Drakensberg Wilderness Hiking South Africa - Mountain of the Dragons - Where Adventure beckons.....: Drakensberg Wilderness

DRAKENSBERG

KwaZulu-Natal South Africa

Mountain of the Dragons

South Africa’s mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.

Where Adventure beckons..........

DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS PHOTOS © WILLEM PELSER

“SOMETIMES OUR OWN STUPIDITY LEADS TO OUR OWN LOSS OR DEMISE AS WE VENTURE INTO THE WILD WILDERNESS”

W 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 Amphitheater 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 witch doctor. 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 hot spots – 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.

We as hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses. Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

The End.

Safe Hiking.