Hello. My partner and I are planning to hike the DGT at the end of this month and would be so grateful if anyone can help with some information:
We are going North to South so starting at Sentinel Peak Car Park and finishing at Bushman’s Nek.
What permits do we need to get?
Where can we get the permits?
Where can we purchase the KZN Wildlife Drakensberg Hiking Maps (numbers 1 to 6; scale 1: 50 000). We have a garmin etrex and also Garmin instinct watch but I would like physical maps too.
If easier to contact via email, my email is markcrandon7@gmail.com
Thanks again, really appreciate any help.
Mark
You need Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife permits for the days where you’ll be on their land. When you hit the top of the chain ladders, you’ll be on their land almost immediately (unless you actively avoid it). This also covers rescue, so best to get it for the full traverse. Witsieshoek will try to sell you a traverse permit - they have no right to sell you a permit for crossing other people’s land, so just buy a day permit from them. Their permit largely covers the trail and ladders maintenance, everything till you get to the top.
The Ezemvelo permit can only be bought from their offices, if you have a support team, they can buy this at Royal Natal National Park, or any of the other Drakensberg offices, doesn’t matter which. You want the permit beforehand - you can ask permission to buy it at the end, but if you need to be rescued, you need proof of paying for your permit. You can buy the Witsieshoek permit at Witsieshoek or Sentinel Car Park.
I’d suggest getting the new Slingsby maps - they are far more accurate and up to date, albeit more expensive. You might get the Geoseries maps from Mountain Mail Order or Takealot, but otherwise you can usually pick them up at the Ezemvelo offices. Slingsby maps can be bought from a number of sites online, Maps 4 Africa bought the rights to the map, as Peter Slingsby has now retired.
Thanks for the info, we really appreciate it.
I have bought the slingsby paper maps (all 3) and they look great. Really chuffed to have them. We will have GPS of course but I love a paper map.
We are staying at witsieshoek the night before we start, and catching a ride with them to sentinel car park. On our way there the day before, we will go to royal natal national park and buy the permits beforehand. I presume we can do all this at the office at royal natal as we don’t have a support team? We have arranged a shuttle from busman’s nek back to our car at witsieshoek at the end.
Once again, really appreciate the information. We are super excited about the hike. We hiked the full Pacific Crest Trail in the US last year and can’t wait to experience the DGT. I have done Mnweni before and hiked a bit from lotheni but my partner has yet to experience the Berg.
Yes, that’s perfect. When I say a support team, I mean that GT teams usually have someone helping with logistics mostly in case they end up bailing before the end - a lot can go wrong on a GT. Some teams will get dropped off at the start, and the person handling their logistics will then go to RNNP and get their permits.
Just re a GT in general - I assume you’ve done your homework on the route? I.e. where not to camp, emergency escape routes, different route options especially regarding avoiding dogs, how to handle threats by dogs etc. Its an amazing hike, but it gets underestimated periodically, and that can end badly.
Awesome, thanks again Jonathan. We owe you a beer for all the help.
Our camping plan is roughly below. We are pretty sure we will stick to the below for the first 5 nights but then might try and make up a day in the last sections if all goes well so we can complete in 9 days. Camp sites:
Close to Fangs
Behind the saddle
Yodlers cascades
Past Ship’s Prow pass
Jarateng River
Past Lotheni pass
Mkhomazi Pass
Pitsaneng River
Leqooa River
The only places we DO NOT plan to camp is on very obvious routes / paths and we plan to avoid camping on top of the Amphitheatre, between Sani Pass and the Hodgeson’s
Ridge, on the Mokhotlong, around the Yodeller’s Valley. (Does that sound right). Do you know which days / areas are the ones we need to be especially careful of camping?
In terms of dogs, I have encountered shepherds with dogs before and always just taken a sensible approach of being calm and friendly (i.e. no running, screaming etc.) Do you have any specific tips for dogs on the GT? I have never had issues before as I am a dog person so was not really worried about it to be honest. We did not plan to take anything other than our hiking poles, which I guess we could use if desperately needed with dogs.
Cheers Mark
That’s a big day 1, are you taking the Kubedu Shunt variation to get to Fangs? The escarpment line through that section has some great views, but the entire way to Fangs in a day by the scenic route would not be easy.
Night 3 - have you considered Didima Cave? It’s a really nice cave and not far past there. The Yodelers Cascades can be an issue in terms of dogs due to the number of kraals. You can proceed above the kraals and camp there, which is what we did on my 2nd GT, but Didima Cave is not much further.
Day 8 is a big day - only 3 ridges, but Thabana Ntlenyana and Hodgesons are both big ones.
Your camping guidelines sound about right. Obviously don’t leave gear outside your tent at night - two weeks ago a team lost their jackets and boots doing that at Injisuthi.
With the dogs - they can be very territorial. If the shepherd is with them, they are generally fine, and will be called off by the shepherd if they misbehave. If you encounter any away from their shepherd, usually guarding kraals during the day while the shepherd is off in the fields, they can be rather aggressive. If they threaten you and then don’t back off, pick up a rock and they usually will back off. If they don’t, throw the rock at them and they usually run away. I usually pick up two rocks (i.e. so I am not out immediately after throwing) and intentionally narrowly miss with the first one - as they usually get the message after that and back off. On rare occasions I have been forced to throw a second one - I don’t like hitting an animal with a rock, but on rare instances it is unfortunately necessary.
Funny enough, the dogs up there don’t react to trekking poles in the way a dog in the city reacts to a stick. I guess they go their entire lives without seeing a tree, hence they understand a rock, but not a stick. Remember that these aren’t vaccinated and trained city dogs, a lot of the dogs up there are used for hunting and are intentionally trained to be aggressive.