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The Drakensberg

South Africa & Lesotho

By Greg Annandale

January 22^nd, 2018

"The Drakensberg" is a roughly 1000km portion of the Great Escarpment (which itself stretches most of the length and breadth of South Africa). Also known as "The Barrier of Spears", it reaches up to 3,482m and much of it provides the border between Lesotho and South Africa.

Continuing on from my previous story; The Drakensberg on Film, the following makes up the digital portion of the images shot during a week-long backpacking trip in November 2017.

Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge, and the "Amphitheatre" section of the Drakensberg, viewed from below.

Ascent past Sentinel Peak via the chain ladders and onto the Amphitheatre and Tugela Falls (the second-tallest waterfall in the world).

Tugela Falls at sunrise.

Tugela Falls to Fangs Pass.

A double rainbow, one of the many stunning optical effects the changeable and dramatic weather in the Drakensberg produces.

Fangs Pass to Rockeries Pass, via Mponjwana, the Mnweni Needles and a vulture colony.

Sunrise over Fangs Pass.

Swallows in the early-morning light.

The terrain of Lesotho, above the escarpment.

The Mnweni Needles.

Anti-crepuscular rays and a rainbow over the Mnweni Needles.

The vulture colony below Mponjwana.

The eagle-eyed (ha!) can spot two vultures (aka tiny dots) in the panorama below; one far left just below the horizon (alongside the cliff face closest to camera) and the other far right just above the horizon (a little below the peak of Mponjwana which is becoming obscured in cloud).