#drakensberg — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #drakensberg, aggregated by home.social.
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Today we jump over to Southern Africa where earlier this month, a strong winter storm brought widespread snow across the interior uplands, including much of #Lesotho. #Drakensberg https://youtu.be/peLWT0ZPwE4
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My hiking adventures in Southern Africa for 2026 have come to an end. I have done four hard trips:
- Mnweni Traverse, Drakensberg, ZA. (Shortened to 5 from 7 due to weather)
- Fish River Canyon, NA. (6 days)
- Naukluft Trail, NA. (8 days)
- Khomas Hochland Trail, NA. (4 days)I grabbed four photos to describe the essence of each of the trails on this journey. The Drakensberg and the Naukluft were technically the hardest of them all. The Naukluft and the Khomas Hochland had the most vicious vegetation.
Namibia is a special place and routes are usually without mobile reception, requiring satphones or satellite communicators for safety.
Each trail is highly recommended, but each trail comes with challenges that are not meant for inexperienced groups.
I don't know if I ever will have the chance to return to these, as my attention is bow turning to planning a number of trips in a number of other countries in the next couple of years.
#southafrica #namibia #hiking #wanderlust #drakensberg #naukluft #FishRiverCanyon #KhomasHochland
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It's worth posting this image as well - taken the previous day and looking North instead of South, this image spurred the goal of taking a series of 1:1 images across my #Backpacking trek through the #Drakensberg range.
#mountains #monochromemonday #artphotography #photography #landscapephotography #lpw #southafrica
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Small waterfall near the top of Icidi Pass in the Mnweni area of the Drakensberg.
#Drakensberg #southafrica #mnweni #hiking #wanderlust #waterfallwednesday
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Standing at the top of Madonna pass. The Madonna and her Worshippers are the set of fluted basalt columns emerging from from the pass.
Further back are two prominent peaks known as the Mnweni Needles. In the distance there are some rounded peaks known as the Puddings.
To the right of the Needles a plateau is visble. The big, prominent column behind the plateau is called Mponjwane. It is connected via small neck quite some scramble down from the main escarpment. It is a classic rock climb on basalt rock.
Some smoke arises from the steep edges about one third down. This is probably due to a lightning strike igniting dry brush.
#MountainMonday #hiking #wanderlust #drakensberg #mnweni #southafrica
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Day 5 of our Mnweni traverse and I had to make a call. We were scheduled to walk for 7 days, but bad weather was moving in which included high winds again as well as the possibility of driving rain.
The decision was made to descend from the escarpment using the well-known Rockeries pass and camp further down at the Nguza campsite,m where we should be sheltered from the wind.
Thus we left Ledger's Cave and in the drizzling rain made our way over to Rockeries pass. Luckily this pass is one of the easiest in this area. We got to the campsite at around 10:30 and had some elevensees. Instead of setting up camp in the drizzling rain, we decided to continue on for another 3h and walk out.
We struggled to reach the local transport that was supposed to pick us up two days later to reschedule - there is basically no mobile reception.
However by a stroke of luck we arrived at the pick up point near to the time that the locals school finished and shortly after our driver arrived with a bunch of school kids that he had to drop off. Voila! We had a ride back to where our car was parked at the Mnweni Cultural Centre.
What an amazing trip in such an amazing place in the world.
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Day 4 of our Mnweni traverse in the Drakensberg and we woke up to a cold morning after a sub-zero night. Most of this day involved navigating around a very deep mountain cutback known as the Mnweni Cutback. The wind was tough in any exposed area, especially where the path we took went into the South African side of the watershed.
We had lovely lunch on a slope which was protected from the wind and then proceeded to take water from the source of the Orange River. The latter is the buggest river that flows through South Africa and originates from Lesotho where it is known as the Senqu. Although the river originates as a series of small streams in the basin between the Mnweni and Rockeries passes, we think we found the highest the best flowing stream this time, which in our opinion could be considered the true origin.
We eventually made it to our overnight spot - another rock overhang known as Ledger's Cave. And to see the sunrise from this cave, see this posting: https://loops.video/v/fntoop6eJk
When the clouds lifted from the valley below in the very late afternoon, we were afforded some amazing views over the northern parts of the Mnweni range, but we could even see the flat-topped hills of Harrismith in the distance.
It was a bit of a sentimental time too as I have the feeling that there are parts of this mountain range I would not get to see ever again from this side.
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Day 3 of our trip involved moving south across the Drakensbers's Mnweni escarpment. Much of the walking in these parts involves switching between side of the watershed and thus being either in South Africa or Lesotho. There are now border fences here and the border itself is only marked with cairns. This is free roaming at its best. One can walk where ever you want.
We woke up to a great sunrise with the blanket of clouds below us. Then
our day took us past many other passes, including Icidi, Madonna and Fangs. None of these are as hard and techinical as Ifidi Pass, but they should still not be underestimated.We eventually made camp next to a river somewhere between Fangs and Rwanqa passes.
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Just finished an amazing hike in the Drakensberg. We did most of what would be known as the full Mnweni traverse.
Our first two days were concerned with ascending to the escarpment to about 3100m using a classic, but difficult pass known as Ifidi. This also forms the most northern part of the Mnweni area.
The first day we walked to a cave which marks the approach to the pass. The second day was the hard day. There are few paths scattered around the area, most which seem to lead to bundu bashing or steep grassy slopes.
We eventually just returned to the stream bed and boulder hopped all the way up to the pass proper.
The latter is where the pass comes to its full "enjoyment" - all-fours in many places. Close to the top there is one place where we had to haul the bags and another where we just passed them up. The terrain at this point was wet and the scrambles became real short wet rock scrambles with the risk of injury.
We eventually topped out in howling wind (50-70km/h). It was cold enough that I had to wear my shell jacket over my puffer jacket. We eventually made our way to another rock overhang where we spent the night.
It was a hard day and we had to take many breaks, but it the kind of memories one can carry to the end of days.
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CW: Shows open wound.
The Drakensberg is no joke after all the rainfall it received over the first couple of months this year.
A friend stood on a rock on a small embankment when it gave way and she tumbled into a small river gashing open her arm in the process. She reckons she got displaced about 4m and was thankful none of the other rocks fell on top of her.
She had to walk out to only get it stitched up back in civilisation two days later.
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Electronic I am taking on my next multi-day hikes:
- Mobile phone. I keep it in a pocket in my Forclaz trousers.
- Garman Fenix 6 smartwatch.
- Petzl Swift headlamp. I prefer the stronger beams that this offers as I use for walking in the dark and not just for camp cooking.
- Iniu powerbank. 20Ah. I am not taking my older Anker power bank as the Iniu has the capability of both usb-c and usb-a power out.
- usb-c to usb-c charge cable.
- usb-a to usb-c charge cable.
- usb-c to micro-usb adaptor (for charging headlamp).
- usb-c to garmin adaptor (for charging watch).
- 4lt Nanosil drybag from Sea to Summit for keeping everything together. This bag goes in the backpack as I don't normally need it in the day.
Not included in this list are camera equipment, spare batteries and chargers for cameras.
This time around I have cut some grams off the base weight by using shorter cables and then the adaptors instead of extra cables.
#FishRiverCanyon #drakensberg #southaftica #namibia #whatsinyourpack #hiking
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@intrepidhero Looking back, I remembered sleeping out in the open in the Drakensberg back in the 90s.
It was in the middle of winter and we hastily abandoned our ice climbing base camp due to a group of herdsmen gathering around it. We descended the closest pass and then overnighted next to a big boulder on a slight slope. There was no place for tents, but we were not expecting any rain.
I had one of those old alcohol min-max thermometers with me and that night it recorded -17ºC. Good that we all had decent down dleeping bags with pertex outers, because there was moisture and one person's sleeping bag did have frost over the foot box.
The tail of the story: As we got up the next morning we noticed a dark cloud on the horizon. As we walked out it grew and grew and eventually it started snowing. It ended up being one of the largest snow falls in the Drakensberg for a long time. We made it out, but other parties got trapped and needed to be rescued.
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For the Fish River Canyon and Drakensberg trip I have my cooking setup settled and there are some luxury items.
- I am taking a Fozzils Snapbowl for when I need a bowl. Doubles as a cutting board. (https://www.fozzils.com/product-page/snapfold-bowlz). It fits nicely into the back stretch pocket of the backpack.
- A long handle spork.
- A Victorinox Soldier's knife. It has all the necessary utilities for emergencies. The made blade is serrated and sharp. I have used it in the past to even cut open tins. (https://www.amazon.es/-/en/Victorinox-Schweizer-Soldatenmesser-Functions-Including/dp/B002RWXZ7E)
- A spreading knife, because it works better than the pocket knife's big blade. It is my one luxury item.
- All the cutlery items go into a small Hilltop tent stake bag. I purposely bought the one with the meat print. (https://hilltoppacks.com/products/tent-stake-stuff-sacks-funny-prints?variant=38878721867961)
- MSR Pocket Rocket DLX. Slightly heavier than some other compact stoves, but it burns more efficiently, has a regulator and a piezo igniter. (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/pocketrocket-deluxe-stove).
- Lightload Towel as a dish cloth. It is super lightweight, recycable and lasts for many days. (https://www.litesmith.com/lightload-towels/).
- MSR Titan 900ml kettle. (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/titan-kettle-900ml)
- MSR Titan Double Wall mug 375 ml. It fits inside the kettle. (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/titan-double-wall-mug).
- All the cookware goes inside a Hilltop stuff sack, including one gas canister. (https://hilltoppacks.com/products/stuff-sacks-w-custom-printing-challenge-d50t-fabric?variant=45960307114241)
- I have one large food bag from Hilltop (https://hilltoppacks.com/collections/food-bags-bear-bags/products/food-bags-w-custom-printing-challenge-d50t-fabric-bear-bag-5) as well as 2nd snack bag. At this point I might take another Hilltop bag instead of the Sea to Summit drybag for the latter purpose.
- As these hikes are in Southern Africa, a common practice is to eat rusks with morning coffee / tea. I keep these in a plastic container to prevent them from becoming crumbs.
- My second luxury item is a Platypus 800ml wine bag, because we like to sip some red wine in the evening. When it is empty it rolls up really small (https://cascadedesigns.com/en-eu/products/platy-preserve).
This whole setup is < 900g.
I did not include a emergency matches or a lighter in this list as that will go into the emergency and first aid bag.
#whatsinyourpack #hiking #cooking #traillfood #fishrivercanyon #drakensberg #namibia #southafrica #msrgear #hilltoppacks #platypus #victorinox #fozzils
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What people take for toiletries is a very personal choice. For me for overnight hikes my toiletries remain consistent.
- Small drybag where most of things go. After various options in the past, I have now settled for one from Hilltop Packs - https://hilltoppacks.com/products/ditty-bags-printed-dry-bags-challenge-d50t-fabric-11?variant=46398823629057.
- A very small Sea to Summit Airlite towel. https://seatosummit.eu/en-nl/products/airlite-towel (I only use this on trail, as I have left two behind in the shower after the trail. There are small after all and easy to miss).
- Sunscreen
- Nail clippers
- Tooth brush.
- Dental brush tablets. Much better than toot paste. They don't make a mess and I can take exactly the amount I need.
- Interdental brush. For me a better solution than floss, as I do not have perfect teeth. I normally carry this in a hip belt pocket as I might need it during the day,
- Mirror, it is just useful for many things. like putting sunscreen on your face.
- Lip balm. Not something I always use, bu it does come in handy on hot, sunny days. I also carry this in a hip belt pocket,
There is noticeable absence of deodorant, soap and shampoo. I am in the "embrace the smell" camp when on trail and I don't like to introduce day-hiker fragrances. If it is going to be a very long hike, then I'll bring something, but for <7 days I don't. (There is always water and a wet wipe from the hygiene bag).
But there are a couple of things I do leave in the car for cleaning up after the trail - soap, shampoo, deodorant and a bigger towel.
#toiletries #hiking #whatsinyourpack #fishrivercanyon #drakensberg #pyrenees
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Sleep system for both the Fish River Canyon and Drakensberg trips in 2026.
- Bandit quilt from UGW
- Nemo Fillo Elite pillow
- Sleeping bag liner from Naturhike
- Nemo Tensor Extreme sleeping pad
- E-Vent Sil compression dry bag from Sea to SummitFor the desert I could have gone with a normal Nemo Tensor and a lighter quilt, bur since I only want to fly with one combination I opted for taking the warmer set.
I have also now worked out a way to keep the pillow strapped to the pad at the expense of about 10g.
Although the sleeping bag liner is depicted with its own stuff sack, Ieave that behind. Instead the pillow, quilt and pillow are all compressed into the dry bag. The sleeping pad still travels in its own stuff bag. For bag end up at the bottom of the backpack when hiking.
#whatsinyourpack #sleeping #hiking #FishRiverCanyon #Drakensberg #quilt #nemoequipment #ugqoutdoors #seatosummit #naturhike
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Footwear for the Fish River Canyon & the Mnweni Traverse in 2026.
- Nnormal Tomir Boots. Waterproof versions. Durable soles. Good for water crossing. Mid-ankle keeps the dust out and reduces risk of ankle rolling on boulders.
- Custom insoles from Sidas moulded by specialist boot fitter. This means no unnecessary foot rolling, leg movements and less fatigue.
- Dust gaiters. Will either be a pair from Dirty Girls (picture) or a hiking pair form AR Gaiters. (https://argaiters.co.za/collections/ar-gaiters-hiking). Keeps dust, sand, sticks and pebbles from getting inside.
- Sliverlight crew socks. Onsilverlie pair worn for 5.5 days. Backup pair in pack. (https://silverlight.store/socks)#hiking #whatsinyourpack #hiking #fishrivercanyon #drakensberg #southafrica #namibia
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5 weekend escapes with both mountains and wine
South Africa offers stunning landscapes, from mountains to vineyards. For a weekend getaway, you can hike in the morni…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #SouthAfricanWine #Breedekloof #cederberg #Drakensberg #Franschhoek #mountaingetaways #southafrica #Swartland #travelSouthAfrica #weekendescapes #Wine #WinefromSouthAfrica #WineofSouthAfrica #wineregionsSouthAfrica
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2358082/5-weekend-escapes-with-both-mountains-and-wine/ -
Corner Pass in the Injasuthi area of the Drakensberg. This very rocky pass has some risky, non-beginner scrambles in it.
As I was negotiating the last of the scrambles (also the crux of the pass) a rock was dislodged above me. I tried to duck as deep as possible into the rock section I was on, but I heard it whoosh past my head. It bounced on top of my backpack, which I was wearing at the time, and then continued further down the pass.
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The #Drakensberg mountains of Lesotho and South Africa following a damaging storm a few days ago that brought severe floods and heavy widespread #snow seen yesterday by #Sentinel2 #SouthAfrica
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Does this count as #FensterFreitag ? It was my window to the world one morning this shoulder season?
(View from Injasuthi Summit Cave looking east).
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Two photos from my last multi-day hike in the Drakensberg. This is before the descent using Gray's pass. Two peaks, Sterkhorn (left) and Mdedelo/ Cathkin form a stunning backdrop.
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If you thought ice climbing is not possible in South Africa, here is renowned Canadian ice climber, Will Gadd, talking about it.
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#SouthAfrica: new #Drakensberg nature reserve will protect ancient #RockArt, #wildlife, livelihoods, #grasslands and water https://theconversation.com/south-africa-new-drakensberg-nature-reserve-will-protect-ancient-rock-art-wildlife-livelihoods-grasslands-and-water-230492
"Most importantly, it will open a new and important wildlife migration corridor. Migratory animal populations will be able to recover as they’ll no longer be isolated and fragmented... It took six years for landowners and conservationists to get the new park formally declared, much faster than it usually takes to have land declared protected."
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@murraylivingston Oh man, this is a beautiful. I can comment so much and ask so much too.
I did spot an X-Mid too among the tents!
Great spot to camp behind the Madonna pass, but I guess you did not have water there. (I past it in April '24 after ascending Mbundini pass and could remember seeing any water there).
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A clear day over early winter snows⛄️ on the #Drakensberg in #Lesotho 🇱🇸and South Africa 🇿🇦seen on 9 June by #Sentinel2 🛰️ #SouthAfrica
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Looking out over the Maloreng River valley near the border of Lesotho and South Africa.
April 2000. Altitude ~3100m.
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Sterkspruit Falls, Monk's Cowl area, Drakensberg.
At one stage the pool was destroyed by a boulder swepted over in a storm. It has subsequently recovered, but I hear from some sources that there has been damage again in closer times.
Shot in early 90s. Scanned from film.
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More photos from our #Drakensberg trip to #Mnweni is on Pixelfed.
https://mountains.photos/p/ysb33r/692634171275132966
(It only shows 4 of the 12 pics in some apps).
