Berg Alert 2017

Hi Makeyser...yes as Dave said we stashed our packs when we were there 2 weeks ago. It was a risk we took and turned out fine. We just 'marked' the spot as we had camped alongside the path and it was quite overgrown. The 2 nights we spent there, we didn't see any one on the path to KBC nor on the way up / down. ENJOY

One of the hikers caught up in the crossfire gave me a first hand account of what happened. On the way up they encountered the smugglers at the bottom of the gully. At the top of Champagne the Lesotho army suddenly appeared asking them if they had seen anyone below. Soldiers walked with them to the top of the pass and told them to go down. At the bottom of the gully where the path traverses below the small cave and before they could pass the smugglers the soldiers opened fire from the cliffs above. They made 3 attempts to run for it but gunfire from both parties pinned them down in the path. Only when the mist came down did they manage to gap it. A few of the smugglers were killed.

Just a note, I know that Organ Pipes is a higher risk area, but I just through that I would share this - there was a fair but of activity at the top of the organ pipes pass this weekend, from Cleft we saw smugglers heading to the pass on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday morning when heading out of Rolands and down to get water in that first stream, just by chance, we saw either the same group or a new group all sleeping under a rock band, just below the area that guys would usually use to set up tents, very out of site if you hike up from the organ pipes and set up tents anywhere on top around the area of the pass.

While I know that if the guys don't want to be seen you are generally not going to see them, but my assumption would be that they use that rock band lots either for some shelter or in waiting to do their thing given the area and proximity to the pass, so I have circled below where we saw them.

Just looking to keep everyone informed.

@WarrenM... thanks for letting us know. Our problem is not with dagga smugglers, on any given day there are many groups coming down many different passes throughout the Berg. This is there livelihood and job.....and their cargo is much more valuable than some hikers back pack and they will not risk their valuable cargo by trying to steal from a hiker. Even the herders have their jobs and are not a problem.Our problem is with robbers (cast outs who have no jobs and are hungry) and are desperate to take anything from you. Normally one can identify in which category they fall and take any necessary precautions. The most important thing is to tent away from any major pathways and thoroughfares/hide your tent........