Hi
I will like to do a hike up Bannerman’s pass sleep over in Bannerman’s cave and then walk to Giants Castle. If that is no safe then just up Bannerman’s pass and back down
Is it a route that can be done as a solo hiker
Thanks for the info
I was thinking af sleeping in the hut so I can go up and come back down in one day , ther is somebody expecting me to come back
I would not advise doing solo multi day hikes in the Drakensberg, unless you have quite extensive experience with the area and a GPS tracker (Spot, Inreach). There are numerous accounts of solo hikers vanishing without a trace, December 2017 a hiker went missing on the popular Bells Traverse and is yet to be found. A solo hiker lost her life in Grays Pass over the september long weekend (Only ascending and descending the pass in a day) with friends waiting at Keith’s Bush Camp. Alot of rescues in the Drakensberg involves solo hikers.
That being said, I have done my fair share of solo multi day hikes, its not ideal though. I always try and stay away from the well worn herding areas. These include the valleys behind Mt Dunford, which has numerous kraals and sheperds. I would also advise not using bannermans cave as it gets frequented by shepherds and smugglers, unless you are talking about sparerib cave (which sits in Bannermans pass and not on the escarpment). The hike you are referring to is a 4 day hike for a average fit party (Up bannermans - down Giants castle).
I would say that the safer option, although still not ideal, is using the hut as a basecamp as you mentioned and doing the pass in a single day.
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Thanks for the info , I will do the short hike using the hut as basecamp I understand the dangers of the Drakenberg there is no hikes that you can do alone
Hi Shane,
Ditto the points above. That being said, if you want to explore the area a bit, a variation is to go up Judges and down Bannermans pass. Did it with the kids 3 or 4 years ago. They were then aged 9 (boy) and 8 (girl) and were carrying full backpacks. We left the hut at around 8am and were back at 5pm-ish. Check for water availability in the area as the escarpment is currently very dry. There is normally a stream running down from Bannermans pass, lower down towards the north. We’ve previously topped up here, but it might be dry now. I would advise taking enough water from below, unless rain falls in the area before you start your hike.
Enjoy!!!
Hi -You (we) do what you want to do and take calculated risks with this in mind I think its morally right to provide the obvious warning: Its never safe to hike alone.
Anyone endorsing solo hiking in [South] African wilderness or any mountainous area on social media is opening a legal can of worms.
I know what I sound like, but the facts speak for themselves the overwhelming majority of deaths on Table mountain have been solo hikers and that’s within shouting distance of assistance, not somewhere isolated.
Consider the accidents you’ve seen in a group of hikers and then just glance over the rescues by Mountain rescue this month alone.
Any member of the Mountain rescue unit will have something to say about anyone endorsing solo hiking.
By all means do it, but don’t be under the mis-impression that its safe.
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