Injisuthi

Injisuthi sits at the northern end of the Giant's Castle complex, and it is the least developed of the accessible Drakensberg valleys - a camp, a campsite, and then nothing but paths. The escarpment above holds Mafadi, at 3,450 metres the highest point in South Africa, along with Champagne Castle and the Injisuthi Triplets, so the walking here is the most serious in the range. Battle Cave, reached on a guided walk of about three hours each way, holds some 750 San paintings including a scene long interpreted as a fight between groups, though that reading is debated; access is guided only and numbers are limited to protect the site. The valley name means well-fed dog in Zulu. Because the road in is long gravel and the camp is small, Injisuthi stays empty even when the rest of the Drakensberg is full.

What you actually see

• Mafadi above - at 3,450 metres the highest point in the country, on the escarpment.
• Battle Cave - about 750 San paintings, guided access only, three hours' walk each way.
• The emptiness - the least visited of the reachable Drakensberg valleys.
• The Triplets - the Injisuthi peaks closing the head of the valley.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Two to three days. Guided cave walks are booked at the camp.

Honest expectations

The access road is long, rough gravel and slow. Facilities are minimal - a small camp and campsite, no shop worth the name. Battle Cave is guided only and the walk is longer than people expect. Summer storms are severe on the high ground.

Nearby

Giant's Castle is south in the same complex; Champagne Valley is over the ridge.