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** This thread discusses the content article: A career in Drakensberg dagga smuggling? **

@ Intrepid
Your blog raises 2 off-topic questions with me. Is it considered an "illegal border crossing" to simply hike and cross over between SA and Lesotho? And should one carry a passport when hiking over boarder boundaries (other than for the obvious benefit of having emergency id)? I'm curious if anyone has encountered trouble in doing so?

Hiking on the escarpment seems to enjoys a long history of acceptance, or at least tolerance, by both countries. The exact border is not marked, and is even disputed. Hikers walking along the border, and smugglers cross right over is a different kettle of fish in my books. Official reccomendation would be to take your passport along if you are on the escarpment, but I rarely do this anymore unless I intend walking further into Lesotho from the edge. Theoretically the Lesotho Mounted Police could theoretically stop and ask you for ID, though I've personally never encountered them.

However, I had a case on a Grand Traverse once where 2 people dropped out at Sani Pass. They had their passports, but since there was no entry stamp into Lesotho in them, the border official was upset, but eventually let them through.

I've also stopped carrying mine. We have encountered the mounted police near the top of Pins Pass on the Mnweni highway path before (Jan 2006). They didn't even mention passports though - just warned us about the Basotho dogs.