Drakensberg Grand Traverse

The Drakensberg Grand Traverse (DGT) is Southern Africa's most demanding thru-hike — 220 km along the high escarpment that separates South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal from the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. The route is more peak-bagging line than trail: only the first 5 km out of Sentinel car park and the last 10 km into Bushman's Nek are maintained paths. Everything in between is high-altitude moorland navigation across an unfenced Lesotho border, summiting six named peaks above 3,000 m including Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482 m), the highest mountain in southern Africa.

The traverse is walked north-to-south. Day 1 climbs the Sentinel chain ladder to the Mont-Aux-Sources amphitheatre — the famous Tugela Falls plunges 948 m off the edge here. From there the route stays on the high escarpment for most of its length, gaining 9,000 m of cumulative climb over the named summits: Mont-Aux-Sources, Cleft Peak, Champagne Castle, Mafadi (3,450 m, SA's highest), Thabana Ntlenyana, and Walker's Peak. The path crosses freely between South Africa and Lesotho — the border is unmarked and unfenced — though officially you should enter Lesotho only at recognized border crossings. The final descent to Bushman's Nek is a long drop off the escarpment back to lowveld.

Best seasons are April–May and September–October — clear weather, mild days, cold nights. Summer (Dec–Feb) brings severe afternoon thunderstorms on the high ridge and is dangerous; winter (June–August) brings snow above 2,500 m and freezing nights. There are no resupply points and no quick exits — most teams carry 8–12 days of food, with the option of a single mid-trek resupply pre-arranged at Giant's Castle. There's no formal permit but parties should sign in at Sentinel and inform the KZN Wildlife rangers. Navigation skills (1:50,000 topo + compass, GPS as backup) are essential; the upper plateau is featureless in cloud and even experienced parties have died after getting lost.