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An index of passes in the Northern Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal.

Pass [1]    [2]    [3]    [4]	Height [5]	Co-ordinate (WGS84)    [6]	Difficulty rating 1-10  [7]	Key aspects [8]	Used by locals [9]	GPS data	Photo
Chain Ladders	3010m	S28 44.863 E28 52.827	1	major trail chain ladders bottom ladders 24 m high top ladders 14 m high	yes
Beacon Buttress Gully	3109m	S28 44.723 E28 53.439	4	trail gully	unlikely
Sentinel Gully				no trail rocky gully route finding challenge caution advised	unlikely
Gudu Pass	2205m	S28 41.147 E28 53.963		Little Berg trail	?
Inner Tower Gully (Western / RNNP)	3060m	S28 45.974 E28 55.810		technical no trail rocky gully	unlikely
Inner Tower Gully (Eastern / Busingatha)	3060m	S28 45.974 E28 55.810		somewhat technical no trail short scramble(s) rocky gully sustained	unlikely
Ifidi Pass	3040m	S28 47.257 E28 56.361	10	rocky gully sustained boulder bed approach short scramble(s)	minor
Icidi Pass	3095m	S28 48.463 E28 55.965	10	bushy at bottom/approach no trail steep grassy slopes sustained	minor
Mbundini Pass	3150m	S28 50.695 E28 56.765	7	steep grassy slopes no trail	unlikely
Madonna Pass	2970m	S28 51.348 E28 56.660	7	boulder bed approach no trail grassy slopes	unlikely
Fangs Pass	3037m	S28 51.687 E28 56.407	7	boulder bed approach no trail grassy slopes	unlikely
Rwanqa North Pass (Tata Ma Chance Pass)	3100m	S28 52.239 E28 57.607		no trail route finding challenge rocky gully caution advised	unlikely
Rwanqa Pass	3088m	S28 52.583 E28 57.430	7	steep grassy slopes no trail gully vs. slope options	minor
Black and Tan Wall Pass North	3170m	S28 52.223 E28 57.827	8	no trail	unlikely
Black and Tan Wall Pass South	3150m	S28 53.366 E28 54.194		no trail short scramble	unlikely
Pins Pass	3185m	S28 53.476 E28 58.473	8	no trail steep grassy slopes sustained	unlikely
Manxome Pass	3169m	S28 53.475  E28 58.859	9	no trail steep grassy slopes sustained	unlikely
Hanging Valleys Pass	3045m	S28 53.963 E28 58.831		no trail route finding challenge boulder bed approach steep grassy slopes bushy sections rocky gully short scramble(s)	unlikely
Mnweni Buttress Pass	2975m	S28 54.044 E28 59.963		no trail route finding challenge steep grassy slopes bushy sections short scramble(s)	unlikely
Mnweni Pass	2888m	S28 53.659 E29 00.721	6	major trail	major
Ledges Pass	2920m / 2900m	S28 53.023 E29 00.747          / S28 53.018 E29 00.733	8	no trail route finding challenge grassy slopes short scramble top out at summit or at ledge	unlikely
Mponjwane Pass	3020m	S28 53.483  E29 01.904		rocky gully no trail route finding challenge short scramble(s)	unlikely
Mnweni Needles Pass	2590m	S28 52.497  E29 02.217	6	not on escarpment no trail grassy slopes bushy	unlikely
Rockeries Pass	2901m	S28 53.833 E29 01.696	5	major trail	major
Nguza Pass	2923m	S28 55.113 E29 03.502	7	no trail route finding challenge rocky gully traverse of interest	unlikely
South Saddle Pass	3022m	S28 55.347 E29 04.312	5	bushy at bottom/approach no trail grassy slopes	unlikely
Ntonjelana Pass North	3060m	S28 55.770  E29 04.473	5	no trail grassy slopes	unlikely
Ntonjelana Pass	2883m	S28 56.334 E29 05.613	4	major trail	major
Christmas Pass	2894m	S28 56.893 E29 06.062	7	steep grassy slopes no trail route finding challenge gully vs. slope options	unlikely
Twins Pass	2835m	S28 57.047  E29 06.781	5	not on escarpment no trail	unlikely
Mlambonja Pass (Bell Traverse)	2965m	S28 57.216 E29 06.716	5	trail traverse of interest	yes
Mlambonja Pass	2965m	S28 57.216 E29 06.716	6	trail	yes
Mlambonja Buttress South Pass	2970m	S28 58.075  E29 07.530	8	no trail short scrambles	unlikely
Xeni Pass (North Fork)	3005m	S28 58.221 E29 07.373	8	no trail rocky gully short scrambles	unlikely
Xeni Pass (South Fork)	3052m	S28 58.390  E29 07.317	7	no trail rocky gully	unlikely
Elephant Gully	3110m	S28 58.803 E29 07.739	2	trail escarpment link-up	yes
Cockade Pass	2964m	S28 59.052 E29 08.237	6	boulder bed approach bushy lower section with trail in places boulder bed middle section  grass slope top section Pass has changed significantly after floods in 2021 and 2022	minor
Cockade Pass - Southern Variation	2985m	S28 59.028 E29 08.302	6	no trail	unlikely
False Tseketseke Pass	2950m	S28 59.358  E29 08.920		bad route option source of confusion no trail route finding challenge caution advised	unlikely
Tseketseke Pass	3001m	S28 59.445 E29 09.097	6	track on slopes boulder bed approach grassy slopes	minor
Tseketseke Pass - Southern Variation	3160m	S28 59.818  E29 09.229	6	vague trail at top grassy slopes traverse of interest	unlikely
Organ Pipes Pass (Camel)	2960m	S29 00.632 E29 10.948	4	major trail traverse of interest	major
Organ Pipes Pass (Thuthumi Ridge)	2960m	S29 00.632 E29 10.948	4	major trail	major
Thuthumi Pass	3074m	S29 00.815 E29 11.217	5	trail	major
Thuthumi Pass  (South) (Smuggler's Pass)	2952m	S29 00.847 E29 11.957	5	trail	major
Mike's Pass	1846m	S28 58.115 E29 14.080		road Little Berg	yes
Windsor Castle Pass	3034m	S29 01.278 E29 12.478		vague trail at top grassy slopes	unlikely
Tlanyaku Pass	2760m	S29 02.922 E29 13.507	5	trail	major
Didima Pass	2960m	S29 03.749 E29 13.593		no trail route finding challenge short scrambles	unlikely

Notes

1. By Drakensberg standards the majority of passes are those which provide access to the escarpment, and this is naturally where much of the interest by hikers lies. Some trails that provide access to the Little Berg plateau have been designated the status of "pass" in the names that were given to them. This list simply honours that historical designation, and no attempt it made in determining whether other trails that provide access to the Little Berg should be given the same designation. Some passes provide passage over a range, but not to the escarpment. These are included in this list on a case-by-case basis that is mainly driven available documentation provided by those who explore these options. Finally, some unusual routes, such as ones that link up the summits of two different passes via a traverse are also included here on a case-by-case basis.

2. Some passes can be considered classic in the sense that they offer a good, recommended route that has a well-worn trail. Other passes may have less of a trail, or no trail at all, but may still be good options for reasonably fit and competent hikers. Some routes are very adventurous, often being strenuous, crossing difficult terrain, and with challenging route-finding. Certain routes may even be described as "technical". This list, in seeking to be comprehensive, lists all of the above. It could be argued that some routes listed here are actually mountaineering routes and should not be referred to as a "pass". Several routes listed here could land a party up in serious trouble if they are ill-prepared or if they have wrongly assessed their own competency. The reader is asked to use the information presented here with caution and sober assessment.

3. Passes may have more than one route leading to the same summit point. Others have routes that converge well below the summit. On the other hand there are passes that are considered distinct from each other yet share common approaches, while others are described as variations of a main route. While attempting to draw attention to what options are available to hikers, this list currently does not follow strict definitions in how these distinctions are made.

4. The names provided have a variety of origins and should by no means be considered final or official. While many names used here are well established and documented in classic Drakensberg literature and maps, there are a significant amount that have arisen in more recent times. Many have been put forward and utilised by hikers who are active on Vertical Endeavour's forum (or who at least follow the forum). There is currently no system for documenting these origins. There is also no framework or set of guidelines whereby such names can be proposed, researched, ratified or even revised. There may be other names in use that could be more appropriate - even among hikers different names may be used. Even in the absence of alternate names, the ones put forward may not always be the most appropriate ones.

5. Heights are drawn from maps wherever possible, and in some cases from literature. In the absence of these, the heights are drawn from hand-held GPS readings, which may not be accurate. Currently there is no system for indicating where the figure comes from. Figures may be adjusted from time to time.

6. These co-ordinates are recorded using hand-held GPS devices and thus may be subject to a degree of inaccuracy. Likewise, using this data across different devices will also result in some variance.

7. The difficulty grading system is developed and maintained by Stijn Laenen, Jonathan Newman and Tony Marshall on a voluntary basis. Effort is made to maintain accuracy and eliminate bias but readers are reminded that any sort of grading system is subject to interpretation and opinion. One person's experience on a pass will differ from another due to a variety of reasons. The ratings are a comparison of Berg passes relative to each other - always bear in mind that all Berg passes should be considered challenging hikes in a mountainous environment. A good level of fitness, resilliance and competency is required for any Berg pass. While aimed at being a useful guide, remember that the authors cannot be held responsible for the way this information is used, nor for any adverse outcomes resulting from decisions which were made using this information.

8. Keywords are used to convey important ascepts about each pass in a succinct manner. They help paint a picture of what a pass may be like with the limitation that they may not always convey the entire picture. This feature is in a beta phase and is subject to frequent updates and corrections.

9. "Locals" here refers to other people who make use of these passes apart from hikers. They may be from South Africa or Lesotho and can include smugglers, rustlers, herdsmen, traders and migrant workers. The knowledge of which passes are used by them, and to what extent, helps create a realistic picture for hikers to know what to expect when exploring these mountains. This is particularly relevant for helping hikers make informed decisions to reduce their risk to crime. For example it is generally a good precaution to try not overnight directly on busy trails as much as possible. However, just because a pass is used heavily by locals does not necessarily mean that incidents are taking place there. The security-related discussions on our forum keep track of the "where", "what" and "why" of these incidents. Vertical Endeavour seeks to portray an accurate and honest picture of what is going on in the Berg - not to frighten people away but rather to help them make good decisions to reduce the risk of problems.

10. This page is always being updated, edited and improved as more or better information becomes available. Those who have contributed to the maintenance of this information include Chris Sommer, Merv Gavin, Andrew Porter and Tony Marshall.