When I saw this hike on the MBC fixture list, I knew that it was a ‘must’ – particularly as it was over 4 days and involved some big climbs on the escarpment. The route was from Giants camp up to the escarpment via Elandshoek Pass, with a return down Bannermans pass and then back to Giants camp. We were a group of 14 , 10 of us with our names down for the upcoming 60+ Drakensberg Grand Traverse.
Day one – Giants camp to tent spot below the Gable
We enjoyed cloudy skies on our walk up to the contour path although it still felt quite humid. From here we headed south towards the end of the Gable until we found a suitable area to tent near some water. We could see the smugglers path that headed over the Gable, and this would be our first challenge the following morning – probably best not to look at it for too long and after setting up our tents, we settled in to enjoy a beautiful afternoon.. later, I took the plunge and freshened up under a small waterfall – but then I never could resist a dare!
Day two – Tenting below the Giant via Smugglers route and Elandshoek Pass
Today was going to be a big day in terms of climbing, first of all the climb over the saddle into Elandshoek Pass, and then the Pass itself , followed by the last climb up to the Long Wall. We made an early start and started up the smugglers path. Sadly Bruce had to turn back as he was battling a bit and Mavis very kindly volunteered to accompany him back to Bannermans Hut, where we would meet up with them again on the Sunday.
There is a long traverse into the base of Elandshoek pass itself and a few obstacles to get through on the way. We were a bit concerned to find the first couple of gullies that we crossed dry but then the water situation improved the further and higher we climbed. After crossing the stream at the bottom of the pass, we started the climb proper. There are a few scrambles en route with one in particular being quite tricky. Hats off to Brian who tackled them all successfully – how he manages with one arm is a thing of courage and great strength! We were concerned about the menacing storm clouds that were gathering about the top of the Giant and when the lightning and thunder started crashing around us, it was very frightening and we decided to stay in the gully and wait the storm out. There was a deluge of torrential rain and we got quite wet despite our rain gear. Once it slowed down we continued to the top of the pass. The sun made an appearance while we had our lunch and disappeared again as soon as we moved on. Our goal was to get to the Katana tenting site – still some distance away. However as we made our way closer to Giants Pass, the skies darkened again and the mist rolled in with the rain following shortly thereafter. John made a call and the decision was made to put up our tents. It was raining hard by this time and everyone scrambled to get the tents up in record time! Once it stopped we brought out all our wet gear and the campsite looked like an open air laundry. Gert Jan made the disastrous discovery that his sleeping bag was sopping wet which meant that he would have to go down Giants Pass the following day. My suggestion that he share his tent with Brian was at first met with much resistance, but in the end this worked and they both survived the night!
Day three - Giants camp site to Bannermans Hut via Langalibalele pass
Ernst joined Brian and Gert-Jan going down the pass and we were now 9. We made an early start as we had to make up our distance for the day, having stopped short the previous day. First up was the climb up to the Long Wall. From here we enjoyed the views below before casting our eyes towards the next obstacle which was Mt Durnford. This is a monster when coming from North to South but a little easier when approached from the other direction. The mist came in at the summit and it looked like it would not be long before the rain made its presence known. We descended through one of the two gaps that are present on this ridge and then made our way down the long descent to the valley below. The original plan was to ascend the Sanqebethu ridge and then down Bannermans Pass to the hut, joining Bruce and Mavis. After our lunch stop however, the majority of the team voted to descend Langalibalele Pass which would mean a 7km walk back on the contour path to the hut. The weather was looking threatening and we started the descent under very dark skies. Sure enough, down came the rain but by the time we reached the contour path, it had moved off. The trudge along that contour path seemed never ending and it was with much relief that we reached the hut and settled in. It was good to see Mavis and Bruce! John discovered an unopened box of Old Brown sherry that had been left by other hikers and this went some way in reviving tired legs!
Day 4 - Bannerman Hut back to Giants camp
A beautiful day dawned and we headed off early under blue skies. It was about 10km back to camp and all downhill so we made it back in good time. This was a most successful training hike, and even with the setbacks with the weather and some gear issues, it was a good tester for the big one that is not that far off now. It was also good to meet Dudu from Swaziland who will be part of our DGT 60+ team and who did amazingly well. Thanks to John for a great hike!
