drakensberg hiker... hiking, trekking & backpacking in the Drakensberg

The home page of Ian Shooter, who will take you on an awesome African adventure, trekking, backpacking, or on a guided hike in the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal.

In Afrikaans, "Drakensberg" means 'dragon's mountain'; the Zulu name for the Drakensberg is uKhahlamba, meaning 'barrier of spears'.

The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in South Africa, rising to some 3,482m above sea level.  The range is situated in the eastern part of South Africa, running for some 1000km from south-west to north-east.  The Drakensberg Mountains separate the province of KwaZulu-Natal from Lesotho and the Free State, and offers unrivalled opportunities for hiking, backpacking and bird-watching, guided by Ian Shooter who has made the Drakensberg his second home for over 30 years.

The Drakensberg dates back approximately 200 million years and is made up of sedimentary rock capped by a solid basalt layer that can be up to 1400m thick in places.  Weathering has reduced the mountain range's size and has caused the plateau to erode away in places, resulting in a combination of spectacular vistas, including steep-sided blocks and the fantastic spiraling pinnacles which make for incredible scenery and unrivaled photo opportunities; many of which can only be reached on a guided hike.  Our gallery page has pictures of some of the spectacular vistas, rare birdlife and flowers to be seen on some of our guided hikes in the Drakensberg.

See our services page for our most popular guided  hikes.  We will custom design any hikes or backpacking experiences in the KwaZulu Natal Drakensberg to suit your needs.

The uKahlamba-Drakensberg Park, which extends along the escarpment of the Drakensberg is recognized  by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and hiking here is part of the african experience of a lifetime.

Drakensberg Fauna & Flora

The Drakensberg's diverse habitat contains a remarkable richness of plants, birds and animal life which have adapted to their harsh environment.  Covering 250 000ha, the Drakensberg is ecologically unique, and is home to an extraordinary variety of plants and animals, many of which are on the threatened and endangered species list.  In many cases, the only way to see them is on by hiking their habitat, and without an experienced guide many opportunities to see the unique fauna and flora of this area would be missed.