Passes of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park |
| Drakensberg - Passes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 08 June 2008 21:09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A table presenting passes of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. Provides information on route variations, whether the pass has a trail or not, or if it is a rock pass. Also indicates of the extent to which the pass is used by the Basotho. The table presents a list of passes in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park - for the purposes here this includes the Mnweni area. The type indicates whether the pass has a trail or not, or if it is classified as a rock pass. Where applicable, indication is also made if the pass is on the Little Berg, or in special cases where the pass connects two points on the escarpment. Route variations that share the same summit point are indicated in brackets. Whether the pass is used by the Basotho or not is of relevance to hikers, and these details are also presented as accurately as possible. A table presenting GPS co-ordinates and altitudes of these passes is provided in GPS Co-ordinates of Passes in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. GPS data files are also available in the Drakensberg Passes downloads section. Click on the pass name, where applicable, for details. Future plans include a direct link to the associated GPS data download. Please revisit this page routinely for updates. Note that this is a work in progress. Contributions welcome!
* Passes which are marked with an asterisk indicate one of the following:
- route variation not indicated on hiking maps
- only indicated on survey maps or Slingsby's maps
- undocumented passes named by hikers
Key to the use of the passes by BasothoBasotho here can refer to herdsmen, smugglers, rustlers and those entering South Africa for legitimate reasons such as social visits, shopping and work.
Major: heavy use - known to be major routes from reports and observations
Yes: regular use, Basotho can be observed using the pass or signs indicate regular use (litter, erosion etc.)
Minor: cases where signs or reports indicate that the pass is used on occasion but not regularly enough (no established trail and no strong signs of regular use)
Possibly: unconfirmed reports that the pass is being used
Unlikely: no clear signs observed but where a possibility still exists
No: very unlikely (but not totally impossible), typically because of the technical difficulty of the pass
?: current status not known.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 May 2011 15:11 ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Right, the list of passes has been updated, added to and polished up a bit. One major improvement you will notice is that the names of the passes, where applicable, are now links to more info, typically a write-up on the blogs or a detailed forum discussion. So that this page is easier to find, a link to it has been added as a menu item at the bottom of each page on this site. Be sure to check out the associated GPS data too, as several passes have been added.
Redi has a short, scrambly bit where you may want some rope to haul your packs up. Apparently not that bad. Rest is steep grass. Lotheni North Fork (the one indicated on the map) does have a nasty waterfall section. Lotheni South Fork (which should have been indicated on the map) is straightforward, just steep grass slopes. Rhino Pass apparently just a little scrambly - will confirm in a week 
There are some passes I have seen which look interesting, but the description as "rock" has put me off them in the pass, has anyone done Redi, Lotheni or Rhino pass and if so, what are these passes like, are ropes required, are there any waterfalls to climb?
A grade D is part of a purely technical grading system indicating how difficult the actual moves on the rock are. It gives no indication of exposure, rock condition etc. C+ to D in the Berg is normally where you have to start roping up and use climbing gear, but not as a hard and fast rule. Cathedral Peak is C (without the ladder maybe a C+ or slightly harder). The first pitch on the standard route on the Sentinel, which you can see from the trail, is a D. This is an older grading system which is still used in the Berg. D in the new system is grade 8-9. See tables at the bottom of these pages:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_%28climbing%29
peakhigh.co.za/climbing/rock-grade-comaprison/
The "D" on Injasuthi Pass is straightforward and has no scary exposure, but this kind of thing is very subjective and depends on the person. If you fell you would injure yourself however.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_%28climbing%29
peakhigh.co.za/climbing/rock-grade-comaprison/
The "D" on Injasuthi Pass is straightforward and has no scary exposure, but this kind of thing is very subjective and depends on the person. If you fell you would injure yourself however.
That D -grade climb on Injasuthi looks quite managable, though I'm not a climber 
Sorry for asking such a "noob" question , but how does climbing gradings 'work'? How tough is D- grade exactly? Or is it also a 'relative' rating, since you did it with packs?
thanx
J
Sorry for asking such a "noob" question , but how does climbing gradings 'work'? How tough is D- grade exactly? Or is it also a 'relative' rating, since you did it with packs?
thanx
J
The only 2 websites on the net that I have found to be useful for the Berg are this one and www.berg.co.za, the latter has gradings and conditions of paths, also lots of pics of most passes (including Rhino pass, Mzimude pass, and pretty much every pass I have ever considered using other than Judge pass) and garmin tracks for some of the passes as well as the gps coordinates of most of the tops of passes and caves. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakensberg_hiking also has some useful gps coordinates (passes, peaks etc).
All in good time! There is a corresponding page with GPS waypoints and elevation. There is a lot more I'd love to put into this, but I have to be careful of spending more time working on this site than I do in the mountains (oh..and I nearly forgot my day job) 
. The next step is to make the pass name a link to Stijn's pass write-ups.
I purposefully have not attempted my own rating system yet. This can be very subjective, takes time, and has to be done with care since others make decisions based on it. Very roughly though, "trail" mostly indicates easy to moderate, "no trail" is easy to difficult, and "rock" is difficult to technical. Howz that?
Anyone that wants to contribute or add their own page, please go for it! Serious tribe has just sent me some pics of passes to add - thanks for that!
And then I'd love to do something similar for caves, and extend what I've started on peaks... let me get back to my own work though!
. The next step is to make the pass name a link to Stijn's pass write-ups.I purposefully have not attempted my own rating system yet. This can be very subjective, takes time, and has to be done with care since others make decisions based on it. Very roughly though, "trail" mostly indicates easy to moderate, "no trail" is easy to difficult, and "rock" is difficult to technical. Howz that?
Anyone that wants to contribute or add their own page, please go for it! Serious tribe has just sent me some pics of passes to add - thanks for that!
And then I'd love to do something similar for caves, and extend what I've started on peaks... let me get back to my own work though!
Nice summary, would be handy to have other info like gps co-ordinates, elevation, nearest access point (car)and maybe some indicator of difficulty, perhaps a rating system, ooh ooh and a comments section under each pass which will have recent info about path condition, water availability, Basutho sitings from other memebers etc etc. Ok, ok, maybe I'm getting carried away 
Hi Rob,
the "Easter Pass" I've indicated certainly forms part of that valley, though branches off earlier to summit close to Easter Cave.
Feel free to shed some light on the route up Hiltons Pass on this thread:
www.vertical-endeavour.com/forums/11-drakensberg-passes/786-hiltons-pass.html
For my own attempt, which was rained out, we were geared for 2 abseils (coming down) based on info given by others that had done it. Been meaning to get out there again to find a less technical route than the one described in the above thread.
Curious about your experiences on Injasuthi Pass too. The technical refers to the short, D grade-ish chimney you climb very close to the summit. While it isn't that hard, 2 of our party definitely wanted a belay, while 2 of us soloed it with packs on. I didn't see an exit before this chimney, nor have others that I've spoken to. Really fun though! See pic below:
the "Easter Pass" I've indicated certainly forms part of that valley, though branches off earlier to summit close to Easter Cave.
Feel free to shed some light on the route up Hiltons Pass on this thread:
www.vertical-endeavour.com/forums/11-drakensberg-passes/786-hiltons-pass.html
For my own attempt, which was rained out, we were geared for 2 abseils (coming down) based on info given by others that had done it. Been meaning to get out there again to find a less technical route than the one described in the above thread.
Curious about your experiences on Injasuthi Pass too. The technical refers to the short, D grade-ish chimney you climb very close to the summit. While it isn't that hard, 2 of our party definitely wanted a belay, while 2 of us soloed it with packs on. I didn't see an exit before this chimney, nor have others that I've spoken to. Really fun though! See pic below:
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