Dolerite pillars
Towering columns.
South African Tourism from South Africa — CC BY 2.0 · dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Valley of Desolation is a rocky gorge in Camdeboo National Park in the Eastern Cape, about 4 km in a straight line west of the town of Graaff-Reinet and 14 km from it by road. Sheer cliffs and tall columns of dolerite rise above the wide plains of the Camdeboo. The cliffs and pillars are the result of volcanic activity and erosion between 150 and 190 million years ago, when molten rock cooled into hard dolerite that has outlasted the softer rocks around it. The valley was declared a national monument in 1935, and the painter J.H. Pierneef captured it in one of his works. Camdeboo National Park, proclaimed in 2005 as South Africa's 22nd national park, covers 194 square kilometres around Graaff-Reinet. From the viewpoints at the top, orange and ochre pillars stand out against the blue haze of the plains below, with Graaff-Reinet and the Nqweba Dam in the distance. A short trail runs along the rim, the colours are richest at sunrise and sunset, and antelope can be seen in the park. A conservation fee is paid at the park gate, and the road to the top is paved. Bring water and a hat, as summer afternoons are very hot.
Towering columns.
To the horizon.
Rich colours.
Camdeboo National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Yes.
At sunrise or sunset.