Drakensberg Mountains

Drakensberg Mountains, also Quathlamba, mountain range, paralleling the extreme southeastern coast of Africa. Located mostly in South Africa, it extends for about 1125 km (about 700 mi), from the province of Mpumalanga to the province of Eastern Cape, and forms the eastern boundary of Lesotho and, in part, of the province of Free State. It is the highest portion of the eastern part of the Great Escarpment. Among its peaks are Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482 m/11,424 ft above sea level, the highest in southern Africa) and Mont-aux-Sources (3299 m/10,822 ft), near which the scenic Royal Natal National Park is located. The Drakensberg Mountains are crossed by rail at two points, Van Reenen Pass (1646 m/5400 ft) and Laing’s Nek (1250 m/4100 ft).