Quathlamba
“A
mass of Spears. Named thus by the Zulu warriors before the white man came.
Today called the Drakensberg, Mountains of the Dragon, a name given by the
Voortrekkers. Evocative names, both equally applicable to South Africa’s
mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the
saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.”
Panorama April 1966
“Listen to the streams as they gurgle from their cradles and you will hear the story of the mountains. You will hear fascinating tales if only you listen! Lie next to a stream and listen to the song of the mountains. The smiling faces of the flowers, dancing in the wind. Venture into the remote valleys or stand on a peak at sunrise or sunset, after snow has fallen, and you will hear a song that you will never forget - the Song of the High Mountain". (DA Dodds)
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“SOMETIMES OUR OWN STUPIDITY LEADS TO OUR OWN LOSS OR
DEMISE AS WE VENTURE INTO THE WILD WILDERNESS”
Willem
Pelser
Drakensberg Wilderness
The Unacceptable Factor
An expedition
into the mountains to climb or hike is an adventure undertaken for a wide
variety of reasons. For some it is to pit their strength against the steep
slopes, the cliffs and crags. For others it is to find the quiet tranquility of
mountain streams, the singing of the wind or the brightness of stars seen
through unpolluted air. There is joy in watching the Bearded Vulture sweep the
skies, warmth from that cup of steaming coffee on a crisp and cold morning, and
a sense of achievement when, with aching muscles, you return home knowing that
the course has been completed, the objective reached.
The dangers in
the Drakensberg Wilderness include floods, rock falls, equipment failure, fire,
lightning, snake bite, and others. It is human nature to be drawn to situations
where there is an element of danger. Man thrives on it. But these dangers are
acceptable, and they make the adventure more real for their very presence.
One danger that
is totally unacceptable, but which is a big concern, is the attacks on hikers
and climbers by tribesman from Lesotho.
In May
1990 a party of backpackers was hiking along the escarpment from the
Amphitheatre towards Rockeries Pass. In the vicinity of Mount Amery one of
their members was found to be suffering from hypothermia. As the weather was
deteriorating it was decided to call a halt and set up camp. During the night
some members of the party were disturbed, but it was only in the morning that
it was discovered they had been raided by sneak thieves during the night, and
boots, clothing, backpacks and food supplies stolen.
On another
occasion some hikers had to come off the escarpment without footwear or warm
clothing after they were raided in the night and their gear stolen One girl in
the party walked from the top of the escarpment to the car park at Witsieshoek
in her pajamas and without shoes. Once a party down on the Little Berg left a
man to guard their tents while they went rambling, only to return to find him
severely injured and their equipment gone. Tribesman had stoned him and stolen
everything, and they had to bring him down to medical help in a forced march
into the night. Another couple of hikers were stoned by a group of tribesmen
from the heights above them. Fortunately they were only slightly injured, but
it could easily have been a tragedy.
But, without a doubt the worst incident
between Basotho tribesman and hikers came to light at the beginning of April
1987 when a battered and bruised hiker staggered into the Witsieshoek Mountain
resort and told how he and a friend had been attacked. Although seriously
injured, the hiker escaped, but he did not know the fate of his friend. The
hiker flew with the rescue crew in a search helicopter and the hiker indicated
a point on top of the escarpment near the Mnweni Cutback. The whole cutback was
flown extensively, but there was no sign of anything.
The
hiker then directed the rescue crew into an area near the Ntonjelana Pass, well
south of the Cutback, and it was here they spotted an item of blue clothing on
a ledge over the edge of the escarpment. It was a clue that they were in the
correct area and they continued their search. At last they spotted the body of
a man in a narrow ravine about three hundred meters down from the top of the
escarpment. They then abseiled down to the body and were appalled by what they
found. A piece of rope was tied around one of the victim’s arms. It appeared as
though the free end had snapped, and there was little doubt that the man’s arms
had been tied, which indicated that he had been thrown or pushed off the top.
There was also the grim thought that the man was still alive when he was pushed
off the mountain.
The
survivor told Police that they took off their boots and were sitting in their
sleeping bags preparing their supper when they were bombarded with rocks. They
scrambled out of the tent and shouted at their attackers. Boulders continued to
rain down, and the survivor was struck several times. He and his friend tried
to take cover in a small hollow, but they were battered and the survivor lost
consciousness. When he recovered after midnight he could not find his friend,
and all their equipment was gone. He was without shoes, was lightly dressed,
and had lost his glasses.
At
first light he again searched the vicinity of their camp, but everything was
gone, so he began to walk back to Witsieshoek the way they had come. Without
shoes his feet were soon cut and bleeding. That night he slept alone in the
mountains, and continued to walk the next morning, until he was found by some
Basotho Tribesmen who took him on horseback to a hiking party who were also on
the trial. He spent the night with them, and the next day they hiked with him
to the Witsieshoek resort.
It was the
first time that the two hikers had been hiking the Drakensberg, and this
inexperience cost the surviving hiker dearly in time and effort. He walked for
nearly three days to Witsieshoek. If he had known the mountains better he would
have realized that he could have descended the Ntonjelana Pass, about an hour’s
walk from where the attack took place, and he would have been able to reach the
Upper Tugela Police Post easily within one day.
Twenty days later arrested two men and two boys for the attack on the hikers.
They admitted to robbery and the one attacker said that he noticed the two
white hikers, and that he was looking for some hair of a white man for his
witchdoctor. They then rendered the two hikers unconscious by stoning them,
went back to the first hiker, dropped a boulder on his head, and then tied his
arms as they were still scared of him. Some of the hiker’s hair was then cut
off. The four attackers then carried the hiker to the edge of the escarpment
and threw him off the mountain. The attackers then left with all the equipment.
Two of the attackers were sentenced to death in court and the boys to jail.
The tragedy of the attacks touches all of us who have
hiked or climbed in the Drakensberg, and we must question the wisdom of camping
out on top of the escarpment. Bandits who come at dead of night and slit open
tents could, by stealing one’s boots or clothing, be sentencing the victim to
death should a blizzard suddenly blow up.
Hikers are advised
not to camp out in groups of less than four. And regardless of where you are
camping, on the top of the escarpment or down in the Little Berg, never leave
your equipment unguarded, sleep with your equipment inside your tent.
As much as
attacks on hikers are to be deplored, they should be put into perspective. Not
all Basotho are bandits. Climbers and hikers have reported being hospitably
treated by the tribesman. The tribesmen on the barren, high Lesotho plateau are
desperately poor. While the fact that some turn to crime cannot be condoned, it
can be understood.
There are some
very simply precautions to take to avoid trouble:
- · Do not sleep near any footpaths anywhere.
- · Find a camp spot for the night which is not in view of any footpaths.
- · Do not sleep near any well used mountain pass.
- · Put all your gear inside your tent at night.
- · If you are busy putting up camp and notice tribal people around, pack-up, move far away and then pitch camp again. Do not think that they might be friendly! Rather be safe than sorry.
- · If you meet up with tribal people or smugglers, do not linger around. Be firm and friendly and move off immediately.
- · When you plan your hike, avoid including hotspots – they are all well known, and still going there is sheer stupidity!
- · The biggest problem area is on top of the escarpment in well used hiking areas – beware!
- · Study a proper map of the area you are planning to hike in advance, work out an easy escape route/routes in the event of any type of emergency. Understand the lie of the land. Don’t just go barging blindly into the Wilderness.
Remember,
only a well prepared hiker is a safe hiker. The Drakensberg Wilderness does not
suffer fools lightly. Ninety-nine percent of attacks could have been and will
be prevented by using the stuff we carry between our ears. If you go hunting
for trouble you will find it.
I have been
solo hiking the Drakensberg for many years without incident or emergency. To
keep it like that and to enjoy more trips, I am very careful about my equipment
and everything that I do. My solo hikes are normally at least 7 days long and
in wild country – therefore I cannot afford any mistakes.
The End.
Safe Hiking.
References and Acknowledgements
Photos –Willem Pelser
Compiled by - W Pelser – From the Book – Dragon’s Wrath – Byrom/Pearce
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