The Amphitheatre is one of the geographical features of the Northern Drakensberg, South Africa, and is widely regarded as one of the most impressive cliff faces on earth. The cliff face of the Amphitheatre is roughly three times the size of the total combined area of all the cliff faces in Yosemite's famous El Capitan, and more than 10 times the size of El Capitan's most famous (South Western) face. It is part of the Royal Natal National Park.
The Amphitheatre is over 5 km (3.107 mi) in length and has precipitous cliffs rising approximately 1220 m (4000 ft) along its entire length [1]. The bottom of the valley floor, from where many photographs of the mountain structure are taken, is over 1830 m (6000 ft) below the highest point of the amphitheatre (the summit being over 3050 m (10000 ft) above sea level - with Mont Aux Sources just over 3254 m (10678 ft) above sea level). The Tugela Falls, the world's second tallest falls, plunge over 948 m (3110 ft) [1] from the Amphitheatre's cliff tops.
The spectacularly beautiful mountain hiking trail to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources starts at the Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek, over 2500 m (8200 ft) above sea level, via Phuthadjhaba from where it is a relatively short climb to the top of the Amphitheatre. Via two chain ladders one can can gain easy access to the summit. The trip takes only 5 hours return, not including time taken on top of the mountain. This is the only day hiking trail which will take one to the top of the Drakensberg escarpment, and the view from the top is reputed to be amongst the most beautiful in the world.
Another trail to the foot of the Tugela Falls starts at Royal Natal National Park. The easy seven kilometre gradient up the Tugela gorge winds though indigenous forests. The last part of the hike to the Tugela Falls is a boulder hop. A little chain ladder takes one over the final stretch from where there is a stunning view of the falls rushing down the Amphitheatre in a series of five spectacular cascades.
The Tugela Falls, which is situated at the top of the Amphitheatre is said to be the highlight of Drakensberg. The start of this mountain hiking trail, which summits to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources begins at the Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek, from where it is a relatively fairly short climb to reach the top of the Aphitheatre. Via two chain ladders one is able to reach the summit, within 5 hours. It is a one day hiking trail to reach the top of the Drakensberg escarpment. [2]
In 1964, film director Cy Endfield shot the exterior locations in the mountainous Drakensberg National Park for the epic war film Zulu starring Michael Caine and Stanley Baker. The set for the British field hospital and supply depot at Rorke's Drift was created by the Tugela River with the Amphitheatre in the background. The real location of the battle was 60 miles (97 km) to the north west near the isolated hill at Isandwhana.