August 2025 – Into The Berg

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- Drakensberg Grand Traverse – May 2025
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- Drakensberg Grand Traverse – May 2025
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Drakensberg Grand Traverse – May 2025

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Home for the night… getting the heck out of here a

Home for the night… getting the heck out of here and down to 2000m by Thursday 😁 ⛄️

Drakensberg Grand Traverse_days9&10 A frosty start

Drakensberg Grand Traverse_days9&10A frosty start to day 9 but once again we could som in some rays and didn’t need to rush off. After a brief climb we descended into the valley below Rhino and then began our last big climb of the GT. It wasn’t as bad as it looked and after heading down what must be the most frozen south facing slope in the berg, we made short work of the final ascent and started heading down towards Isicathula pass. Most of the crew had never done a berg pass and were quite surprised by the scree and slopes, but we descended a lot faster than expected before heading down valley and through a bunch of mostly empty kraals and huts. Since we were ahead of target it made sense to get to the best spot for our final sunrise. We ended up settling on a fantastic ridge about a km down Mashai pass and it was one of the highlights of the trip. More fantastic weather meant the perfect sunset and sunrise, and the catabatic ensured the tents were dry for the final pack up. With just 8.2km to cover on the final morning the thought of food and comforts had the guys racing down the final slopes for a 10am pickup. Again the views were spectacular (not that some moved their eyes off the finish) and it wasn’t long before we were at the Olde Duck ordering just about anything and everything on the menu. Always nice to wind down a long hike slowly and we had one more dinner and brek together at Witsies, looking back on the previous 10 days, savouring the memories, new friendships and what lay ahead for all of the worldwide adventurers. What a trip, what a team!#drakensberggrandtraverse

Drakensberg Grand Traverse_days 7&8 Another icy mo

Drakensberg Grand Traverse_days 7&8Another icy morning greeted us on day 7 but were in no rush and could soak in some sun before heading off on a lowly 18km day with only one major climb. Wrapped in our many layers, we were approached by some young shepherds who were dressed for summer. We were now closer to Sani top and the dress and lifestyles of the local herdsman are noticeably different. One of the young men could speak fairly good English and Zulu (unfortunately my Sotho is still very limited) and it was nice to be able to converse a bit for a change. He told us stories of his work in Durban and gave us a bit more of a glimpse of teenage life in Lesotho. He was super happy with the food and audio Sotho Bible from @megavoiceinternationalafrica and hung around until our 8:30 departure. We skirted up and around into the valley below Thabana Ntlenyana. It seemed everyone was mentally prepared for the 650m of elevation ahead, and I was amazed at the pace being set as we started on the proper lower slopes. My plan was to give everyone a quick rest after every 50m of elevation but that got blown out of the water as everyone opted just to keep moving towards the top. Everyone reached the summit saddle in good spirits, despite the usual cold breeze on top, and after some pics we now turned our sights towards Sani top Church of the Good Shepherd and a comfortable afternoon at my friends Pastor Thato and wife Bernadette. The south facing slopes were full of ice and we were tempted but not persuaded to slide down on our packs. Arriving at Sani by 14:30, we were buoyed by the new installation of toilets and a hot gas shower. Absolute luxury. By 4pm we were eating toasted sandwiches at the nearby lodge and by 6:30pm were tucking into a massive beef lasagne cooked on the sheep dung coals. Thato told us amazing stories and answered questions around the fire about life in Lesotho. He really does amazing work taking care and sharing Gods love with the shepherds in the entire eastern region of Lesotho. Full stomachs and weary bodies enjoyed the soft mattresses in a warm (ish) rondavel. Cont in comments #drakensberggrandtraverse

Drakensberg Grand Traverse_ days 5&6 Resupply day

Drakensberg Grand Traverse_ days 5&6Resupply day started with an amble down the valley and up and over Popple peak. The traverse is full of new section reveals when topping a climb and the view towards Bannermans and Giants is one the best. Michael was battling with a sudden knee issue as we descended and Jason(who had felt sick the last couple nights) was looking strong but debating whether to take today’s exit opportunity. We arrived at Langalibalele resupply point bang on time at 11am, and news came through of the resupply team coming through a bit later. We took the opportunity to do some clothes washing, bathing, btent drying, and eating all the food we didn’t need before the resupply bags arrived. @ti_marc arrived with the first big bag at about 11:30 and returned to assist @ntando_firemaker over the last ridge. They offloaded about 35km of supplies and were now ready to ‘float’ down. Unfortunately Michael and Jason had to make the tough but unselfish decision to exit whilst they could without risking affecting the rest of the crew. Sad goodbyes were said before sad legs had to climb Mt Durnford with new weight in the packs. This climb always seems to sting a bit, but after topping out and having our sights set on day 5 camp, we made an early finish and enjoyed a lot of tea, biscuits and Dan’s power cakes! Day 6 started with catching a perfect but chilly sunrise near long wall. It was a long one ahead, but the crew was moving fast, and the beautiful plains below Tent and Hawk were soon navigated before we climbed Redi without much fuss. Winding through the valleys and natural bridges, we had our sights set on the last camp before Thabana, and made it by 4pm with enough time for tea and a bath. Early @trailfoodco dinner was wolfed down and we settled in for a good long rest. #drakensberggrandtraverse #hike #intotheberg

Drakensberg Grand Traverse ‘26_ days 3 and 4 Day

Drakensberg Grand Traverse ‘26_ days 3 and 4 Day 3 is a day of reckoning on a shortened DGT route with some decent climbs before attempting to ‘break the back’ of the traverse by the end of the day by getting over Yodellers/Didima. The weather was great and we got over and through the beautiful elephant gully and cleft by 10am. By 11:30 we had successfully made the steep climb up Ndumeni to Rolands cave for an early lunch. Some signs of fatigue after the first 3 climbs was evident but we continued down the valley towards Yodellers without much fuss. Usually I take the ridge up to Didima, but chose the more gradual ascent up Yodellers to see how far we could get before the end of the day. The beautiful pools and cascades were almost enough to distract from the fatigue, and as we hit the steep ascent out of the valley it was pretty clear that the last 300m elevation was going to be a bridge too far.That being said we had made excellent ground and definitely slipped a few of the DGT’s disks. We found a fairly makeshift camp near a stream and left ourselves with 200m of the climb for tmrow. We woke on day 4 to a proper frost white out and spectacular sunrise as we headed out early for a long but much easier day 4. Once onto the ‘Didima Champagne Highway’ we skirted around and down into the never ending Leslies valley just as the mist started to edge over the escarpment. A partly sunny lunch at the river, paired with a magical appearance of a white ‘Lipizzaner like’ stallion out of the mist boosted us onwards up the final ascent towards Mafadi. The day was drawing to a close as the mist cleared one last time on top of Mafadi (South Africa’s highest peak). Despite the tired legs we were all keen to get down to slightly warmer conditions for the night. We made it another 5km down the valley with just enough time to setup camp. With day 4 smashed, and extra distance in the bank, I was quite content that we only needed to average 20km a day from here on in. Shorter days and more chilled afternoons ahead, and time in case of any emergencies or bad weather. Good reason to sleep well and look forward to the lucky packets in tomorrow’s resupply. #drakensberggrandtraverse

DGT 2026_ days 1 and 2 After a comfy night @witsi

DGT 2026_ days 1 and 2 After a comfy night @witsieshoek_mountain_lodge we packed in a solid breakfast before shuttling up to Sentinel car park for an 8:20am start. The wind howled for the first 3 minutes in a final attempt to warn us off, and then amazingly threw in the towel for the next 10 days. We soon moved ahead of the only other hikers we would see for 10 days and were on the escarpment before 10am. The weather window looked good and I decided to get ahead of schedule whilst we could. We pushed passed Madonna through to Ranqwa (25km) which in hindsight was a bit much for some on day 1, but everyone was back on form for day 2 and we enjoyed a pretty easy (but unfortunately misty) 24km day through Mnweni to the Kwakwatsi river crossing near Cathedral. The best lunches came out in the first couple days with Michael having to dine a safe distance from us to enjoy his chicken schnitzels in peace, and @kate_goes_adventuring producing the first ever full bag of carrots I’ve seen on a hike! Daniel began his mammoth task of getting through his 2kg of biltong, and so far seemed on track. Day 2 ended with a solid winter river bath for most and some interesting stretch routines #drakensberggrandtraverse #hike #drakensberg #intotheberg

Drakensberg Grand Traverse 2026_ some of the shots

Drakensberg Grand Traverse 2026_ some of the shotsIt’s more about the hike than the footage, so I must say I didn’t have too many shots from the 9.25 days, but the weather was amazing, and I hope this bit of footage motivates a few to join 2027 😁 #drakensberg #intotheberg #drakensberggrandtraverse

DGT 2026 done and dusted. What an adventure! Aided

DGT 2026 done and dusted. What an adventure!Aided by some superb weather and a super strong crew. Will send some more news in the days to come, but now it’s time to eat 🍔 #drakensberggrandtraverse #hike

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