Lammergeier Cave Trail

About Lammergeier Cave Trail

Start: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife office, Bushman's Nek
Finish: Bushman's Nek
Duration: 21 km (roughly 10 hours)
Fitness: moderate to difficult
Our tip: if you can, use the Lammergeier cave as an overnight spot from which to explore the surrounding area, including Devil's Knuckles (but sign the mountain register)

Head over Bushman's river and along the Ngwangwane River, crossing to the left-hand bank after a while. The path continues until you reach a fork, when you bear right.

The first major stop and landmark is Cedric's pool, perfect for a swim stop, but icy almost all year round. From there you can see Devil's Knuckles high in the background, if the weather is clear – an indication of where one is going!

From here it is an uphill to the plateau on which rests the Lammergeier cave, a relentless climb through long grass and not much of a path, which makes it tough going.

Views throughout make the slog worth it, particularly up and down the valley through which one hikes. Once on the long flat plateau, the walk becomes a little easier, heading on to the valley of the Lammergeier Cave.

There is an overgrown path that will take you all the way to the cave, although it is not always clear. Accompanying scenery includes incredible valleys, sheer cliffs and breathtaking rock formations.

The valley is long, and only up the far end can one start to see the long shape of the cave in the rock face. This is when the going gets particularly tough, with the destination in sight.

Surrounded on three sides by huge sandstone formations, the cave is really like a slit in the rock, a huge and narrow overhang that easily holds a large hiking party. And the views from the cave are spectacular.

The following morning add a last little spurt to add Goat's Cave to the itinerary, a fairly daunting climb, before the long downhill back to the car park.