The Zulu name uKhahlamba means barrier of spears, and the first sight of the Drakensberg escarpment from the plain makes it clear why. For about two hundred kilometers along the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho, a wall of basalt cliffs rises to more than three thousand meters, broken by jagged buttresses, towers and deep gorges. The park protects much of it, and UNESCO gave it dual listing for both nature and culture in 2000, reflecting the richness of the wildlife and the astonishing rock art.
The paintings are the cultural treasure. San hunter-gatherers lived in these valleys for thousands of years, and left tens of thousands of images on the walls of caves and rock shelters, depicting eland, hunters, dancers and strange mixed figures that seem to show visions of trance. Some sites, such as those in the Giant's Castle area, can be visited with guides, and the paintings are best seen in gentle light. The San were eventually driven out by Zulu, Basotho and colonial settlers, and the last of them disappeared from the mountains in the nineteenth century.
For riders, the roads that lead to the mountains are among the best in the province. From the main road, long spurs run into the foothills, past resorts, farms and trout dams, and the views of the escarpment are grand in good weather. The pass at Oliviershoek, on the road to the Royal Natal National Park, climbs with bends and views toward the Amphitheatre, a cliff face about five kilometers long, over which the Tugela Falls plunge nearly a kilometer in several drops, among the highest in the world. Surfaces vary, and the dirt roads into the park can be rough after rain.
The weather is changeable. Summers are warm, with thunderstorms in the afternoon, and winters are cold and dry, with frosts and occasional snow on the peaks. Clear mornings are excellent, with crisp air and long views. Mist and cloud can descend quickly, so carry layers.
Fuel is available in towns such as Bergville, Winterton and Estcourt, but not within the park, so plan accordingly. Resorts and guesthouses along the foothills offer meals and beds, and an entrance fee is charged at the park gates. The great days here are the quiet ones, when the escarpment turns blue at dusk and the grassland smells of dry earth and wood smoke.