Highmoor

Highmoor in the south-central Drakensberg is situated at the southern end of Giants Castle.  It’s a small reserve with some rustic camping facilities.  The last time we camped there there was no hot water, but whether that’s a regular feature or not I don’t know.  As a starting point for hikes it’s quite high – the car park is at 2000m, and for the hike described here you actually walk downhill  to your destination and then uphill again back to your car.  To get to Highmoor from Durban leave the N3 at Nottingham Road.  From Nottingham Road take the road to Rosetta.  From Rosetta turn at the sign to Kamberg (ROSETTA waypoint).  Once on the Rosetta-Kamberg road do not take the Kamberg turn-off to the left but stay on the road for another few metres (I think it was about 500).  Turn left at the sign to Highmoor (HM-ROAD) and carry on till you get to your destination.

WARNING: Taking caravans is prohibited. And taking trailers is not very good idea from personal experience.  From the Highmoor gate it is a steep climb on a twisty, one-lane road.  At some places you’ll need to back up to a lay-by to allow oncoming traffic to pass.  With a towed vehicle it gets ugly at this point.  GPS Route (Rosetta to Highmoor carpark): ROSETTA, HM-ROAD, HM-GATE, HM-001.  Aasvoëlkransgrot (Vulture cliff cave) This was a hike we did over New Year’s 2002.  It’s not a long hike, about 4.5km each way.  This is good when you’re packing enough booze to float a battleship.  Start from the car park (HM001), go through the gate (HM002) and to the start of the trail (HM003).  I think this was a right turn off the jeep track.  You go over a bridge (HM004), and then turn right and follow the path down to the dam.  At the trout dam turn right (HM005) and follow the path over the dam wall and down to the waterfall (HM008).  Cross the river and follow the path to the right.  Keep along the contour.  Care should be taken, as the hill is rather steep and the going is a bit rough – it would be easy to twist an ankle.  At HM011 the path died.  Our map-reading skills were pushed to the limit to find the way.  The path becomes clear again just above the cave (HM014).  From here it is a short descent down to the cave.  It’s actually a double level cave, with the top half being left more or less to the swifts and the bats, and the bottom half for the people.  There is a small place to sleep in the top half.  The cave itself (HM015) is huge, with the river running below it.  There’s a large pool and waterfall right there.  Spend two nights there – the in between day can be used for day hikes along the top or just for lolling about at the river.  It’s quite loud in the cave with the waterfall, but you get used to it quickly.  Return via the same route.  In order to miss the one rough bit of the path we walked back to the right of where we had come from (waypoints HM016 and HM017.  Head back as if toward the lookout point, but rejoin the original path at HM010.  GPS Route (Highmoor car park to Aasvoëlkransgrot):  HM001..HM015.  Alternate route:  HM001..HM010, HM017, HM016, HM014, HM015. The waypoints are in the following file:  Highmoor.txt                                                                                                                                                 Home