We had another beautiful day at Monks Cowl, one of the most scenic areas of the central Drakensberg and a popular gateway into the mountains of KwaZulu-Natal. Located at the head of the Champagne Valley near Winterton, Monks Cowl forms part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.
The area takes its name from the distinctive mountain peak whose shape resembles a monk’s hood, rising between Champagne Castle and Cathkin Peak. Monks Cowl is also a major gateway to the Mlambonja and Mdedelo Wilderness Areas, offering a wide range of hiking opportunities — from relatively easy walks to Sterkspruit and Nandi Falls to demanding mountain routes such as Blind Man’s Corner and Ship’s Prow Pass.
The landscape is spectacular, with towering basalt cliffs, deep river valleys, indigenous forests and clear mountain streams cascading down from the highlands. The surrounding wilderness is home to numerous bird species, baboons and bushbuck, with occasional sightings of smaller mammals and birds of prey.
The camp itself has its own lively residents: cheeky vervet monkeys regularly patrol the area, so keep food and anything edible securely stored. As everywhere in the Drakensberg, the weather can also change remarkably quickly — one moment we had beautiful sunshine, and the next the mountains were covered in mist and rain.
Parking location – Monks Cowl: 29.0172731S 29.4625268E (🚻,🚿,💦,🔌,🍽️,🅿️120 ZAR/pax)