Berg Alert 2016

How much of a risk would it be camping on top of the Amphitheatre on Christmas eve, one would assume that the mountain should be quiet but I don't want to be too complacent either.. Thoughts/advice?

Hi Barefoot Dave...here is the best reply:

***UPDATE*** regarding hiking in the Amphitheatre region:

Following engagement with stakeholders Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has adopted the following summarised into the form of signage which will soon be erected. The bottom line is that we strongly discourage overnighting in that area and that day hikes are preferable with a guide.

TO ALL HIKERS

Due to the risk of theft and other unlawful activity hikers are advised not to overnight in the area from the chain ladders to Fangs Pass on top of the escarpment. Use of a guide is recommended for all day hikes in the above area. A minimum party size of four hikers and a guide is recommended. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife regrets any inconvenience caused but will not be liable for the safety of persons or their property. Your understanding and cooperation is appreciated.

Further to this we advise hikers to fill out the mountain rescue register and to ensure that they sign out upon return.

Please note: As of the 1st of Jan 2017, hikers entering the World Heritage Site (Royal Natal Section) will be required to pay entry fees and be in possession of proof of payment. At this stage, entry for adults is R40, children under 12 R20, and overnighting R60 pppn. We intend implementing the sale of ticket books to surrounding establishments and guides who should then be able to sell entries into the Park without the hassle of physically having to pay at Royal Natal. The good part in this is that it ensures you are fully covered for the cost of Mountain Rescue throughout the entire Drakensberg, especially for those doing the GT and shorter overnight trips. Please note though that spot checks will be undertaken from the 1st and that those who are not in possession of proof of payment (ie entry tickets) may be prosecuted. Below is a copy of the notice that will soon be in place at both entry points:

MALOTI-DRAKENSBERG PARK
WORLD HERITAGE SITE

NOTICE TO VISITORS

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT ALL VISITORS ACCESSING THE MALOTI-DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE FROM WITSIESHOEK MOUNTAIN RESORT/SENTINEL CAR PARK ARE REQUIRED TO PAY APPLICABLE ENTRANCE/CAMPING FEES.

ACCESS TO THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE FROM SENTINEL CAR PARK BEGINS ONCE YOU REACH THE FLAT ESCARPMENT ABOVE THE CHAIN LADDERS:

ENTRANCE FEES: ADULTS R40
CHILDREN (3-12 YEARS) R20

OVERNIGHT CAMPING FEES: PER PERSON PER NIGHT R60
PLEASE RETAIN YOUR INVOICE AT ALL TIMES ON YOUR WALK AS YOU MAY BE REQUESTED TO PRODUCE IT AS PROOF OF PAYMENT.

A portion of the entrance fee is paid into the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Emergency Rescue levy. This levy will be used to cover costs in the event of a Mountain Rescue by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

All visitors entering the World Heritage Site must please complete the Mountain Rescue Register and sign out on their return. This information could save your life.

Entrance to the World Heritage Site is entirely at the visitor’s own risk and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife will not be held liable for any claim

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS FOR EMERGENCIES IN THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE:

CONSERVATION MANAGER ROYAL NATAL 082 459 0279 OR 036 4386 412 (ALL HOURS)
MAHAI DUTY MANAGER 076 588 4656 (ALL HOURS)
THENDELE DUTY MANAGER 072 186 2188 (ALL HOURS)
MOUNTAIN CLUB OF SA 0800 005 133 (ALL HOURS)


THANK YOU AND ENJOY YOUR HIKE

To quote John Muir - " Climb the mountains and get their good tidings".

Thanks Richard, I've decided to go back to Cathedral Peak and do the Bell Traverse and descend via Mlambonja, we were out that way last weekend and Twins and Bell caves looked quite hospitable.

The following is a transcript of a report I have written concerning an encounter we had with the Lesotho military near the top of the Namahadi Pass on Dec 27th. I have sent this to Ranger who is taking it up with the relevant authorities. I hope at some point in the not too distant future to be able to follow this up with some conclusions as to what the Lesotho military were doing on South African soil and what course of action should be followed if the same occurs to other readers of this post. Until then I will report the facts as they occurred. It would appear that the ruins are quite well known and are referred to as the "old stock theft outpost near the Namahadi Pass"

Lesotho Military Encounter Mont-aux-Sources plateau December 27th 2016.

On Tuesday December 27th our hiking group consisting of 4 hikers and a local guide ascended onto the plateau from the Sentinel car park by way of the “Gully”. We reached the plateau at around 0600 and then proceeded to the top of the Tugela Falls.
From the Tugela Falls we then proceeded in a South Westerly direction towards Lekhalo-la-Namahali peak near the Namahadi Pass. As we were walking across the plateau we observed a very low flying military helicopter which passed over our heads in a Northerly direction before returning and landing out of sight on the other side of a ridge in front of us. After a short while the helicopter took off again and flew away from us in a South westerly direction. We estimate the time at this point was approximately 0800.
Soon after this we cleared a ridge and started to contour around a slight valley and turned in a more westerly direction. Eventually we saw some ruined buildings across the valley which were clearly occupied. As we neared these ruins the occupants of the said building started to communicate with our guide who at a distance of 300 – 400 metres entered into dialogue with them by means of shouting across the valley floor in a language unfamiliar to us.
Once communication had ceased we asked our guide what the occupants had said and asked him who he thought they could be. He replied that they were not happy with the direction we were proceeding and had suggested that he go over there to talk with them. He was of the opinion that they were local herdsmen and were possibly involved in some sort of smuggling activity which is the reason they didn’t want us to proceed in case we observed the activities and / or people they were meeting with. Obviously, on the basis of this belief, our guide was not at all keen to cross the valley floor to meet with them and we proceeded towards our final destination (Lekhalo-la-Namahali peak) the approximate coordinates of which are S 28 45.406 E 028 51.709
We reached this ridgeline (Lekhalo-la-Namahali) shortly before 1000 and we rested there for about 30 mins before we turned back and started to walk back towards the edge of the plateau and the “chain ladders” where we intended to descend and return to the Sentinel car park. However, our return route took us much closer to the individuals who had been calling to us earlier. As we neared them they again engaged in dialogue with our guide and it was at this point that it became clear to us that they were in fact military personnel. He was therefore left with no option but to approach them.
They entered into conversation with him and basically accused us of walking on Lesotho territory which we emphatically denied (and still do). Over the course of the next 30 -45 mins they insisted we had entered Lesotho territory and they requested we show them our maps and GPS’s. We obliged them by showing them our maps and GPS’s but it became evident that they couldn’t read these and were in fact carrying no maps of their own. From the very beginning of this second encounter our guide had also made it clear to them that none of us carried any money on the basis that there would be no need to carry money on the mountain as there was nowhere to spend it.
As the weather appeared to be deteriorating we were obviously eager to proceed with our hike so that we could get off the mountain before it started to rain and the clouds closed in. When we asked if we could proceed but were told we couldn’t as they were going to call a helicopter to fly us to Maseru and we had to wait until it arrived.
We didn’t react to this threat and actually suggested that we would be happy to fly to Maseru since we were confident we hadn’t entered Lesotho and would be quite ready to prove this to their superiors. Eventually after about 45 mins of counter-productive discussion they insisted that our guide apologise to them for having lead us into Lesotho. He duly did so although protesting that we had not entered Lesotho and had therefore done nothing wrong. After asking us all our professions and making a cursory examination of the photographs on our cameras they allowed us to leave. As we left three local herdsman arrived and settled down with them.
In total there were 4 soldiers who questioned us. They were located on the top of a small ridge about 50-100 metres from the ruined buildings (approximate waypoint S 28 45.291 E 028 52.022) and appeared to be setting up a radio telecommunication mast. There were other personnel who were in the ruined buildings where there were several tents and it appeared they had set up their camp. They were mainly dressed in green material but some of them were wearing civvies and there was no clear evidence of identification. None of them displayed any badge of seniority or at any time made any verbal indication of their rank.
At no point according to either our maps (KZN wildlife series) or computer based maps generated by Google did we cross the border and trespass into Lesotho. Upon our return we have crosschecked our actual tracks as generated by our GPS’s and reconfirm this to be the case. Furthermore, basis the same data it would appear that these personnel were actually operating and were camped inside the South African border.

Hi Roadrunred:

Thank you for your detailed report. We as Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife are deeply concerned about this and have raised it with the SANDF (responsible now for borderline security in South Africa), who in turn have promised to investigate the matter.

This does not sound good and hopefully not a new pattern starting for the entire Lesotho/escarpment border!!!!!

It would appear from GE that if anyone was trespassing it was them.

With regards to the military at the Mont Aux Sources areas, see also the recent posting on the Mont Aux Sources thread which notes the presence of 6 SANDF soldiers all with automatic rifles going up the chain ladders on 23/12/2016. I'm wondering if the Lesotho encounter reported by roadrunred is part of a militarisation of the area, possibly in response to the 'Fangs Pass' incident last year. If so, its ironic that hikers are the ones now getting the strife.

An additional complication of the region is that Lesotho and South Africa have long (read many decades) disputed the precise border along the escarpment. How the situation is read depends in which court you end up in. Maseru won't give much mind to the dotted lines on the Berg maps most of us use.

All being well, I'm heading that way tomorrow and will keep an eye out for enthusiastic border patrols.

Hey everyone,

We want to do an overnight berg hike towards the end of the month. We were planning on going up to the Crow's Nest Cave, but that's now clearly a no-go.

From poking around the forums, it looks like (from a safety perspective) Injisuthi is fine, and Cathedral seems to be iffy. What's Monk's Cowl like in terms of safety?

Thanks!

EDIT: Found this .

So it's only really the Amphiteatre that's a problem at the moment? And sometimes Cathedral?

From a safety perspective Injisuthi, Monks Cowl and Didima are all good at the moment.