Welcome to our Drakensberg Map blog, the blog for our all-new 2022 Drakensberg map series, which is already well underway, with map 1 all but complete, and map 2 nearly there.

I hope to use this blog ...

* to keep contributors and enthusiasts up to date with our progress towards completion of the series;

* to ask questions and seek answers from you as we go along; and

* to help us all feel that this brand new series is a community effort with maximum input from you, lovers of hiking, climbing or simply being in the Berg.

The process of involving members of climbing, hiking and camping organizations in the mapping began in January 2022 and is already quite advanced, so I am not going to repeat the history of what went before January or since then. If you are new to the game please have a look at the pages so that you know where we’ve come from – the ‘long’ history is here, and the ‘progress’ history since January is over here.

This is an open comments blog where you can add your own remarks as you see fit – but keep it clean, hey – or you can email me any time here. If you do email please indicate whether you are happy to be included in open, ‘send to all’ emails or if you want your messages to remain private. 

If you are familiar with Slingsby Maps you’ll know our style - and you can view sample snatches from existing maps at www.slingsbymaps.com . If you’re not already familiar with our maps here are extracts of a well-known area from the two existing Drakensberg series, contrasted with the new series.

L to R: 1980s 'Slingsby'; 2000s EKZNW; 2022 new series. Click on the pic to enlarge.

I will be posting my first questions in the next blog, but in the meantime here are some ‘facts and figures’ about the new series, so you’ll know what kind of creature it will be!

* There will be three double-sided maps covering more or less the same area as the present six-map EKZNW series; the scale will be the same [1:50 000] and the maps will be titled ‘Maloti-Drakensberg 1, 2, 3

* Unlike the original Slingsby series, each map will be orientated to true north, with full GPS info on the same datum as the official 1:50 000 topo series

* The maps will be printed on fully-waterproof Duraflex paper and sold packed in plastic pockets. The three maps will be available separately and we are expecting to market them at about R190 each.

* The maps will become available as they are printed, Northern Drakensberg in the winter of 2022, Central Drakensberg in spring and Southern Drakensberg in the summer.