Epic Day Hikes

02 Nov 2011 09:02 #4591 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Re: Epic Day Hikes

intrepid wrote: Be very alert for stone-throwing on both passes.


Refer to the Dragon's Wrath reference to a specific Ghaznavid having rocks thrown at him, that was great fun, but personally (having done Bannerman Pass twice this year, once in Summer, once in Autumn) I haven't seen a single Basotho around Bannerman Pass area, only at the top of Langies.

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02 Nov 2011 13:02 #4597 by plouw
Replied by plouw on topic Re: Epic Day Hikes
thanks for the advice. :thumbsup: i'll give it a go. and maybe take a hard hat with for those stones. ;)

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02 Nov 2011 13:40 #4599 by Boerkie
Replied by Boerkie on topic Re: Epic Day Hikes
@plouw - wear your cooking pot on your head :laugh: and take a sling-shot.

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29 May 2012 09:23 #54114 by Selous
Replied by Selous on topic High Berg Day Hikes
Hi All

I am quite interested some of the more challenging day hikes (Light and Fast) that people have done to access the high berg.I am looking for a few new ones. Even if if it is similar to the one Stijn did where they over nighted in Fangs cave.- Wow what a lekker hike
I have done which I think are the usual ones like:
Up Langalibalele Pass and down Giants
Up Bannermnas and down Langalibalele
Up Cockade and down Tsekeseke Pass
etc

Maybe Intrepid could start a new thread or section called Light and fast that we could access that shows the passes taken and distance. Appolagies if this has been done before.

regards
Selous

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29 May 2012 11:02 #54118 by Stijn
Replied by Stijn on topic High Berg Day Hikes
There is a thread from last year where we discussed epic day hikes - you should get some inspiring ideas there: www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/8-drakensberg-hiking/3012-epic-day-hikes.html

And yes, I love these type of trips! Busy toying with the idea of up Xeni and down Tlanyaku as another weekend hike. The round trip is 55km but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a convenient cave at about the 30km mark... It might be contrived, but the only logical reason why I'd be combining those two particular passes is because they are the only passes in the Cathedral Peak area that I have yet to do.
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29 May 2012 12:35 #54125 by tiska
Replied by tiska on topic High Berg Day Hikes

Stijn wrote: unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a convenient cave at about the 30km mark....


Where does Roland's sit km wise?

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29 May 2012 12:49 #54127 by Selous
Replied by Selous on topic High Berg Day Hikes
Nice one Stijn
Thats a really long one. Would you go over Ndumeni Dome? A few years back I Didn't find the path at dusk that seems to exist up there on a GT to Ndumeni Caves and eventually had to go round Ndumeni Dome and Pick my way around up a long valley to the right of Yoddlers Cascades.

On the subject of some lekker epics day walks, is a walk from Sani Top Chalets to Giants Castle camp and you include Thaba Nthlenyana. It is fun because of the start point and once you leave Thaba Nthlenyana you enter quite a long valley and you are able to pick up a fairly good pace. My records tell me it was 57km and we did the last 10km in the dark. The only problem is the logistic side.
Regards
Selous

Thanks for the link. :cheer:
Selous

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29 May 2012 13:24 #54129 by Stijn
Replied by Stijn on topic High Berg Day Hikes
@mnt_tiska - Roland's would be at the 21km mark which makes the Sunday too long on a Winter's day especially since we would still have to drive back to Joburg.

Schoongezicht at the 35km mark could be an option, just not sure how long Xeni Pass would take with a light load? Is 3-4 hours plausible?

@Selous - Woah! That's a beeeg day... :woohoo: You're starting to talk traverse record distances there. Have you ever considered putting in an attempt?
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30 May 2012 06:18 - 30 May 2012 06:19 #54140 by intrepid
Replied by intrepid on topic Re: Epic Day Hikes
@Selous: I was considering leaving your thread as is, but after reading through the Epic Day Hike thread again I see there is quite a bit of overlap, so I've moved everything here and this will remain the official thread.

Good areas for this kind of thing are Giants Castle, Garden Castle and Bushman's Neck. They all have numerous passes that can be combined in different ways.

At the end of April I did a day hike up to Champagne Castle. There was a discussion elsewhere on the forum a while back about how feasible it was and I wanted to try it, and my brother-in-law really wanted to summit the peak. So we did it via Gray's Pass. We started off with the Khulu right above Nkosazana Cave and worked our way along that high ridge, knocking off the 3300m+ Khulus, including Champagne Castle, and circled right around to Gray's again. The hike was 45km in total. We did start and end in the dark but that was planned. We were not running, just walked.

We were tempted to go down Ships Prow Pass but wisely decided not to on that particular day. We are now planning an attempt to go up Grays and down Ships Prow in a day though, since he can't seem to let the idea go :laugh: Cowl Pass in a day is also on the agenda.

Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Last edit: 30 May 2012 06:19 by intrepid.
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30 May 2012 09:29 #54145 by Selous
Replied by Selous on topic Re: Epic Day Hikes
Hi Intrepid

Some great ideas and a lovely 45km day walk ticking off those Kulus. I have tried to get up top Ships Prow in a day three times before but it has beaten me on all attempts. That is one mean and long pass not to mention the chichi bush and boulders. My intended route has been to go up Ships Prow and then down Leslie Pass and for a day walk distance wise Its very doable, but you just seem to get snagged in that darn pass. Your idea about going down is much better after going up Grey's Pass.

And shot for such an awesome website.

Regards
Selous

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