A Call to Adventure - The Drakensberg Grand Traverse

UKhahlamba, barrier of spears. Drakensberg, Dragon Mountain. Such are the names that describe the escarpment that forms a physical border and barrier between Lesotho and South Africa. This barrier is frequently visible from the Treverton College campus and exerts a magnetic pull on both the students and staff of our school. Whilst school organized hikes into the Drakensberg occur throughout the year, a traverse along the summit of the UKhahlamba had yet to be completed by students from our school. This provided the perfect motivation for such a trip. The ‘Grand’ Traverse, as it is known, entails a rigorous hike of approximately 246km from the Sentinel car park in the north to Bushmen’s Nek in the south. It is regarded as the hardest hike in South Africa because of the mountainous terrain, altitude (on average 3000m), distance, remoteness, variable weather and lack of a predefined route and path. The students who completed it were chosen, rather than invited, as the nature of the trip required a certain level of fitness and prior Drakensberg experience. The group was also kept small (two students, two staff members) so as to limit equipment and injury related issues that naturally occur in adventure based activities. The traverse wasn’t all plain sailing. Disorienting mist made navigating challenging and cost us time and energy. Ascending a descending approximately 1100m and fitting in 25 – 30 kilometers a day proved a serious physical challenge. Added to that were the high winds, cold drizzly rain, long days of walking and, frustrating mountain bogs and innumerable tufts of grass. But, what a privilege to be in that place, with those people, for that period of time. An adventure never to be forgotten in a place of unparalleled beauty.