Drakensberg FKTs - Record of Times

Johardt did it on back to back days. Yesterday in a slow time of 2h40
www.strava.com/activities/2767232560

Armand du Plessis just finished a solo DGT this morning, sneaking in just under 4 days - well done dude!

I've updated his time here:  www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/14-drakensberg-general/55826-drakensberg-fkts-record-of-times.html?start=20#65856  - great to see someone give it another go! Things had been quiet for a while... 

Edit: He's got a great writeup on Facebook now - m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157639023245751&id=579040750

Well done Armand!

I stand to correction but he may be only the second person to complete a solo GT. I have not heard of any others at any speed, at least as a single, unsupported push

There is a 92h time on the list by Brendon Ferrar, who started with someone else but I believe was solo from the Cathedral Peak area after his partner pulled out.

Otherwise, just you & Armand. I have massive respect for you guys as that adds a whole range of additional challenges! 

Thank you so so much @AndrewP @Stijn. I've so often come back here to read and reread some of the threads to try and soak up the information contained within. Reading the stories and the replies here have been a major source inspiration and mostly made this whole idea seem a little more tangible. 

It was one absolutely incredibly special and humbling experience. I'm still trying to process the whole thing, think it'll take some time for the memories to settle in. Probably not quite as long as it'll take to get the dirt out of my gear and clothes though. I've washed some things three times and there's still grime coming out  

Thanks again for all the sharing on here. And I'm pretty darn friggen stoked to get my name on this list of finishers too! 

Congrats Armand! Massive effort, and I guess the days were hot as well? Perhaps when you are a bit more rested you can share a bit of details and insights you experienced on the particular route you followed across the escarpment?
Regards
Nicolaas

Thanks @nicolaas - yep the days were pretty scorching and then some pretty spectacular typical thunderstorms in the afternoons/nights. Still decompressing a bit and catching up with life after the bliss of a few days out there in the mountains. Would love to share some proper details about the experience when I'm sort of resynched - hopefully in coherent sentences  

Well Done Armand. Looked like a epic adventure....Dancing with the Basotho Sheperds and all. 

We have another successful DGT speed traverse - quite few and far between these days! This morning at 5:57am, Anouk Baars, Michael Baker & Sean MacFarlane reached the Bushman's Nek finish line, posting a time of 97 hours, 51 minutes.

Well done guys! Apparently quite a few storms were braved along the way...

List of times updated as follows: www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/14-drakensberg-general/55826-drakensberg-fkts-record-of-times.html?start=20#65856

Stijn wrote:
41h49m - Ryno Griesel & Ryan Sandes (March 2014) - overall record
45h08m - Andrew Porter (May 2015) - solo record
60h29m - Ryno Griesel & Cobus van Zyl (April 2010)
61h14m - Andrew Porter (December 2009)
63h33m - Ryno Griesel & Linda Doke (March 2015) - mixed team record
64h29m - Ryno Griesel & Cobus van Zyl (March 2013)
78h58m - Graham Bird, Hanno Smit, Grant Ross & Robyn Kime (November 2014)
81h53m - Andrew Hagen & Stijn Laenen (December 2008)
81h55m - Luc Steens & Gideon Zadoks (February 2016)
91h55m - Stefan Wahl & Simon Marincowitz (October 2017)
92h15m - Brendon Ferrar (April 2016)
95h30m - Armand du Plessis (November 2019)
97h51m - Anouk Baars, Michael Baker & Sean MacFarlane (October 2020)
105h39m - Gavin Raubenheimer & Lawrie Raubenheimer (February 1999)
107h51m - Jonathan Newman & Andrew Porter (November 2015)
109h08m - Anne-Mummie Kirschenman & Kaj Derks (April 2017)
110h57m - Christine Harris & Carlos Gonzales (January 2010)
118h45m - Robyn Kime & Mike Owen (February 2014)
127h06m - Jonathan Newman & Mike Van Wyngaard (December 2016)
133h31m - Murray Steenkamp & Kevin Rodwell (March 2016)
146h36m - Stephen Child, Rian Botes & Mark Notter (April 2017)
157h11m - Laura Bannatyne & Fiona McIntosh (November 2008)
194h45m - Carel van Heerden, Gerrit Brink, Heather Wilson & Jonathan Slater (March 2016)

Stijn wrote: Northern Berg Traverse FKT: Starting at Sentinel Car Park, tagging Mont-aux-Sources summit along the way and finishing at the Cathedral Peak Hotel reception entrance.

Previous FKT: Justin Baker, Colin van den Bergh & Simon de Jong (Oct 2017) - 14h45m
www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/drakensberg-trips/55941-mini-hike-reports.html?start=200#72296

New FKT: Warren Manson & Stijn Laenen (Sept 2018) - 10h16m
www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/drakensberg-trips/55941-mini-hike-reports.html?start=320#73951

Who's next!?


 

New FKT for the Northern Berg Traverse: Michael Baker and Andrew Erasmus (19 March 2021) - 10h06m (www.strava.com/activities/4972872495?utm_source=com.whatsapp&utm_medium=referral)

Well done guys!