Drakensberg

Drakensberg

The joy of Drakensberg Caves

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Caves
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A delight to many hikers is the comfort and shelter of a good cave in the Berg, especially in bad weather. Caves are one of the things that make overnight hiking a special experience. There many in the Berg, not all are marked on the maps, and these in parrticular are a joy to find. Not all are good shelter, some are difficult to find whilst others are far from water, especially in the dry season. Yet all are useful and always seem to be a landmark on any trip.

KZN Wildlife restricts Berg hiking party size

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Hiking
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Ezemvelo ZKN Wildlife (EKZNW), as the managing authority of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site (UDP) is concerned about the physical impact of large hiking parties in wilderness areas of the Park. KZNW has long been insisting that hiking parties number no less than four for safety reasons, and is now recommending that the maximum limit be 12 hikers.

The Khulus above 3300m - details

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Peaks
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The Khulus are the peaks in South Africa above 3000m, all of which are found in the Drakensberg. This article focuses on the Khulus above 3300m, which are South Africa's top peaks. The Khulus may be roughly classified according to form and location. This additional information is tabulated below for the top Khulus in addition to the co-ordinates for each peak. Thumbnails of the peaks are also shown which link to the dedicated gallery.

The Khulus above 3300m

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Peaks
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There are 25 summits above 3300m in South Africa, several of which are unnamed, and many of which are hardly known. They belong to a greater group of peaks known as the Khulus - the 3000m peaks, found in the Drakensberg.

Profile of the Grand Traverse

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Grand Traverse
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A profile of the Drakensberg Grand Traverse featuring relief profiles, distances and altitude gain and loss.

What is the Grand Traverse?

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Grand Traverse
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The Grand Traverse is the ultimate mountain-hiking challenge in southern Africa, spanning the entire KwaZulu-Natal section of the Berg. Starting from Sentinel Car Park in the north it ends at Bushman's Neck in the south, after a gruelling 240km and an altitude gain and loss of 26km.

Defining the Khulus

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Peaks
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In Scotland the mountains above 3000ft (914m) are referred to as the Munros. This concept is well understood and people take on the challenge of climbing all of the 284 Munros that are currently listed. A similar concept in the South Africa are the Khulus, the peaks above 3000m, of which there are more than 160. All of them are in the Drakensberg range. The name is the Zulu word for “big” - an apt description of these peaks. The first list was compiled by Cliff Murch, published in the Mountain Club of South Africa Journal 1994. Unfortunately Murch committed suicide in 1996 and never continued his pursuit and research of the Khulus. We value his contribution and take on his challenge to know and climb them.

Guns, goats and ganja

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Security
Hits: 6870

This article focuses on the illegal smuggling of firearms, marijuana and livestock across the border between South Africa and Lesotho that runs along the Drakensberg area of KwaZulu-Natal. In this area there are 57 mountain passes known for the smuggling of marijuana and livestock. 

Two tourists die in fire at Royal Natal

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Hiking
Hits: 2804
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife reports that two visitors to the Royal Natal National Park section of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site died when they were caught in the flames of a runaway veld fire that had swept into the Park from across the Tugela River last week.

Disturbing attacks at Giant's Castle

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Security
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The most disturbing problems have happened at Giant's Castle. The problem is not just limited to petty theft, it extends to mugging, assault and rape. Campsites have literally been ambushed and hikers wounded. Furthermore people have also been held up and hijacked on the road leading in to the camp.

Subcategories

Hiking Article Count:  19

Climbing Article Count:  7

Peaks Article Count:  8

Passes Article Count:  44

Caves Article Count:  4

Grand Traverse Article Count:  8

Environment Article Count:  8

Security Article Count:  15

General Article Count:  21