Drakensberg Hiker Blog

Read about some of our fantastic Drakensberg Hikes here!

Amphitheatre Overnight Hike Report

Ian Shooter Amphitheatre, Drakensberg, Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports adventure, Amphitheatre, beautiful, Drakensberg, mountains, overnight hike, South Africa, Tugela falls

Amphitheatre Overnight Hike Report. In late May a group of different people from different backgrounds all met at Witsieshoek for an overnight adventure to camp next to the Tugela falls on top of the Amphitheatre in the Northern Drakensberg. The … Read More

Bannerman Hut Giants Castle Hike

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports adventure, beautiful, Drakensberg, family hike, Giants castle, mountain hut, mountains, overnight hike

Bannerman Hut Giants Castle Hike. The Bannerman hut overnight hike is in Giants Castle Nature reserve. This time Peter emailed me because he wanted to take his family on an overnight hike to stay in the comfort of a simple … Read More

Why I hiked the Drakensberg grand traverse

Drakensberg Grand Traverse Hike

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports adventure, Amphitheatre, beautiful, bucket list hike, Cathedral peak, challange, Drakensberg, highest peaks, mountains, South Africa

Drakensberg Grand Traverse Hike. The Drakensberg grand traverse hike is certainly one of the best but also most challenging hikes in South Africa. We start at the Amphitheatre in the Northern Drakensberg and finish at Bushmans nek in the Southern … Read More

Sentinel to Cathedral peak Northern Drakensberg traverse

Drakensberg Northern Traverse

Ian Shooter Amphitheatre, Drakensberg, Cathedral Peak, Drakensberg, Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports, Sentinel Peak, Drakensberg Amphitheatre, bucket list hike, Cathedral peak, Drakensberg, Drakensberg traverse, mountains, Sentinel peak, South Africa

Drakensberg Northern Traverse Hike Report. The Drakensberg Northern Traverse hike report is about an incredible 6 day hike we did from the Sentinel at the Amphitheatre to finish at Cathedral peak hotel. This time we hiked at the end of … Read More

Drakensberg Hiker tents near The Sentinel and Cathedral Peak

The Drakensberg Northern Traverse Route.

Ian Shooter Amphitheatre, Drakensberg, Cathedral Peak, Drakensberg, Drakensberghiker route descriptions Amphitheatre, bucket list hike, Cathedral peak, Drakensberg, mountain guide, South Africa, Tugela falls

Drakensberg Northern Traverse Route. If you are like me then you will like to know what to expect on a hike so read the Drakensberg Northern Traverse route description here. This is certainly one of the best hikes you can … Read More

Drakensberg Protea Dracomontana – Dwarf Protea

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Flora – flowers and trees., Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports beautiful, drakensberg flowers, Fanua, indigenous, Protea

Drakensberg Protea (Protea Dracomontana) The Drakensberg Protea Dracomontana is commonly found on the grassy slopes of the Drakensberg at altitudes between 1600m and 2500m. It only grows up to 1m tall, so you can see why it is commonly known … Read More

First Time Drakensberg Hiker

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Drakensberghiker route descriptions, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports Amphitheatre, bucket list hike, Drakensberg, mountain guide, South Africa, Tugela falls

First Time Drakensberg Hiker… The impressions I have of my six day hike of the Northern Traverse of the Drakensberg. Strolling along the top of the Amphitheatre towards the Devils tooth with Drakensberghiker is still clear in my mind. A … Read More

How to prepare for a hike in the Drakensberg

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks bucket list hike, challange, Drakensberg, highest peaks, mountain guide, prepare, South Africa

Hike preparation. Hike preparation is very important when exploring the wilderness that is the Drakensberg mountains. Most of us live in comfortable homes with walls and a roof and have running water and hopefully power to flip on a light … Read More

Mafadi, South Africa’s highest peak hike report.

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Drakensberghiker route descriptions, Mafadi Peak, Drakensberg, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports bucket list hike, Drakensberg, highest peaks, Mafadi, South Africa

Mafadi is South Africa’s highest peak. Mafadi is South Africa’s highest peak that almost every South African has never heard of. I am continually amazed that so many of us are quick to spend a fortune climbing the highest peak … Read More

Malachite Sunbirds in the Drakensberg

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Fauna – animals and birds, Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks beautiful, birds, Fanua, Protea, sunbird

Malachite Sunbirds in the Drakensberg Malachite sunbirds, or to use the Latin name: Nectarinia Famosa are certainly absolutely stunning birds. As you can see from their Latin name, Malachite Sunbirds in the Drakensberg they will eat nectar by preference. However, … Read More

Mnweni Drakensberg Circuit Route Description.

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports adventure, bucket list hike, challange, Drakensberg, highest peaks, Mnweni, mountain guide, overnight hike, South Africa

Here is my Mnweni Drakensberg 4 day circuit route description in the stunning Drakensberg mountains. I am sure most guides in the Drakensberg have a favorite part of these magnificent mountains. I am also sure that most of them will … Read More

Mnweni Hike Report

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports adventure, Drakensberg, Mnweni, mountains, South Africa

Mnweni Hike Report. Mnweni is a tribal area found in the Northern Drakensberg between Royal Natal and Cathedral peak. It is my favorite part of the Drakensberg mostly because I think the cliffs are most impressive but also because not … Read More

Sentinel to Mnweni hike report

Ian Shooter Amphitheatre, Drakensberg, Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Drakensberghiker route descriptions, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports, Sentinel Peak, Drakensberg Amphitheatre, Drakensberg traverse, Mnweni, mountains, Sentinel peak

Sentinel to Mnweni Hike Report. Here is my Sentinel to Mnweni hike report that a bunch of us did in March 2019. The day started off with us driving to our camp at Sterkfontein dam. This is a beautiful dam … Read More

Thabana Ntlenyana, Highest peak in the Drakensberg

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports, Thabana Ntlenyana, Drakensberg adventure, bucket list hike, Drakensberg, highest peaks, Lesotho, South Africa, thabana ntlenyana

Thabana Ntlenyana the highest peak in the Drakensberg. Thabana Ntlenyana is the highest peak in the Drakensberg and Lesotho. I bet that almost every South African has never heard of it, let alone walked up it. I am continually amazed … Read More

The 3 Highest Peaks in South Africa route description..

Ian Shooter Champagne Castle, Drakensberg, Drakensberghiker route descriptions, Mafadi Peak, Drakensberg bucket list hike, Champagne castle, Drakensberg, highest peaks, Injasuthi, Mafadi, South Africa

The 3 highest peaks in South Africa. The 3 highest peaks in South Africa are Champagne castle at 3377m above sea level. Mafadi is the highest at 3451m and Injisuthi dome is 3410m high. All of these are done over … Read More

The 3 highest Peaks In Southern Africa Hike Report

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Mafadi Peak, Drakensberg, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports, Thabana Ntlenyana, Drakensberg adventure, bucket list hike, challange, Drakensberg, Eswatini, highest peaks, Lesotho, oldest mountain, South Africa, Swaziland

The 3 highest peaks in Southern Africa. I must admit that I hadn’t given much thought to sumitting the 3 highest peaks in Southern Africa. But then Stuart from the UK emailed me and asked “what were the chances of … Read More

The Amphitheatre route description.

Ian Shooter Amphitheatre, Drakensberg, Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks Amphitheatre, beautiful, Drakensberg, mountains, South Africa

The Amphitheatre route description. The Amphitheatre in the Northern Drakensberg is certainly an impressive mountain. It is found right at the Western border of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg park with the huge Sentinel (3165m) at the end. This big Basalt wall … Read More

Why I hiked the Drakensberg Grand Traverse

Ian Shooter Drakensberg Mountains and Peaks, Drakensberghiker route descriptions, Recent Drakensberg Hike Reports adventure, Amphitheatre, beautiful, bucket list hike, Drakensberg, Drakensberg traverse, highest peaks, mountains, South Africa

Why I hiked the Drakensberg Grand Traverse. George Clooney placed his warm hand on the small of my back and guided me gently on to the gondola for our Venetian sunset ride. Suddenly, a loud bellow rang out, ‘kettle’s boiled!’ … Read More