Passes

Passes

Thamathu Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
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This must be the easiest pass in the entire berg (yes, easier than the Chain Ladder route) as it tops out at only 2500m after an easy trundle up a Little Berg ridge. Thamathu Pass is used as the descent route for the Grand Traverse but it's certainly worth doing when you're feeling like a pretty chilled hike. The views of Thaba Ngwangwe and the Devil's Knuckles are impressive and some interesting rock formations can be seen on the way up.

Mashai Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
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This pass is frequently used by hikers climbing the Rhino as it is by far the most direct (hiking) route to the top of this impressive peak. It is by no means a walk in the park though and there are some tricky sections higher up due to some heavy erosion and scree fields.

Masubasuba Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
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Ascending right up through the middle of the Giant's Cup, this pass catches the eye from all sides. It's obviously the most direct way to climb the Hodgson's Peaks (definitely worth it) and a good pass to use if you don't feel like slogging up its next-door neighbour, Sani Pass, along with all the traffic. For me, it's the approach to the pass that makes it special. Hiking up the Pholela River Valley and up into the pass via Fingall's Rock must be one of the best ways to start a berg hike: scenic, secluded and unique in the berg.

Giant's Castle Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
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One of the most identifiable passes around, Giant's Castle Pass is a short, steep and loose pass which is most often used to climb Giant's Castle itself. The gully can be seen from as far back as the lodge and looks fairly bland. Once in the throat of the pass, however, some very impressive buttresses and cliffs tower above you.

Mike's Pass at Cathedral Peak closed

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
Hits: 6040

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has been obliged to closed the popular Mike's Pass 4x4 route at Cathedral Peak in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site with immediate effect.

Consistently heavy rains have fallen in the area for many days, resulting in landslides on sections of the Pass.

Bannerman Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
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The Bannerman hut at the bottom of this pass makes this one of the very popular passes in the Drakensberg. It’s a very short pass and you’ll find yourself at the top in no time at all. Despite its relative ease, it is still quite a fun pass to do with the final section heading up a narrow rock-filled gully. No real scrambling is required to do this section and it is therefore a great pass to do when you are new to the Drakensberg.

Corner Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
Hits: 6388

If you're keen to start doing some rock passes in the berg, this is probably the pass to start with. It's relatively short and quite easy to access from both Injasuti and Giant's Castle in a day. The scrambles on the pass are fairly easy and there is no exposure to worry about at all. There is no path to speak of but the route finding is quite straightforward due to the narrow gully one has to follow. This is another great pass to use for an ascent of Mafadi and is much more interesting than it's neighbors (Bannerman and Langalibalele).

Leslie’s Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
Hits: 9835

Leslie’s Pass is a pass which is very pleasant to hike. There are some great features in this pass like the Marble Baths and the huge cliffs of the Molar towering over you near the top of the pass. It is a fairly long pass but most of the distance is covered by bushwhacking and boulder-hopping up the river. This is also the most direct non-rock pass to access Mafadi which is about 6 km south of the top of Leslie’s Pass.

Ship’s Prow Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
Hits: 8062

This is a very difficult pass which is notorious for rock falls which have killed hikers in the past. In good weather, there shouldn’t be too much of a problem (except for the fact that it’s very steep) in climbing up Ship’s Prow Pass. The impressive “Prow” itself towers over you as you climb higher up this long pass. The pass tops out at 3300m, giving it the highest summit of any pass in the Drakensberg.

Gray’s Pass

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Parent Category: Drakensberg
Category: Passes
Hits: 12380

If you’re looking for great views without too much strenuous hiking involved, Gray’s Pass is a must. This is probably the best pass to use for a weekend hike in the Drakensberg and it takes the hiker deep into the throat of the Mhlawazini Valley at the base of Cathkin, Champagne Castle and Monk’s Cowl. The pass itself is relatively short which allows for a lot of time to explore the many great escarpment features in the wide valley at the top of Gray’s Pass.