The lone peak
Jagged basalt.
Chris Bloom from Durban, South Africa — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Paul IJpelaar — CC BY 3.0 · Sara Atkins from San Francisco Bay Area — CC BY 2.0 · Paul IJpelaar — CC BY 3.0 · Darren Glanville from Acle, Norfolk, UK — CC BY-SA 2.0
Cathedral Peak is a free-standing 3,004 m mountain in the Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal, about 41 km in a straight line west of the town of Winterton. The local Amangwane people call it Mponjwana, «little horn». It belongs to the Cathedral Ridge, a spur set at right angles to the main range, whose other summits include the Bell at 2,930 m, the Outer and Inner Horns at about 3,005 m, the Chessmen and Mitre Peak at 3,023 m. It was first climbed in 1917 by D.W. Basset-Smith and R.G. Kingdon, by way of a gully. Jagged basalt peaks rise above green valleys, grassy slopes and rushing mountain streams, and trails lead from the valley floor to waterfalls, viewpoints and, for fit hikers, the summit itself. Clouds often gather on the peaks on summer afternoons, while winter brings clear skies and sometimes snow. Climbing the peak takes a full, strenuous day, so start early and come down before the summer thunderstorms that usually build in the afternoon.
Jagged basalt.
Rushing streams.
To waterfalls.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Yes, in a full, strenuous day for fit hikers.
Autumn and spring; beware summer storms.