	A Backpacker's Guide To The NATAL DRAKENSBERG
	Maps	Caves	Huts	Passes	Peaks

Updates

KZN WILDLIFE RESTRICTS BERG HIKING PARTY SIZE

EZEMVELO KWAZULU-NATAL WILDLIFE
NEWS ITEM No: 20070630

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW), as the managing authority of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site (UDP), is concerned about the physical impact of large hiking parties in wilderness areas of the Park. EKZNW has long been insisting that hiking parties number no less than four for safety reasons, and is now recommending that the maximum limit be 12 hikers. EKZNW therefore requests members of the public who are planning large group excursions into the UDP to restrict the size of these groups to no more than 12 members, and asks that the organiser liaise with the EKZNW conservation manager of the area in which they propose to hike. Larger parties should separate into groups of no more than 12 and hike in different directions or areas. A party larger than12 members has an unacceptably heavy physical impact, as well as having a visual impact with regard to the number of tents, disturbed ground as well as solid and liquid waste.

Conservation managers in the UDP have adopted the "Limits of Acceptable Change" concept as a management tool in order to cope with the increasing demands on areas within wilderness which are under increasing threat of over-use by hikers. A great concern is the proper conservation of the Drakensberg Wilderness Areas and while EKZNW actively encourages hikers to use the mountains, it also needs to manage the impacts of that use. In order to keep within the Wilderness Ethic, EKZNW has proposed in its Wilderness Management Plan that hiking group sizes are no less than four but no more than 12 people.

At a recent Hiking and Mountaineering Liaison Committee Meeting the proposal to limit the size of hiking parties to no more 12 members was accepted by the Committee which consists of staff of EKZNW, members of the Mountain Club of SA, various other hiking clubs as well as the leaders of private hiking groups and mountain guides. This size restriction does not apply to the Giant's Cup Hiking Trail which is not in any Wilderness Area and is designed to carry groups of up to 30 members.

EKZNW would also like to remind all hikers in the UDP to fill in the appropriate Hiking or Day-walk Register which forms a vital link in any rescue operation should things go wrong for the hiker.

Security

Important Security Notification (Posted 20080215):

Leopard Cave in the Ndedema Valley has been closed to overnight hikers due to the theft problem there. It is advisable not to camp anywhere in the valley or below it (e.g. at the junction of the Ndedema and Mhlwazini Rivers), where several thefts have taken place in the past. This deteriorating situation is to be expected because the South African Police are doing nothing to stop the dagga smuggling, and the Ndedema Valley is one of the most significant smuggling routes in the Natal Drakensberg. The Parks Authority is also discouraging hikers from entering the Mnweni Reservation, where there are frequent clashes between the Zulus and Basutho stock thieves.

The following areas of the Natal Drakensberg have known security problems, and you should only venture there in large groups, have a night-watch system in operation, or - safer still - avoid them altogether. Please note that these areas are not indicated on any maps, nor do the authorities and booking clerks voluntarily warn visitors about them for fear of losing income from tourism. Marauding Basuthos were usually responsible for problems on the escarpment, but with the rapid growth in the dagga trade it appears that local Zulus are now also involved.

The Amphitheatre above the chain ladders near the source of the Tugela River. Occasionally a guard is posted at the hut above the falls but he may not be sober enough to be of much help! There have been reports of bandits using anaesthetic gas (stolen from hospitals) to keep backpackers asleep while they are relieved of most of their equipment.

The vicinity of Cathedral Peak, along the Bell traverse past Bell Cave and Twins Cave.

The Ndedema Valley (Cathedral Peak Wilderness Area) from below Tlanyaku Pass to the Mhlwazini River junction, including Schoongezicht Cave, Gravel Cave, Poachers Cave, Leopard Cave and the campsites near the bottom of Phillip's Folly and at the junction of the Ndedema and Mhlwazini Rivers. The Ndedema Valley is a major dagga smuggling route and a highway for the Basuthos and Zulus involved in the racket.

The old KZN caravan park / campsite at Cathedral Peak. Theft has been a problem here since the 1980s but curiously little effort has been made to secure the facility or do anything else about the problem. Thieves break into cars, besides removing camping items left out overnight by trusting visitors.

Spare Rib Cave, Bannerman Cave and the escarpment from Bannerman Pass to Langalibalele Pass in the Giant's Castle area. This stretch of bandit territory has been extended further south to include Giant's Castle Pass and the area above it (including Giant's Cave), where - in September 2004 - a group of Treverton College students was assaulted and robbed by Basuthos wielding knobkerries, sjamboks and stones. Over the 2005 Easter long weekend, six hikers were robbed in the same area by Basuthos employing the same tactics. In both cases it appears that the groups concerned did not set a watch, so were caught unawares during the night.
Similar incidents have been going on for the last quarter century, so it is likely that more than one generation of bandits has been involved. The problem is that both hikers and Basuthos cross the Lesotho - South Africa border (defined by the water-shed on the escarpment) without having their passports stamped. While this is a convenient arrangement and works well in most other areas of the escarpment, it lends itself to abuse because when attacks do occur, they usually involve "illegal" border crossings by both Basuthos and hikers, and any action on the part of the authorities of either country is likely to result in an international border incident! South Africans who choose to defend themselves with firearms could well face extradition if they kill or wound Basuthos on Lesotho territory!
After the most recent attack, the officer-in-charge at Giant's Castle closed the escarpment above the camp to hikers (for how long is unknown). Since no effort was made by the local authorities to apprehend the bandits, one can only conclude that the closure was to prevent further attacks over the next few days. Several attacks in quick succession would be very poor publicity, but if they occur only every few months then perhaps the situation won't look so bad! About four months later the Lesotho Police arrested 7 men after investigating the sale of stolen hiking equipment. They were convicted and sentenced to prison in Lesotho.
In November 2005, a British tourist was raped while walking alone somewhere in the Giant's Castle Wilderness Area. She had not filled in the Mountain Rescue Register, so the search parties sent out to find her after she failed to return by night-fall did not know where to look for her. Apparently she made her own way back, returned to her lodgings outside Estcourt, and flew back to England shortly afterwards. South Africa's rape statistics are amongst the highest in the world, and a lone woman is almost certain to be assaulted if she encounters local tribesmen. Unfortunately, most foreign tourists fail to comprehend the extent of the crime problem in South Africa and are extremely naive.

Car hijackings and hold-ups have been reported on the roads to Injasuti and Giant's Castle, so it is best to travel in convoy in these areas. These incidents usually take the form of cattle being driven onto the road by young herd boys, whereupon armed Zulus emerge from the sides of the road to set upon the stopped vehicles. While the local inhabitants may bemoan this lawlessness, they are often intimidated themselves and the problem goes largely unchecked. By boycotting those areas of the berg with known problems, you may encourage the authorities to do something effective that will benefit tourism and thus the local inhabitants.

KZN Wildlife Backpacking Fees

For a backpacker, the cost of entry to, and the first night in, a Natal Drakensberg wilderness area is R40 (including VAT) per person. Part of this fee includes a community levy, and a small fraction is put into a mountain rescue fund. The cost for each additional night is also R40 per person. Fees must be paid at the KZN Wildlife office which oversees the wilderness area you are entering, although some backpacking lodges have alternative arrangements with KZN Wildlife. If your planned route takes you through more than one area, you may still pay for all of the nights at your entry point. Your fee secures your group a green permit, without which you can be arrested! This is still a fairly nominal fee and your contribution will help towards the enormous costs of preserving this great natural heritage site.

The cost of overnight accommodation in the Giant's Castle mountain huts and the huts of the Giant's Cup Trail - and the booking procedure for these - is quite different, and you should make reservations via the KZN Wildlife Headquarters in Pietermaritzburg (033-8451000).

Booking Procedure

	You are required to book any lower berg cave/s that you plan to stay in, and this is best done a few weeks in advance of your hike to guarantee their availability. The booking system is quite casual, and except for the Injasuti Wilderness Area you are not required to pay in advance of your arrival. This system lends itself to abuse when inconsiderate backpackers fail to cancel their unwanted bookings timeously, but it works well enough most of the time.
	It is highly recommended that you ask the receptionist where you pay for your trip to record each cave and the date you booked it for on your permit so there is no doubt as to who the rightful occupants are when you arrive there. It may happen that you lose out to some thoughtless novices who use any cave they see fit without booking in advance, and while you may not be able to dislodge them you will have plenty of ammunition to report them to the authorities afterwards. You should also report groups that you witness making campfires in caves and littering or vandalising them.
	Although it is theoretically possible to book escarpment caves, in practice the more remote caves work on a first-come, first-served basis due to their low usage and the fact that the occupants may have started their hike in a different section of the berg.
	Please note that you cannot book wilderness campsites in the berg. If your planned site is already occupied, move on to the next best one!
	Unless you booked and paid for this accommodation in advance, you are not permitted to overnight in an un-occupied mountain hut. Giant's Castle used to prevent unauthorised access to its mountain huts by keeping them locked when not in use, but the remaining huts (Bannerman and Centenary) are now being left open so that Basutho smugglers and poachers do not have to break in to use them for shelter.

Closed Paths

Some areas of the Natal Drakensberg which have experienced historically heavy traffic have closed a number of over-used foot paths to reduce erosion. This issue is gradually being addressed as "poverty relief" work parties from the local communities repair the damage. Foot paths have also been closed in an effort to reduce the size of the areas accessible to visitors and that thus need to be patrolled by the dwindling numbers of game guards. This may cause confusion since these paths appear on the Slingsby maps but not the new ones, and are usually still quite visible to hikers. Another reason for closing paths is the encroachment of privately owned private properties and resorts.

The areas most affected by closed paths are Giant's Castle, Injasuti and Monk's Cowl. Users of the old Slingsby maps may be totally unaware of any closed paths and a leader's meticulous planning may come to naught when he is confronted with a "Path Closed" sign while en-route to his intended destination! When planning routes in these areas, leaders should make enquiries about closed paths in advance of their hikes, although there are fewer and fewer Parks Authority officials who are that knowledgeable of their areas that they can be of much help in this regard!

Less-frequented areas of the berg do not suffer from the "Path Closed" syndrome; in fact, many paths in these areas are becoming overgrown, ill-defined "ways-to-go". More serious backpacking trips usually involve cross-country sections without the use of paths anyway. Ideally, the restriction to using only those paths that appear on the new maps should apply to inexperienced day-trippers only.

Last modified on 2006/04/19