ens berg , ▁but ▁are ▁also ▁known ▁by ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁local ▁names , ▁all ▁term ed ▁" mount ains " ▁( or ▁" ber ge " ▁in ▁A frika ans ), ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁being ▁parts ▁of ▁an ▁esc arp ment ▁whose ▁top ▁is ▁the ▁central ▁plate au . ▁From ▁the ▁coast al ▁plain ▁the ▁esc arp ment ▁does , ▁however , ▁look ▁like ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁mountains , ▁hence ▁the ▁names . ▁ ▁The ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Esc arp ment ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁designated ▁a ▁" mount ain " ▁is ▁where ▁it ▁forms ▁the ▁international ▁border ▁between ▁K wa Z ulu - N atal ▁and ▁Les oth o . ▁The ▁Les oth o ▁High lands ▁form ▁a ▁local ized ▁high ▁spot ▁on ▁the ▁Central ▁Pl ate au . ▁This ▁is ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁c apped ▁by ▁a ▁ 1 , 4 0 0   m ▁thick ▁layer ▁of ▁er os ion ▁resist ant ▁la va ▁which ▁wel led ▁up ▁and ▁spread ▁across ▁most ▁of ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁part ▁of ▁G ond w ana . ▁Most ▁of ▁this ▁la va ▁has ▁er oded ▁away ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁layer ▁of ▁Kar oo ▁sed iment ary ▁rocks ▁several ▁kilometres ▁thick ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁la va ▁was ▁pou red ▁out ▁ 1 8 2   mill ion ▁years ▁ago . ▁Only ▁a ▁small ▁patch ▁of ▁this ▁la va ▁remains ▁and ▁covers ▁much ▁of ▁Les oth o . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁deeply ▁er oded ▁by ▁the ▁trib ut aries