In 1830 two missionaries explored the mountains and when they reached the eastern edge they found themselves on the summit of a mountain known to the Sotho as Phofung – ‘place of the eland’. They renamed it Mont-aux-Sources as they found the sources of many rivers and streams on it.
The plateau of Mont-aux-Sources is 3 048m high and the cliffs on the eastern edge form a massive curve known as the Amphitheatre. The Tugela River has its source on the slopes of this summit and forms the highest waterfall in South Africa. The sources of the Elands River and the East and West Khubela rivers are close to that of the Tugela.
The northern side of Mont-aux-Sources is marked by the Sentinel, a great landmark 3 165m high whereas. the southeast end of the Amphitheatre is marked by the 3 009m Eastern Buttress. Between this is a pinnacle known as the Devil’s Tooth – one of the most dangerous climbs in the Drakensberg.
