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Pass index of the Northern Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal.

List of passes presented here.

Pass [1]    [2]    [3]    [4]	Height [5]	Co-ordinate (WGS84)    [6]	Difficulty rating 1-10  [7]	Description [8]	Used by locals [9]	GPS data	Photo
Chain Ladders	3010m	S28 44.863 E28 52.827	1	major trail chain ladders	yes
Beacon Buttress Gully	3109m	S28 44.723 E28 53.439	4	trail gully	unlikely
Sentinel Gully				no trail	unlikely
Gudu Pass	2205m	S28 41.147 E28 53.963		Little Berg trail	?
Inner Tower Gully (Western/RNNP Approach)	3047m	S28 45.950  E28 55.810		technical no trail	unlikely
Inner Tower Gully (Eastern/Busingatha Approach)	3047m	S28 45.950  E28 55.810		scramble no trail	unlikely
Ifidi Pass	3040m	S28 47.257  E28 56.361	10	rocky gully	minor
Icidi Pass	3100m	S28 48.463  E28 55.965	10	bushy at bottom/approach no trail steep, grassy slopes	minor
Mbundini Pass	3150m	S28 50.695  E28 56.765	7	steep grassy slopes no trail	unlikely
Madonna Pass			7	boulder bed approach no trail	unlikely
Fangs Pass	3037m	S28 51.687  E28 56.407	7	boulder bed approach no trail	unlikely
Tata Ma Chance Pass				no trail route finding challenge	unlikely
Rwanqa Pass	3088m	S28 52.595  E28 57.426	7	steep grassy slopes no trail	minor
Black and Tan Wall Pass North			8	no trail	unlikely
Black and Tan Wall Pass South				no trail	unlikely
Pins Pass	3196m	S28 53.476  E28 58.466	8	steep grassy slopes no trail	unlikely
Manxome Pass	3169m	S28 53.475  E28 58.859	9	no trail	unlikely
Hanging Valleys Pass				no trail	unlikely
Mnweni Buttress Pass				no trail	unlikely
Mnweni Pass	2888m	S28 53.659  E29 00.721	6	major trail	major
Ledgers Pass			8	no trail	unlikely
Mponjwane Pass				rocky gully no trail	unlikely
Mnweni Needles Pass				not on escarpment no trail	?
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				bushy at bottom/approach no trail	unlikely
Ntonjelana Pass North				no trail	unlikely
Ntonjelana Pass	2883m	S28 56.334  E29 05.613	4	major trail	major
Christmas Pass	2894m	S28 56.893  E29 06.062		steep grassy slopes no trail route finding challenge	unlikely
Twins Pass			5	not on escarpment no trail	unlikely
Mlambonja Pass (Bell Traverse)				trail traverse of interest	yes
Mlambonja Pass (Gully)			6	trail	yes
Mlambonja Buttress South				no trail	unlikely
Xeni Pass (North Fork)	3016m	S28 58.221  E29 07.373	8	no trail rocky gully short scramles	unlikely
Xeni Pass (South Fork)			7	no trail rocky gully	unlikely
Elephant Gully	3099m	S28 58.803  E29 07.739		trail escarpment link-up	yes
Cockade Pass	2964m	S28 59.052  E29 08.237	6		minor
Cockade Pass - Southern Variation			6	no trail	unlikely
False Tseketseke Pass				bad route option source of confusion no trail route finding challenge	unlikely
Tseketseke Pass	3001m	S28 59.445  E29 09.097	6	trail boulder bed approach	?
Tseketseke Pass - Southern Variation			6	vague trail	?
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
Smuggler's Pass	2952m	S29 00.847  E29 11.957		trail	major
Didima Pass				no trail	unlikely
Mike's Pass	1846m	S28 58.115  E29 14.080		road Little Berg	yes
Tlanyaku Pass	2756m	S29 02.919  E29 13.512	5	trail	major

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. Then there those routes which are very adventurous, often being strenuous, crossing difficult terrain, and with challenging route-finding - some routes are even described to be "technical". This list, in seeking to be comprehensive, lists all of the above. It could be argued that some routes listed here cross over to being mountaineering routes and should not be referred to as a "pass". The reader is asked not to use this resource as an easy-to-use menu for hike planning, especially where they may lack experience in the Drakensberg. Many 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 This list is a powerful resource which helps in doing proper research when planning a hike, but it must be used soberly and with caution. It may also still be necessary to ask questions on the forum.

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. Indeed 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. It is equally acknowledged that 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. Contributors: Chris Sommer.

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 always 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, neither the authors nor Vertical Endeavour can in any way 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 present the entire picture.

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 has always sought 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. We also encourage positive interaction between hikers and locals in the Berg as these interactions can be very rewarding. Those who have contributed to these assessments include: Chris Sommer.

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 and Andrew Porter.