Location:
Cathedral Peak Wilderness Area, northern Drakensberg (on the Bell Traverse).
GPS Coordinates: WGS 84
Bell Cave: S28 55.695 E29 07.880 at ~2708 metres (Landlubbers)
Bell Cave Annex: S28 55.701 E29 07.883 at ~2696 metres (Landlubbers)
Description:
Bell Cave offers a little more protection from the weather than its neighbouring annex, but both are extremely exposed. Their only real attraction – besides the views – is their flattish floors. Since it is difficult to find any flat areas on the Bell Traverse, these provide a good place to pitch a small tent or two. Bell Cave will not provide much in the way of shelter, especially since the overhang is incomplete and has had to be been “plugged” with a stone wall on one end. Its annex amounts to nothing more than a level platform against a rock face.
WARNING! Smugglers and stock thieves are active in this area! The author has personally seen pistol-packing Zulus pursuing Basotho cattle thieves near Bell Cave. In 2004 a group of backpackers was robbed at gun point of all their possessions except for the clothes they were sleeping in. Unfortunately these kinds of incidents impact negatively on the tourism potential of the area, but little seems to be done by the authorities to curb the problem.
Comfort: 1/5
The floor is smooth and level, but there is little headroom and in summer it is usually muddy from several drips. The cave is strewn with smugglers’ litter and they have even made a small fire on the edge of the sleeping area.
Water: 3/5
In summer water can be fetched from one of the little streams which trickles across the contour path further up from the cave. There are also numerous drips and trickles running off the rock faces nearby. However, in winter these water sources may dry up completely, although you are likely to find some snow lying in the shaded areas around the cave.
Pools: 0/5
There are no good pools within easy walking distance of the cave.
Shelter: 1/5
In summer the Cathedral Peak range invites violent thunderstorms, and – protruding from the main escarpment as it does – it is not a pleasant place to be in bad weather since it bears the full brunt of the forces of nature. This cave will offer very little shelter in driving rain and snow.
Outlook: 5/5
The cave provides a very intimidating view of Bugger’s Gully, and further along the contour path there are some fine views of the escarpment south of Cathedral Peak. A short uphill walk to the saddle between the Bell and Cathedral Peak will afford an excellent view of the escarpment to the north as well.
Overall Rating: 10/25
History:
These overhangs are located below the base of the Bell, hence their names.