Cathedral Four & Challenge
Take on a Drakensberg Hiking Challenge
Some guests come to the Drakensberg to rest and take in the views; others come to test themselves on the trails.
The Cathedral 4 Challenge invites guests to complete four beautiful trails through the Drakensberg, ranging from gentler walks to more demanding hikes. The challenge can be completed in any order and over any period of time, allowing guests to shape the experience around their stay, fitness level and hiking confidence.
The Cathedral 4 Challenge offers a rewarding personal goal, combining four distinctive routes with the comfort and convenience of a stay at the resort.
Complete Four Beautiful Drakensberg Trails
The Cathedral 4 Challenge brings together four distinctive routes: Doreen Falls, Oqalweni Fern Forest, Mushroom Rock and Baboon Rock.
Together, these trails show how varied the landscape can be. Waterfalls, indigenous forest, sandstone formations and mountain viewpoints all become part of one challenge, giving guests a reason to move through the resort’s surroundings with purpose and curiosity.
The four hikes can be completed in any order over any period of time. Guests can register at reception or with the entertainment team to qualify for the Cathedral 4 Award, which includes a medal and certificate to mark the achievement.
How the Challenge Works
Guests complete the four selected trails during their stay or across multiple visits. The challenge is flexible, so hikers can choose the order and pace that works best for them.
After registering with reception or the entertainment team, guests can complete each route and work towards the Cathedral 4 Award. This gives guests a structured way to explore the Drakensberg while still enjoying the comfort and facilities of Cathedral Peak Hotel between hikes.
The flexible format suits both returning guests and first-time hikers, offering a clear goal and a memorable way to explore the area.
The Cathedral 4 Routes
Doreen Falls
1.5 hours round trip
Difficulty: Gentle walk
Doreen Falls is named after Albert van der Riet’s wife and is one of the most frequently visited falls in the area. At the base of the waterfall is a cool, shady and spacious spot with a deep pool that is suitable for swimming. Guests can also walk behind the falls if they are prepared for a scramble.
This route gives the Cathedral 4 Challenge a gentle and scenic beginning. It carries water, shade, family history and the pleasure of reaching a waterfall that has become part of the hotel’s walking tradition.
Oqalweni Fern Forest
2 hours round trip
Difficulty: Moderate
Oqalweni Fern Forest takes guests to a shady indigenous forest close to Cathedral Peak. The route includes impressive ferns, tall yellowwood trees and a few natural pools, with the option to walk a little higher up the river to see more of the surrounding flora and fauna.
This hike adds a quieter chapter to the challenge. Away from open grasslands and ridgelines, guests move through forest shade, water and greenery, experiencing a softer side of the Drakensberg landscape.
Mushroom Rock
3 hours round trip
Difficulty: Strenuous
Mushroom Rock is a natural sandstone formation shaped by wind and rain erosion. The route offers views of the Cathedral Peak mountain range and a memorable photo opportunity from the ridge.
This hike brings a stronger physical challenge into the Cathedral 4, with a landmark that tells the slow story of weather, stone and time. The reward is not only the view, but the feeling of having reached one of the area’s recognisable natural features.
Baboon Rock
4 hours round trip
Difficulty: Strenuous
Baboon Rock is an unusual rock formation visible from the hotel grounds, showing the profile of a baboon’s forehead and muzzle. The route takes guests across grassy hills, rocky areas and indigenous forest before reaching views from the top of the baboon’s “head”.
As the longest of the four Cathedral 4 hikes, Baboon Rock gives the challenge its strongest sense of achievement. It is a route of varied terrain, distinctive scenery and the satisfaction of reaching a landmark guests can see from the resort itself.
Why Take on the Cathedral 4 Challenge?
A Structured Way to Explore the Mountains
The Cathedral 4 Challenge gives guests more than a list of trails to complete. It offers a way to move through the landscape with intention, linking four different routes into one memorable Drakensberg experience.
Instead of choosing only one walk, guests can work through four trails, each with its own scenery, difficulty level and point of interest. The challenge is suited to guests who want their Drakensberg stay to include both leisure and achievement, while still enjoying the warmth, meals and comfort of Cathedral Peak Hotel between hikes.
The mountains become part of the memory, and the resort becomes the place guests return to after each step of the journey.
A Trail Running Challenge to the Summit
Cathedral Peak itself carries a powerful place in the wider story of the resort. It is one of the most popular and highest free-standing peaks in the Drakensberg, first climbed by D.W. Bassett-Smith and R.G. Kingdon in 1917. The round trip can take up to 10 hours if attempted in a day.
From May to September 2018, the Cathedral Peak Challenge gave trail runners the opportunity to connect with one of South Africa’s most recognisable mountain landscapes in a demanding and memorable way. The 20.7km route started at the hotel, went to the summit and returned to the hotel, with a total ascent of 1531m. The quickest runners to the top and back shared cash prizes totalling R100 000.
This challenge added another chapter to Cathedral Peak Hotel’s outdoor story: one shaped by speed, endurance, altitude and the dramatic presence of the mountain that gives the hotel its name.
2018 Winners
The current page records the 2018 first-place winners as follows:
The 1st Place Winners were:
Mens: Teboho Noosi – 2 hours – 11 minutes – 34 seconds
Ladies: Nicollete Griffieon – 2 hours – 44 minutes – 27 seconds
Mixed: Karine Bezuidenhout & Arlo van der Heerden – 5 hours – 42 minutes – 40 seconds.
Congratulations to all those who participated!
Turn Your Stay into an Achievement
Cathedral Peak Hotel gives guests direct access to trails, guided outdoor experiences and challenge-based routes that allow them to experience the Drakensberg through movement, effort and reward.
The Cathedral 4 Challenge is one example of this. Guests can complete four different hikes, each with its own character, and receive a medal and certificate to mark the achievement. For those interested in more demanding mountain experiences, the Cathedral Peak Challenge also forms part of the property’s wider outdoor story.
Together, these challenges show how a stay in the Drakensberg can become more than time away. It can become a story of effort, scenery, return and reward, with Cathedral Peak Hotel as the family-run mountain base that welcomes guests back after every route.
Every challenge begins with a step into the mountains, but at Cathedral Peak Hotel, it also ends with a return: to shared meals, warm hospitality, restful rooms and the quiet satisfaction of looking back at what you have completed.
The Cathedral 4 Challenge is one chapter of the resort’s Drakensberg story. Around it, the wider Cathedral Peak Hotel experience continues through walks and hikes, family activities, dining, accommodation and moments that let guests enjoy the mountains at their own pace.
Hike
Explore the 18 walks and hikes that leave from and return to the resort, with daily complimentary guided hikes, bird watching and San rock art site visits adding depth to the mountain experience.
Enjoy
Balance achievement with easy resort pleasures, from leisure facilities and children’s entertainment to indoor games, outdoor recreation and time spent in the fresh Drakensberg air.
Dine
Return after the trails to generous buffet meals, terrace views, bar spaces and shared hospitality moments that bring guests back to the heart of the resort.
Rest after days of walking, climbing and exploring in 4-star rooms and suites surrounded by mountain scenery, comfort and the familiar warmth of family-run hospitality.
