Nhlangeni Cave

Location:

Vergelegen Wilderness Area, southern Drakensberg.  The cave is situated about 200 metres below the top of Nhlangeni Pass, and quite well back from the direct line down the pass, although there is a path that passes nearby below it.

GPS Coordinates: WGS84

S29°29.557 E29°17.772 at 3 134 metres (Landlubbers)

Description:

Nhlangeni Cave lies in basalt, but despite this it looks more like a sandstone overhang. In good, dry weather it could accommodate 6 hikers, but a more realistic year-round figure is 2 to 4.  Close by is a small overhang referred to in the photograph above as an annex to the main cave.  Even further out along the same rock face is another cave with a low stone wall which looks like it might offer better accommodation, but it is lies much higher and further from the route up or down the pass.

Comfort:  4/5

The sleeping area is quite level.

Water:  0/5

There is no running water near the cave, but in the height of the wet season this could possibly be collected from trickles running down the rock faces in the area. The nearest reliable water sources are about 1 km down the pass below the cave, or 1 km from the top of the pass in Lesotho.

Pools:  0/5

No running water means no pools.

Shelter:  3/5

Depending on which direction the weather is coming from, the cave could be quite exposed and in driven rain only those at the back of the overhang would remain dry.

Outlook:  4/5

The cave faces across the very wide slope of Nhlangeni Pass onto the rock wall beyond.  This projects outwards from the escarpment, culminating in Mohlesi Peak. Overall it is a pleasing but relatively plain outlook.

Overall Rating:  11/25

History:

Unknown.

Last modified on 2011/11/10