The Sentinel is the most northerly point of the Drakensberg and besides providing a spectacular view from the lip of one of the highest waterfalls in Africa, the Tugela.

The trail takes you to above 3000m on the plateau of the Amphitheatre in the Drakensberg via two successive sets of chain ladders. The scenic access road through Phuthaditjaba to the parking area winds up a part of the Drakensberg that forms the border between Natal and the Free State. From the parking area the trail zig-zags up the slope of the Sentinel to above the first cliffs. The trail skirts the Sentinel and then follows the contour of the Western Buttress, slowly ascending to the chain ladders.