DRAKENSBERG

the main mountain range of southern Africa. The Drakensberg rises to more than 11,400 feet (3,475 m) and extends roughly northeast to southwest for 700 miles (1,125 km) parallel to the southeastern coast of South Africa. The Drakensberg is part of the Great Escarpment and separates the extensive high plateaus of the South African interior from the lower lands along the coast. From its northeastern termination in Northern and Mpumalanga provinces, the range extends through Lesotho to Eastern province. The range separates Mpumalanga and Free State provinces and Lesotho on the plateau from lower-lying Swaziland and KwaZulu/Natal province near the coast. The Drakensberg is the main watershed of South Africa and is the source of the Orange River. The most elevated stretch of the Drakensberg, in eastern and southern Lesotho, is composed of severely eroded basalt capping a sandstone base. Its pinnacles and broken and fractured blocks present a steep eastern scarp (10,000 to more than 11,000 feet [3,000 to 3,300 m] in elevation) along the length of the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu/Natal; a steep southern scarp (8,000 to 10,000 feet [2,400 to 3,000 m] in elevation) lies along the length of the LesothoEastern province border. The local Zulu name for the eastern face, Quathlamba, meaning barrier of pointed spears or piled up rocks, is an accurate physical description of this part of the Drakensberg. Immediately below the steep scarps to the south and east are sandstone terraces with basalt outcrops and deep valleys running to the sea; this is an area of many game reserves and scenic national parks. Northeast of the juncture of the Free State, KwaZulu/Natal, and Lesotho borders, the Drakensberg becomes progressively less elevated, with the steep eastern escarpment giving way to gentle slopes; north of the town of Belfast in Mpumalanga province, the range once again becomes more rugged, attaining heights of more than 7,600 feet (2,300 m). The western and northern sides of the Drakensberg shelve gradually into the interior plateau, though in Lesotho the range descends into a jumble of weathered basalt mountains, where waterfalls and deep gorges are commonplace. The Drakensberg of Lesotho and KwaZulu/Natal is snowcapped in winter. Mountaineering is challenging, and some peaks remain unclimbed because of difficult access. The natural tussock steppe is not farmed or developed, and this area is dotted with mountain resorts and camping grounds.