Sherry Cave Hike

About Sherry Cave Hike

Start: Garden Castle Wilderness Area, Drakensberg
Finish: Garden Castle Wilderness Area
Duration: overnight hike
Fitness: moderate to difficult
Our tip: bear in mind that sherry cave is far from water and entails carrying extra up to the cave; to reach the closest stream is a very steep climb

So why Sherry Cave, particularly as it is also has a rather narrow and difficult entrance?

Those who make the climb site the views as their reason (although from the cave itself these are not anything to write home about, rather it takes a walk to the top of the hill behind the cave for much wider views).

It may have more to do with the challenge of making it to a cave few hikers frequent.

There are two sherry caves in the hiking annuls.

Both are in Garden Castle Wilderness Area, but the 'old' Sherry cave is closest to Wave and Rob's cave, only about 100 metres off the main path and easy to pass without noticing particularly as it is the underhang of a flat boulder.

'New' Sherry Cave lies in the vicinity of Painters, White Horse and Whyte's caves, a deep overhang that, at a push, can accommodate 8 adults, although in summer it is more comfortable with 4.

Children should not go to the cave as there is a sheer vertical drop in front of it.

The walk to the cave is all uphill to the summit, and then over the other side and down to the cave. To reach the cave entails walking down a gully to a steep rock face with a sheer drop.

However, the cave's overhang is deep and offers protection from even the worst weather, unless there is mist or wind, in which case you could find yourself sleeping under your ground sheet in a bid to stay dry.