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.
EKZNW therefore requests members of the public who are planning large group excursions into the UDP to restrict the size of these groups to no more than 12 members, and asks that the organiser liaise with the EKZNW conservation manager of the area in which they propose to hike.
Larger parties should seperate into groups of no more than 12 and hike in different directions or areas.
A party larger than12 members has an unacceptably heavy physical impact, as well as having a visual impact with regard to the number of tents, disturbed ground as well as solid and liquid waste.
Conservation managers in the UDP have adopted the "Limits of Acceptable Change" concept as a management tool in order to cope with the increasing demands on areas within wilderness which are under increasing threat of over - use by hikers.
A great concern is the proper conservation of the Drakensberg Wilderness Areas and while EKZNW actively encourages hikers to use the mountains, it also needs to manage the impacts of that use.
In order to keep within the Wilderness Ethic, EKZNW has proposed in its Wilderness Management Plan that hiking group sizes are no less than four but no more than 12 people.
At a recent Hiking and Mountaineering Liaison Committee Meeting the proposal to limit the size of hiking parties to no more 12 members was accepted by the Committee which consists of staff of EKZNW, members of the Mountain Club of SA, various other hiking clubs as well as the leaders of private hiking groups and mountain guides.
This size restriction does not apply to the Giant's Cup Hiking Trail which is not in any Wilderness Area and is designed to carry groups of up to 30 members.
EKZNW would also like to remind all hikers in the UDP to fill in the appropriate Hiking or Day-walk Register which forms a vital link in any rescue operation should things go wrong for the hiker.
NEWS ITEM No: 2007 - 06 - 30
