The Bell Traverse is one of the Drakensberg's great multi-day routes — a high-level mountain journey that links three of the Central Berg's most iconic features in a single, sweeping arc. It is a route of exceptional variety — technical scrambling, exposed ridge walking, vast escarpment views, and a final descent through one of the Berg's most beautiful river valleys.

This is not a route for beginners. The Bell traverse demands sure-footedness on steep and exposed terrain, and the physical endurance to carry a full pack across serious mountain ground for three days. But for those who are ready for it, it is the Drakensberg at its absolute finest — wild, committed, and unforgettable from start to finish.

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Day One 

We set off from the Cathedral Peak Hotel and cross the Mlambonja River before the trail begins its long climb toward the upper Berg. The path winds upward through open grassland and protea scrub, with the towering face of Cathedral Peak growing more imposing with every meter gained. As the valley drops away below, the views north and south along the escarpment begin to open — a reminder of just how high and wild the Berg is.

The route passes through Orange Peel Gap, the narrow rocky gully that marks the transition from the Little Berg to the upper mountains. Above the gap, the terrain becomes rockier and more exposed, and the full scale of Cathedral Peak comes into focus directly above. We push on to the broad ridge just below the summit — a spectacular, wind-scoured shelf of rock and alpine grass with the escarpment wall to the west and the entire midlands falling away to the east.

This is camp for the night. There is no shelter here — just the mountain, the sky, and the extraordinary silence of the high Berg after dark.

 

Day Two 

Day two is the heart of the route — a long, exhilarating day of high-level ridge walking, technical scrambling, and sustained mountain navigation. From the high camp, the route moves west and south along the ridge toward The Bell — a great, detached pinnacle of basalt that is one of the most distinctive landmarks in the entire Drakensberg. The traverse around The Bell is the technical crux of the route: steep, exposed, and requiring careful movement on rock. The exposure is real, the footing demands concentration, and the views — straight down the cliff faces into the valley thousands of meter’s below — are vertiginous and magnificent in equal measure.

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Beyond The Bell, the route continues along the high ground, threading between rocky outcrops and open alpine grassland with the escarpment edge always close to the left. The scale of the landscape up here is staggering — you are walking on the roof of Southern Africa, with Lesotho stretching away to the west and the Berg's great buttresses dropping away below you on the east.

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The descent to Twins Cave requires careful navigation and steady footwork on steep ground. The cave itself is one of the Drakensberg's finest natural shelters — a deep, dry rock overhang large enough for a group, with the remains of San rock art on the walls and a stream close by for water. After the demands of the day, it is a remarkably welcoming place to spend the night. 

 

Day Three

Day three is a long descent — but a beautiful one. From Twins Cave, the route drops down into the Mlambonja Valley and picks up the pass that will carry us all the way back to the hotel. The Mlambonja Pass is one of the Drakensberg's classic descent routes: steep in places, but well-defined, winding through spectacular gorge scenery as the river gathers itself below.

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As the altitude drops, the terrain softens — rocky outcrops give way to grassland, the air warms, and the familiar sounds of the lower Berg return. The river is a constant companion for much of the descent, crossing back and forth as the valley narrows and opens. By the time the hotel comes back into view across the flats, we’ll all be ready for a cold drink and time off the legs.

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The Bell Traverse is the Central Drakensberg at its most complete — a route that asks you to climb, scramble, endure, and finally descend through some of the finest mountain scenery in Africa. Those who complete it carry something home that no day walk can give: three days lived fully in the Berg, from valley floor to escarpment rim and back again.

For additional information, please check our frequently asked questions.