permit?

do i need a permit to climb in the royal natal?

Welcome t_t_e

The only requirements to hike and climb in the Drakensberg are that the individual pay a set rate for the number of nights out in the wilderness. This can usually be done at the EKZN point of departure. A receipt is given. We have only once ever been asked to produce the receipt by a patrol encountered in the Berg.
The other necessary is to complete the Mountain Rescue Register in detail. This too is found at the p.od's, and you then sign out on your return.

For help i.c.o emergency see the BLOG page on reporting and requesting for emergency assistance.

Happy climbing.

If its Devil's Tooth you're going to, then its best to ask special permission at RNNP. We thought we had, we paid for a permit, signed the register even. But on return we found that a guard had been posted at our car (which was parked at the car park leading to the gorge walk). We weren't allowed to leave until the chief ranger arrived. The chief ranger then blew his lid at us for overnighting in the area without permission. Once we had explained that we had genuinely sought out permission, and the chief ranger had blown his lid a few more times, he went on to explain that they strongly police overnight stays in the gorge region - which I can understand. This was all some time ago in 1990s. I'm wishing now that the same attitude prevailed in the Berg so that gangs of 20 strong smugglers were treated to the same reception that we had after that long day's climbing.