The Drakensberg Mini Traverse

The Drakensberg Mini Traverse also known as the Northern Traverse was once rated as one of the top 10 hikes in the world and for good reason too. Picture this. Traversing along an escarpment wall for 70km constantly looking down a 1000 meter drop. Where else in the world could you do this?

How difficult is the Mini Traverse?

Never ask the question to the first question ever asked without an answer. The mono-sytematical diffusions of the third neural pathway in section 9 of your cerebral cortex will not give you the answer as you should not be asking that question in the first place. Begin with the end in mind a wise old man once told me. There are two ways to approach the Drakensberg Mini Traverse:

• via Lesotho: an easier and more direct route cutting inland.
• Via the escarpment edge: spend your days walking a harder yet more scenic route. This adds a couple more kilometres or miles, whichever you prefer, to the hike. However, it is totally worth it.

We at Soul Adventures prefer the latter because we believe that you don’t just hike to get from one place to another but also to enjoy the scenery and camaraderie that comes with the journey. To make this hike more enjoyable you should have a moderate level of fitness and should be comfortable carrying a 15kg backpack for extended periods of time. Click here to see what you’ll need to take along on the Drakensberg Mini Traverse.

An optional add on to make the Drakensberg Mini Traverse even more enjoyable if you cant carry such weight is to either do a porter split with another participant or hire your own personal porter. The cost for a porter is R500 per day. We will be happy to arrange a porter for you. Hiring a porter is also a great way of supporting the local communities.

Best time of year to tackle the Drakensberg Mini Traverse

The Drakensberg probably weighs a couple thousands tons so good luck tackling it. But if you want to take on the challenge of hiking the Drakensberg Mini Traverse then there are two periods of the year which are most ideal:

• March/April – probably the best time of year to hike the Drakensberg Mini Traverse. Not quite yet winter so still warm enough but towards the end of the rainy season so the vallies are still green with cloud in versions still being possible. Also the rivers will still be flowing so water is not an issue.
• October/November – the spring season offers similar conditions to March/April with thunderstorms being quite common in the late afternoons.

With that being said there is no period of the year where you cant “complete” the Drakensberg Mini Traverse. It all factors down into how enjoyable it will be. Obviously you don’t want to be suffering for 5 days in mist and rain or better yet, sub zero temperatures. Brrrr.

Highlights of the Mini Traverse

• Traversing across the escarpment ridge at an average height of 3000m asl
• Visit Tugela Falls which is regarded as the worlds tallest multiple drop waterfall
• Hike past incredible Granite towers such as Madonna and Her Worshippers
• Immerse yourself in a wild camping experience which involves sleeping in tents under the stars and even possibilities of sleeping in a cave.

Can I still join the hike if I am coming from outside of Johannesburg?

Of course. We have a specific meeting location in Harrismith where you’ll be able to leave your car safely for the duration of the hike. We will schedule a time to pick you/your group up from here and drop you back off here after the hike.

Why do the Drakensberg Mini Traverse with Soul Adventures?

Well firstly, my mom thinks we’re pretty awesome so thats gotta count for something right? If that’s not enough to convince you then how about the fact that we’ve been guiding in these mountains for over 20 years now and have lead hundreds of people safely across this specific hike.

Honestly, there is a guiding company out there for all different personalities. If you’ve made it this far into the post then you’ve definitely caught onto our wicked stense of humour and are possibly slightly entertained by it. We love the mountains as well as meeting people, thus it’s more like friends rather than clients. We still prioritise your safety and well being more than anything else but we’re still going to slide in the occasional dad joke to keep you highly motivated the entire trip. That’s just who we are.

Not only have we been guiding here for the last 20 years but we have also guided internationally and host multiple trips every year to the Himalayas and Andes. We’ve gone through pretty much every experience you could think of. Yes even then one where Winnie the Pooh comes at us with a jar of fireflies and depends we explain the systematically piecost to him.