uKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK - VERGELEGEN AND COBHAM

Dominated by Hodgson's Peaks which enclose the Giants Cup, Cobham is a 52000 hectare section of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in the southern berg adjacent to Himeville Village. The impression one gets of Cobham is vast expanses of Themeda and Festuca grassland which turn from emerald green in spring and summer to shades of gold, brown and purple in autumn and winter.

The area has large numbers of small upland lakes or tarns and there is an area in Cobham called the Lake District. This beautiful part of the southern Drakensberg with an abundance of tree ferns along its rivers and occassional dense stands of Protea Dracomontana on the little Berg slopes and knolls has much to offer the hiker. The Giants Cup Hiking trail starts near the Sani Pass in the north of Cobham and follows the line of the escarpment through the little Berg into Garden Castle ending in Bushmans's Nek. The full route takes five days but it is possible to do shorter sections if visitors have limited time. In the secluded valleys hikers are likely to see Cape Clawless otter and herds of eland well as a large variety of other animals and birds. Cobham has some of the best rock art sites south of the Didima valley and it is possible to hire a guide to visit a selection of them.

Accommodation at Cobham is limited to rustic camping with cold water and only four toilets. Overnight hikers have a choice of a number of caves some of which can sleep up to 12 people. Vergelegen is managed as part of Cobham and also provides opportunities for overnight camping and good river trout fishing. It is the closest hiking route to the highest peak in the Drakensberg Thaba Ntlenyana (the beautiful little mountain) which is in Lesotho, at 3482m the highest peak south of Kilamanjaro. Sani Pass, the gateway to Lesotho, falls within Cobham boundaries and is easily reached from the campsite with a 4 x 4 vehicle.