Berg Alert 2010

Thanks for reporting this firephish, and welcome to this forum. Kids throwing stones on the Injasuthi road is another habitual problem that doesn't seem to go away. I think they have tried to address the problem in the schools. Did you report this to KZN Wildlife or the police?

Thanks for all the reports guys. Keep it coming if there is any more. Though not all of it is good news it's better to know what is happening out there.

Half a million bucks...that gives an idea of what the value is of the trains coming down Rockeries or Ntonjelana Passes, though that is obviously the street value, not what the smugglers are earning for it.

Recent news on the Mashai Pass / Rhino Pass issue was posted on the MCSA KZN section Google Group:

On December 9th, four hikers ascended the pass and headed for the Rhino. They noticed people on the escarpment on their way up. They were approached by 4 adult shepherds with their dogs. They were not confrontational, kept the dogs at bay and asked for the time. Moving on, the hikers soon noticed that these shepherds were behind them, as well as another 2 adolescent shepherds with additional dogs from a different angle. The 4 adults walked past, at which point the hikers picked up stones because they were concerned about the dogs. The felt as though they were being "hunted" and turned around and descended the pass as quickly as possible. The adolescents were yelling at them while they were descending, but they did not follow them. They were not harmed but did feel rattled by the incident.

In the interest of safety, an initial report was circulated by the resort the hikers were staying at, stating that the shepherds had allegedly demanded their valuables from them, and that the dogs had been agitated against them. The hikers were apparently quite shocked by the incident. A concerned individual contacted one of the hikers and obtained a statement which is summarised by the paragraph above.

Where exactly the discrepancy in the details arose is not certain. Both accounts of the incident do confirm that the hikers felt threatened and were not comfortable with the situation.

Subsequent discussion about the incident has cautioned against racial prejudice against the Basotho.

I agree that incidents on the escarpment should not skew our perception of the Basotho. Most are friendly and helpful, and I have much positive enthusiasm for explorations into Lesotho. However, to assume that all are innocent and that the escarpment is safe is ignorant. In any culture and country will be those who will do harm. Even more so in places where large numbers of tourists with nice clothing, gear and food, visit a place where the locals have much less in comparison. Even in the Himalayas, where the people are warm, friendly and welcoming of foreigners, trekkers get mugged, and theft can be a problem. To warn about possible dangers and crime does not equate to racial prejudice.

For anyone heading up Mashai Pass, be aware that you may encounter shepherds that may shout at you from a distance (for whatever reason), that may follow your around and even ask for food and other things. Be aware that the shepherds have dogs, even though they generally keep them under control. Be aware that certain individuals may be opportunistic thieves - never leave your stuff unattended. Be aware that the shepherds there may come across as being a little pushy and intimidating. Avoid going up there alone. Be alert, and recognise that crime is a possibility even in the mountains. Be polite, and where the opportunity presents itself enjoy interacting with them!