Location:
Bushman’s Nek Wilderness Area, lower southern Drakensberg. There is nowadays a relatively unused path all the way up to the Surprise Cave rock art site from the saddle opposite Vast Cave. Surprise Cave (also called Red Hartebeest Cave) is about 100 metres downstream from Daniel’s Cave. After the stream crossing just past Surprise Cave, this path continues steeply uphill, enters a gully to the right and continues on steeply to the plateaus below Lammergeier Cave. However, if you contour upriver from the stream crossing instead, you will soon see Daniel’s Cave across the narrow valley.
GPS Coordinates: WGS 84
S29 50.863 E29 08.908 at 2078 metres (Landlubbers)
Description:
Daniel’s Cave is quite a large, deep cave whose overhang has a rectangular appearance when viewed from a distance. It lies in quite a narrow section of valley. There are several sleeping areas which together can easily accommodate 12 people.
Comfort: 4/5
The various sleeping areas are mostly level and smooth.
Water: 5/5
There is a reliable stream below the cave, and in summer there is a strong trickle in the cave itself – easily accessible just before the flow disappears underground again.
Pools: 3/5
There are some small plunge pools in the stream opposite the cave.
Shelter: 5/5
This is a nice dry cave, sheltered to a large extent from wind by the narrow valley and the large boulder at its upper end.
Outlook: 3/5
The cave faces onto the opposite side of the valley, so there is not much to see until you step out from below the overhang, from where you can take in a partly-obscured view of the Devil’s Knuckles (Three Bushmen).
Overall Rating: 20/25
History:
Unknown