Mafadi Trek - April 2011

Our campsite by the Centenary Hut. As soon as the sun set the temperature plummeted.

Autumn is usually a lovely time of the year to hike in the Drakensberg as it offers the best weather conditions: cloudless skies and cool temperatures. The air is crispy, the visibility fantastic, the light simply stunning with beautiful sunrises and sunsets in cool pastel tones that provide food for the soul.

The Grand Traverse of the Drakensberg - April 2011

This is why I love what I do.

The Grand Traverse is the mother of all hikes in the Drakensberg. With a total distance of about 230km and a total elevation gain over 9000m (higher than Everest), the preferred length of this trip is between 12 to 15 days. The hike runs along the top of the escarpment, keeping as close to the edge as possible for good vistas, and stays at an average altitude of 3000m, crisscrossing the border between Lesotho and South Africa. It’s a remote area, inhabited by the hardy Basotho shepherds, accompanied by their loyal dogs, who use these high lands for grazing for their sheep, goats, cows and horses. They leave the area during the winter months when it gets too cold for comfort.