Injisuthi security

Thanks for the comments and advice. All we need to hope for now is decent weather. Thanks again

Hi TimmyW
The advice is all good - Inijisuthi is definitely one of the better areas for security. If you wanted to be completely sure then work to the north of the area rather than around Centenary/Corner/Judges pass. Smugglers don't typically use Leslies or Ships Prow which cuts you a nice empty part of the Berg.

One option is to consider going up van Heynengens and around through the bottom of Ships Prow. There are nice views from the ridge that runs up to Cathkin. Another would be a circuit on to Marble Baths and or Lower Injisuthi from the ridge above Grindstone.

Not sure if this indicates occassional use of Leslies Pass by the smugglers (maybe a botched attempt). I still see no definite indication that it is really used. This was seen in the rock gulley as you begin the Pass proper.

We slept in Centenary hut in September, as well as March before heading to Corner in the morning. In September smugglers used the hut for shelter in the night, they realised we were there and kicked in the door of the little room on the side of the hut and slept there. In March we heard them outside, once again they realised the hut was in use and they avoided us.

A fellow hiker who slept at the bottom of corner confirmed in the morning that he'd heard them coming past in the night, but he also had no issues.

I'm putting a link in on this thread to Hermann's trip report on Injisuthi
www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/14-drakensberg-general/55163-long-weekend-trip-report.html
which describes what sounds like a new smugglers pass crossing Corner Pass and topping out about 1km south of Corner Pass.

One might think Corner Pass is free of the smuggler blight, given the tricky bits in the pass, but this doesn't seem to be the case now. That the smugglers have made a new, contrived pass in the area suggests that they are very keen on a route which connects through to the contour path near Corner Pass. I think there are two reasons for this:
a) the existence of Centenary Hut which provides overnight shelter and a place for the smugglers 'not to be seen'.
b) the jeep track which conveniently empties out into the valleys downstream of Giant's Castle camp. The jeep track makes for easy walking, even at night. I wouldn't be surprised if a vehicle helps the smuggles along this stretch.

The camp manager at Giant's Castle has recently moved to Injisuthi......

I am still convinced some officials are involved or bribed to look the other away...
everytime i've reported smuggler activity to them after a hike, i've been looked at funny and told this is not true!

Just something that puzzles me, why do most people think that all people coming from lesotho are smugglers?
Cant they just be people living in a very remote area, and that they need to come to south Africa for simple supplies, or to visit family.
For instance one of the taxi drivers working from the cultural center is a taxi driver, and regularly goes up ntonjalane to visit his family.

Fair call Anthony and you're right that some traffic comes from the Kraals in Lesotho who are going to work in SA or fetching supplies from the shops since the closest shops are in SA.

In the case of the pass that crosses Corner Pass, it seems clear to me that this is a smugglers pass. The pass/path is newly created, takes an obscure line, avoids routes used by hikers and is close to other, easier passes (e.g. Bannerman) that would be used if detection were not an issue. The easiest line from the escarpment to SA in this region is down Langa or Bannerman Pass - or even Judge Pass. If the task for the day is to fetch a bag of grain from the closest shop, then there is no need to pioneer an obscure and possibly risky route that keen hikers have managed to overlook for nearly 100 years. Instead, you'd slot onto a well worn path on an easy descent.


All that is apart from the fact that hikers have witnessed smugglers here, some at night, some with lanterns, spread out stategically from each other and carrying familar big white bags which are known to be used for dope.

Technically, someone carrying kit from one country to another (this does not include hikers since their destination is not another country) and avoiding a customs post is a smuggler - dope or not.