Giant's Castle
- For the ruined monument on the Isles of Scilly, England, see Giant's Castle, Isles of Scilly
| Giant's Castle | |
|---|---|
  Giant's Castle Location in South Africa | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,315 m (10,876 ft) |
| Listing | List of mountains in South Africa |
| Coordinates | 29°20′0″S 29°29′0″E / 29.33333°S 29.48333°ECoordinates: 29°20′0″S 29°29′0″E / 29.33333°S 29.48333°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Parent range | Drakensberg |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Scramble |
Giant's Castle is a mountain peak in the southern African Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal. Giants Castle offers visitors to the regions hiking opportunities with panoramic views. The Nature Reserve offers secluded accommodation, bushman rock art with easy access for everyone and about the best base to start a Drakensberg hiking experience. The area is one of many of South Africa's adventure areas, and plays host to the Giants Challenge MTB marathon in April each year.
Lying at the southern end of the central Drakensberg Giant’s Castle, which gets its name from the outline of the peaks and escarpment that combine to resemble the profile of a sleeping giant, is essentially a grassy plateau that nestles among the deep valleys of this part of the Drakensberg.
Giants Castle Game Reserve is considered the home of the eland as well as the bearded vulture. Another Giants Castle highlight is the superb bushman rock art at main caves which is easy to get to and well presented.
Formerly the renowned Lammergeier Hide was open for visitors to watch bearded vultures and other endangered bird species. This facility has since fallen into disrepair.
Hiking Trails
There are in excess of 25 walks in the Giant’s Castle Game Reserve. The 285 kilometres (177 mi) network of trails here includes 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to 30 kilometres (19 mi) hikes, spanning from 1 hour to overnight.
There are currently 14 recognized escarpment passes in the region (listed north to south):
- Corner Pass [1]
- Around the Corner Pass (variation route on Corner Pass with alternative summit)
- Judge Pass[2]
- Gypaetus Pass (opened in September 2012) [3]
- Bannerman Pass
- Thumb Pass (opened in 1997)[4]
- North Hlubi Pass [5]
- South Hlubi Pass [5]
- Langalibalele Pass [6]
- Bond Pass (opened in 2014) [7]
- North Jarding/Jarateng Pass[8]
- Central Jarding/Jarateng Pass[8]
- South Jarding/Jarateng Pass[8]
- Giant's Castle Pass [9]
The Bushman’s River Trail is one of the most popular walks in the reserve. Points of interest along this route include Sandstone View and the historic Rock 75, where a cook from the 75th Regiment on Foot carved the figure 75 into a boulder during the Langalibalele rebellion in 1874. The highlight of this trail is the Main Caves, with one of the best known rock-art sites in South Africa
References
- ↑ "Corner Pass". Vertical Endeavour.
- ↑ "You Be The Judge". Vertical Endeavour.
- ↑ Newman, Jonathan. "I Am Crazy But I Am Not Stupid". Vertical Endeavour.
- ↑ "Thumb Pass". Vertical Endeavour.
- 1 2 Newman, Jonathan. "Hlubi Passes". Vertical Endeavour.
- ↑ Newman, Jonathan. "Langalibalele Pass". Vertical Endeavour.
- ↑ Newman, Jonathan. "Bond Pass". Vertical Endeavour.
- 1 2 3 "Jarateng Passes". Vertical Endeavour.
- ↑ "Hike Report Giants Castle Giants Pass". Vertical Endeavour.
External links
- Giant's Castle Accommodation
- Giants Castle National Park and private cottages
- Giant's Castle on Peakware
- Giant's Castle pictorial online book
- Giant's Castle from Drakensberg Tourism