My first taste of the Drakensberg was in the late 1980s. My close friend and life-long climbing partner, Willie Koen and I, decided to do a two-week trekking trip to the 'Berg to see what these 'high' mountains were all about. We drove up from Cape Town in my trusty little bright red Datsun 1400 bakkie and arrived, 36 hours later, at the Royal Natal National Park nestled at the foot of the famous Amphitheatre. I had read Barrier of Spears and A Camera in Quathlamba, two seminal books on the Drakensberg. And standing beneath these huge mountains, I could feel a definite presence; a presence of immense grandeur, and of the many famous names that I had only read about. I was surrounded by a deep and palpable history - tales of war and misfortune, tales of hardship and tragedy, and the many stories of climbing and exploration in these immense and bewitching hills. I was ready and looking forward to our own adventures. The next morning, we presented ourselves at the office and told the elderly gentleman behind the counter that we were from Cape Town and here to climb in the Drakensberg. He was silent for a moment and fixed us with a steady gaze. Then, and his words will forever remain in our memories, he said in a slow and meaningful voice, The rocks in the Cape mountains are hard,' and he emphasized the word 'hard'. 'But the rock here is soft,' and he drew out the word sofffft. And then he was silent again, as if giving us time to digest what he had just said. Then he added, 'It takes time to learn how to climb on these rocks, so be careful.' Armed with these words of wisdom, Willie and I set out on our first trip, the famous Chain Ladder Trail to the top of the escarpment. That night we slept in the old Mont-aux-Sources hut and, very early the next morning, we were at the top of the frozen Tugela Falls, armed with cameras, waiting for the sun to come out. It was as cold as all hell. Something we little Capetonians were definitely not used to. But it was also mesmerizing - being at over 3 000 metres in this icy silence, and on top of the mighty Amphitheatre that we had seen from below only two days ago. During the following two weeks, Willie and I explored two other major areas of the 'Berg - the Cathedral Peak region, where we did the iconic Beil-Twins Traverse, then over Cleft peak and down past the Camel, back to the Cathedral Peak Hotel, and a journey past the legendary Monk's Cowl peak, where Dick Barry saw his end, up Grey's Pass, and to the summit of Champagne Castle. Willie and I still talk fondly about that trip. We came away with a huge appreciation and respect for these spectacular and majestic mountains. A place where we had to work hard, but with rewards so glorious and sweet, that it was worth every breathless step. Now, 30 years later, I find myself publishing a book on these very mountains, in collaboration with Gavin Raubenheimer, a long time 'Berg climber. Seven years ago, I approached Gavin and asked if he would be interested in authoring and working together with me to produce a guidebook to the 'Berg. [...]

This is an excerpt from Drakensberg Select: Rock climbing, Ice climbing, Trekking, Day hikes, by Gavin Raubenheimer and Tony Lourens.

Title: Drakensberg Select
Subtitle: Rock climbing, Ice climbing, Trekking, Day hikes
Author: Gavin Raubenheimer
Editor: Tony Lourens
Publisher: Blue Mountain Design & Publishing
Cape Town, South Africa 2019
ISBN 9780994712400 / ISBN 978-0-9947124-0-0
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 352 pages, throughout colour photos