Fast Solo DGT Attempt

Hi VE family,

--- Reposting this with a more accurate title ---

I am working on this project to see if I can't complete a solo speed attempt around August 2025.
I have a fair amount of ultra-running experience and some berg experience, but won't call myself an expert, or even highly proficient. I will be using the next 12 months to scout, get strong and build this project.

The idea so far:
Pre-start - Sleep at Witsieshoek Backpackers, shuttle to Sentinel CP and start the run
Day 1 - Roughly 80km

• Tag: Mt Aux-Souces, Cleft Peak, Champagne Castle
• Sleep: cave near Champagne Castle (Nkosazana seems to be the consensus)

Day 2 - Roughly 80km

• Tag: Mafadi, Giant's Castle, Thabana Ntlenyana
• Sleep: Sani backpackers, resupply, wipe off tears and patch bruises

Day 3 - Roughly 80km

• Tag: Hodgson's Peaks (not on the official route, but I want to make it 7 peaks), straight shot to Bushman's Neck
• Finish - BN border post

I will be hugging the escarpment as much as possible and using intrepid's GPX route and the DGT race route, again as much as possible. And will update sections as I work on my recce over the next few months.
Any input, advice, insults or emojis are welcome.

To add - I will be doing a fair amount of scouting and training and will post in this thread as the project develops, this will include gear, nutrition, training, etc.

From FB discussions with other ultrarunners:

The consensus is that doing this solo is pretty stupid, which I completely agree with. But I will be working to de-risk this as much as one can and won't hesitate to postpone or bail if I don't feel confident.

Hello BergDog

I have done many 1000’s km solo in the berg, and continue to do so.

If you do not already have one, get yourself a satellite tracker.  I use an In-Reach instead of a Spot because the In-Reach tells you if a message or tracking point was sent whereas a Spot is very unreliable in this regard.  Also, an ability to type a specific message is useful if poo-poo does hit the fan, and then, I do not mind paying R10 or so for a message. One of my preset messages is “stopping here” which is a way of telling my loved ones back home to expect the dot to stop moving, which then also means if it does stop moving at any other time they can initiate a rescue if needed.

Closer to the time, adjust your run dates to match good weather, although in August you should be fine.  Have several route options in mind for various sections of the route so that if it is very windy on the day, you can drop into a valley instead of unpleasant winds on the ridges. And, you have said you are ready to bail – so, if it gets unpleasant do just that.

Try to learn where the dogs are (but in August they will be in different places to December, so that boat is already drifting down the river without any oars). In August, the escarpment itself will be fair clear of dogs though. On the plus side, as long as the locals see that you are moving fast, they tend to leave you alone as too much effort when you also clearly have very little in your bag.  So, problems with shepherds are actually less likely to occur than for a “typical hiking group”.

I do not know where you live and hence which sections of the berg are easier for you to visit, but try to get in more time in the Southern berg than the northern.  You are unlikely to bail at the Mnweni cutback because you are still as fresh as a daisy,  but by the time you reach Sani, you want to know you can do the rest in your sleep or you might not leave the comforts of the backpackers.

The rest of it is actually in your control. The more time you spend out there, the more comfortable you should get. Learn to navigate the carious cliff bands, know where the water is (and is not) and what gear to wear and carry.  And, what gear is not needed so you can pack light enough to actually move.

A DGT is never going to be risk free, but I encourage you to go for it rather than call it out as silly.

This is awesome dude. Good luck!

Hi Geoff,

Thanks very much for this info!

This definitely does reflect my sentiment and I was going to as what devices people recommend! I've done some sweeping and aid station work for UTD and experienced first hand how useless cellphones are up there, even with Lesotho sims.

I'm in JHB, so access to the berg is limited. I'm quite familiar with Northern berg and Southern berg (around Sani), but the section between Champagne castle and Sani is pretty unfamiliar. So will focus on that as top priority, then southern, then Northern. I feel like the night at Champagne is the crux, and I have thought of doing an extra day at Sani to recover - the idea is to get it done safely, my schedule just happens to be fast.

In terms of gear, I'm taking my cue from ultrarunning and AR, but with the few extras that come with something like this (like pepper spray).

Thanks for the encouraging words, most people have been disparaging citing danger, but I feel safer out there than in my car going to the shops.

Hi BergDog, quite a few people solo in the 'berg. This is really a decision you have to be personally comfortable taking wrt to the risk(s).

Just educate yourself about being safe, prepare, and plan to manage the risk(s) as best you can and enjoy the experience.

Try not to worry too much what others think, unless you are married to them

m