Who is doing or has done the Grand Traverse

Well done on a successful traverse guys! Very few parties get a light & fast GT right on their first attempt. Please could you send through your exact time so that I can update the DGT list?

We started at Date/Time:03/19/2016 04:34:17 SAST
Finished at Date/Time:03/24/2016 18:05:00 SAST
Total time: 133 hours and 31 minutes (5 days, 13 hours, 31 minutes)

(Murray Steenkamp & Kevin Rodwell)

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

Well done guys

You must be very fit to pull that off with a 14kg pack - that is about 4kg heavier than the heaviest pack I have carried since I finished my 14 day GT in January!

South to north Cleft is actually harder (especially with no break between it and Ndumeni Dome), but Champagne is the real killer in that direction. Direction changes so much on a GT. A ridge like Long Wall that is nothing N-S is a slog of note S-N, while Leqooa/Mashai is easy S-N and a killer N-S (especially fresh vs near the finish). I personally rate the 3 hardest escarpment ridges as:
1) Durnford (which we still went over on our 5 day GT)
2) Hodgesons (which we kind of found a way around)
3) Cleft

Anyway - great to see so many more people taking on the challenge of a GT, it is really worth doing at least once. Now to work towards my 6 day GT in December as training for my next go at 4 days

thks for this informative report.

Updated list to include BAMF SS's group time. Well done guys! www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/14-drakensberg-general/55826-drakensberg-fkts-record-of-times.html?start=20#65856

Thanks for the report Murray and well done again!

What tent did you carry out of interest? 2 friends and I are aiming for a 5/6 day GT later this month and are also looking at taking a tent with us (minus the inner), to avoid hunting for off-route caves. Would you say the tent option worked well for you?

We used the Vango Mirage 200 and it worked brilliantly. The tent, inner, poles and pegs weighs 2.7kg but it was worth it. We paid R3k for it at Drifters.

We had a look at the MSR Elixer but it is R1000 more expensive.

And don't believe the advertised weights - it is usually the minimum weight minus all the extras / inners etc.

Well done on the trip..... Sounds like it was a good one.... Ive also recently been noticing vango's tent range (quite good for its price range)... Thanks for the report and well done again....

Hi Guys
Two friends and I are staring a GT on Saturday 23 April. We will be travelling up from Durban the night before - any recommendations on where to stay so that we can make an early start on the Saturday?
Cheers
Cameron