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CAVES
OF THE NATAL DRAKENSBERG
NOTES ABOUT CAVES
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The caves have been listed
approximately from north to south to facilitate their location on a
map. Recommended maps are the Peter Slingsby series consisting of 3
double-sided fold-out sheets giving a total of 6 maps (2 maps each for the
north, central and southern berg regions). The State Forestry
versions of these maps are still
available at almost give-away prices from most of the reception
offices. The newer series of government maps consist of 6
fold-out sheets. At R30 each, they are very
expensive and in many respects no better and no more up-to-date than
Slingsby's 30 year-old maps! On the new maps several caves appear with
names different to the commonly accepted ones, and the use of a new Zulu
dialect seems to have complicated many of the Zulu place names with
different vowels and additional silent letters! The author's
preference for the Slingsby maps is reflected in the use of the older and
simpler spellings of the Zulu place names.
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The numbers after the cave
indicate the maximum number of people that can be accommodated. In
some cases the cave can accommodate fewer people in summer (S) than in
winter (W) because of dampness, drips and even rivulets during the wet
summer season.
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Although some of the caves
could easily accommodate 100 or more, the maximum is still limited to 12 in
order to reduce the environmental impact of campers.
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Some of the maxima listed
in this guide may differ from those specified by other sources. The
reason for this is that some of the cave terraces have been eroded and can
no longer accommodate as many people as they used to be able to.
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There are some caves and
annexes listed on this site which may not be publicised elsewhere.
Camping in some of these caves is prohibited because of environmental impact
damage, the presence of Bushman paintings in or near the caves, or the
proximity of the caves to other large public campsites. The general
rule is that no overnight camping is permitted in caves containing
Bushman paintings. In most other cases it is quite permissible
to stay overnight in an unlisted cave, provided the maximum of 12 people is
never exceeded.
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The making of fires
is prohibited, and this applies to campfires in caves as well.
Besides the obvious danger of starting veld fires during the dry winter
months, fires smoke out caves and coat their walls with soot, making them
uninhabitable for the myriad of little creatures which normally live in
their crevices. However, the most important reason for not making
fires centres around the availability of firewood. The growing season
in the mountains is short and the rich top-soil is very thin (usually just a
few centimetres), so only the hardiest of slow-growing plants can
survive. It is also essential that dead vegetation is recycled by
nature to replenish the top soil. In other words, firewood is
not a renewable resource in the mountains.
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Some sections of the berg have banned the use of candles. This is because many hikers like to
stand candles on ledges against the walls of caves, with the result that wax
runs down the walls and they also get blackened by soot. This is not
in keeping with the minimal-impact approach to hiking (i.e. "take only
photographs, leave only footprints"). If normal candles were used
responsibly this would not be an issue and there would be no need to ban
them. Hikers can now buy long-life candles which come with a
wind-shield and carry handle. These are very effective and are a good
alternative in areas where normal candles have been banned.
CAVE ETIQUETTE
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In
the lower berg you must book
your cave/s in advance of your hike, and make every effort to stick to your
planned route. Under no circumstances except in dire emergencies
should you ever stay overnight in a cave you have not booked when the cave
has already been booked by another group. In such an emergency (e.g.
extremely bad weather, flooded rivers or illness), if the rightful occupants
are already there when you arrive and assuming there is still sufficient
space for your group, it is polite to ask their permission to share their
cave and to accept "no" as an answer if they don't want to.
If they say "yes", you should observer their lights out time and
show due consideration for them.
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Although
it is theoretically possible to book escarpment caves, in practice the more
remote caves work on a first-come, first-served basis due to their low usage
and the fact that the occupants may have started their hike in a different
section of the berg. Proving rightful occupancy may be difficult
unless you ask the receptionist at your entry point to record the dates and
names of the caves you have booked on your official green receipt (which
doubles as your hiking permit). Again this may not be possible if you
are starting from a different section of the berg, since the booking will
have been made via a different office.
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If
you are trying to make for a cave you have never seen before, or if the
weather report indicates that the weather may turn foul, it is always best
to take sufficient tentage with you so that you can function independently
of caves if need be.
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Few
things are more disgusting than arriving at a cave to find it littered with
rubbish and the area surrounding it littered with human waste and toilet
paper. People who do these things should not be hiking at all.
Bury all human waste and toilet paper properly, in the open
where the rain can assist with decomposition, and put a
rock on top of the place where you squatted to reduce erosion and prevent
animals from digging up the spot. All rubbish must be brought back
down with you - do not bury anything except the most highly bio-degradable
waste such as apple cores and left-over dinner scraps.
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Avoid
wetting areas of the cave which might be used by other hikers the night
after your departure, and don't spoil the cave for other hikers by leaving
spilt food around in the hope that birds and other animals will clean it up
for you. Most animals avoid the cold winter weather by migrating or hibernating
anyway. Work on the assumption that the cave will be occupied by
another group immediately after your departure.
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