Citadel Cave
Location:
Bushman’s Nek Wilderness Area, lower southern Drakensberg. Citadel Cave is situated in the eastern section of rock band directly below the camping area that has come to be known as The Citadel. This area is located on a small plateau near the end of a ridge that extends out from the traverse path that runs below the Devil’s Knuckles (also known as the Three Bushmen). The Citadel is very scenic and includes several tarns, rock formations and a large, prominent rock arch. Daniel’s Cave and the Surprise Cave rock art site lie a few kilometres further down the valley overlooked by the cave.
There are no paths to the cave. It can be approached from above via the Devil’s Knuckles traverse and The Citadel, or from below via a large plateau. However, gaining access to this plateau can present a challenge. The most direct route to the cave from the Bushman’s Nek entry point is up the river valley from Daniel’s Cave.
GPS Coordinates: WGS 84
S29 50.635 E29 7.853 at 2342 metres (Stephan Terblanche)
Description:
Citadel Cave is quite a substantial overhang with a mostly flat floor area against its back wall, with quite a high, curved drop-off in front. The entire floor and drop-off consist of sandstone bedrock.
Comfort: 4/5
The sleeping areas are relatively level and smooth with plenty of headroom. There is also a small cubbyhole with a much lower roof that can accommodate 2 to 3 hikers. The cave can easily accommodate a total of 8 hikers – more if they are prepared to huddle together.
Water: 2/5
In summer you can expect to find water in the tarns above, but this will disappear completely in winter. Any running streams are some distance away and probably impractical to use as a water source. Stagnant water such as that taken from a tarn should preferably be boiled before drinking it.
Pools: 3/5
The nearest pools are the tarns on the plateau above the cave. There are enough large ones in summer to assign some as water sources and others for bathing if necessary.
Shelter: 4/5
The overhang is deep, resulting in a dry, relatively sheltered cave. However, it is somewhat exposed to the wind, and in summer you can also expect heavy mist to roll into it.
Outlook: 4/5
Although the Devil’s Knuckles are not visible from the cave, other escarpment features such as Thomathu Peak, Goat’s Cave and Thaba Ngwange are. Garden Castle can also be seen in the distance down the valley,
Overall Rating: 17/25
History:
The cave was named after The Citadel on the ridge above it.