The Eastern Cape...

Valley of Desolation

The Valley of Desolation is a geological phenomenon; a sheer cliff face, declared a national monument that lies within the Camdeboo National Park -  a unique landscape that surrounds the town of Graff-Reinet, creating a type of oasis in the midst of the aridness of the Karoo.  The product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over 100 million years, the Valley of Desolation is one of the most spectacular sights in the country.  Vertical cliffs and columns of dolerite that teeter precariously 120 metres above the valley floor are breathtaking.  They stand over a valley – huge isolated hobgoblins of nature, forcing those who view them to suspend time, if only for a moment, to contemplate the force and beauty of nature.