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Everyone is probably aware of the list of the highest peaks in each province of South Africa. Obviously there is an interest in climbing them. Personally I was not drawn to them initially, and I'm a bit wary of "hit lists" and "bragging rights", but I guess talk of them has sparked a little bit of interest in me. At the very least I appreciate recognition and interest in SA's mountains. The current VE scope already touches on the 3 Drakensberg ones, as well as the Magaliesberg. So I'd like to hear from the community who else is interested and has maybe even done all of them? My thoughts are that there may be sufficient scope to give them some room here on the site. Is there a place to gather info and chat about them on the web? Anyone out there that is keen to write up some articles on them for the site, and can we collect some pics for gallery, and GPS data?

I have no doubt that an initiative to document 'highest peaks' will prove popular - but particularly so with the outdoor community beyond the core of those who contribute to this forum.

'Highest Peaks' are often things that friends/family who know little about mountains first ask me about. I think they are usually quite surprised when they find out I know more about some minor detail on a Mnweni free-stander or pass than I do on any of southern Africas highest peaks. I can't honestly remember if I have crossed over Mafadi. I think I may have once when navigating in to Upper Inj Cave. When I stayed over at UIC with Spook some time ago, a group of 4 or 5 mostly European tourists came into the cave just after dark. Their mission was to find their way to Mafadi. Their presence raised the prospect of us doing the same the next morning. But when the time came, without having to make a conscious decision, we found ourselves wandering down to the escarpment edge to get a better view of the Western Triplet and the moment had passed.

So, in summary, the VE profile will no doubt be extended by documenting the info. It is probably the sort of thing that someone not familiar with SA mountains would expect to find. But if I have the choice again, it would always be, as it twice has been, Mnt Kenya over Kili. I can't say I know for sure why.

On the opposite extreme to Mount Tiska (btw where is Mount Tiska, never heard of it before...), I like these lists, all I know about the highest peaks in SA is that 5 of the provinces have highest points in the Berg, obvously Free State has Namahadi, Eastern Cape has Kwa-Duma and KZN has some odd little low point in the central berg (but sarcasm aside). I would like to see this list, give me a list of peaks to kill...

On the point of high peaks, is there an official Africa list, even just and Africa top 20 or something like that, all I know is Kili and Mount Kenya (followed by many Atlas mountains peaks)...

And if I don't care about stats enough, I plan on hiking in the Caucus mountains just so that I can do 3 things:
- Remain in a country but change my continent (I have done this in Istanbul, but the Bosphorus is over 1km wide, so I can't stand with a foot on each continent). Azerbaijan has its border in a different location to the actual continent change over...
- I can find a river that is on the continental border (unlikely to exist, but I'll see if I can find one), so that I can say I "swam from Europe to Asia"
- Walk back and forward across the border 20 times so I can say I went to Europe/Asia 20 times in 1 day...

(I always think about the stories I'll be able to tell my grandchildren in 50 years time)...

On the Africa list, I actually have a friend who has been working at them for a couple of years already. And, it so happens that I will soon start publishing a series of articles written by her about her adventures so far. There is a some material published already.

Back to the provincial peaks, I will leave this open for people to respond. Whoever is keen to contribute material let me know. I've asked Rinus to do a write-up on his trips to KwaDuma, Mafadi and Namahadi already.

On a related note, a bloke called Ginge Fullen had a project to get up the highest peak in every country in Africa. Last I heard he was sorting out Libya - which had to be approached from N.Chad. There are a few details here:
www.gingefullen.com/projects/africa.html