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MALOTI-DRAKENSBERG PARK and SURROUNDS
Plan your trip by visiting the Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife website www.kznwildlife.com for hiking guidelines, current news re open and closed areas, and for booking procedures.
For hiking permits and accommodation please call the EKZNW Central Reservations Office at 033 845 1000 or email bookings@kznwildlife.com or go online to www.bookings.kznwildlife.com
Didima Resort: 036 488 8000 Injisuthi Resort: 036 431 9000
Monks Cowl: 036 468 1103 Royal Natal: 036 438 6411
MOUNTAIN RESCUE 0800 005 133
NB Do not rely upon cellphone reception in mountain areas
Before you leave home remember to
• keep your group small – preferably 4 to 8 people, maximum 12.
• plan your route with the weakest member of your party in mind. Use this map, a gps reader,
recommendations from others, etc. QR codes to a large number of websites are provided
below; you should read up as much as you can about the route you choose.
• plan for a lot less daylight in winter than in summer.
• leave details of your planned route with a responsible friend at home, including when you
expect to arrive home.
• check specific regional weather forecasts; there are QR links to two services below.
• carry valid passports for your whole group if you plan to summit the escarpment.
• ensure that you have applied for the correct permits, accommodation, etc etc. to enter the
Maloti-Drakensberg Park and/or private areas.
• be adequately equipped for your hike: an internet search for “what equipment is needed
for hiking” will bring multiple results. Essentially remember that high-altitude hiking means equipping for the possibility of extreme cold – it can snow here at any time of year.
Always carry: extra water; extra food in case you are delayed; warm waterproof clothing; wind-proof tent, jacket and over-trousers; waterproof hiking boots; cold weather sleeping bag; this map [and know how to use it]; gps reader, torch and spare batteries; signalling whistle; any medication needed; a small trowel for toilet purposes; biodegradable toiletries; comfortable backpack with a waterproof cover or lining.
Remember that you must be self-reliant – there is no one up there to help you.
On arrival at the EKZNW office, or the starting and ending point of your hike ...
• Always take the time to complete the day-walk or mountain register correctly and in detail.
Remember that it is very often the only information the rescue team has to go on if you have
an accident or get lost. Your life may depend on this information; registers are kept at all entry points to the Park and at the camp offices.
• Please book at the station at your entry point if you intend to overnight in a cave.
You should always have tents available in case the cave you want is already booked.
• Remember at the END of your hike to avoid an unnecessary search by recording your return
or by contacting the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife office from which you departed.
On the trail
• Carry your Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and/or other documentation with you at all times.
• Use your map and gps so that you always know where you are – don’t wait until you’re lost
before consulting them; stick to your planned route as closely as possible.
• Walk at the pace of your slowest person and never split up unless there is a need through
illness or injury to seek help; always leave someone with the affected person.
• Avoid disturbing the natural vegetation by keeping to established trails wherever possible
and, off trail, by using durable surfaces, eg rock, gravel etc.
• Walk in single file on narrow paths and avoid breaking new ground on either side of the
trail; do not take short cuts – zigzags help prevent erosion.
• In pristine areas, disperse so as to prevent the creation of a trail, and avoid places where you
can see that impacts are just beginning.
• Do not build cairns. If you must mark routes for stragglers, use just one stone placed on top of another. Ensure that the last person knocks down the stones.
• Please don’t leave your name, messages or arrows on any rocks or trees; rather leave them
in the Visitor’s Book! Take all your litter with you, too.
Camping in the wild
• There are plenty of good natural campsites; altering sites is not necessary.
• Keep campsites small and at least 100 metres away from the banks of pools or streams to
minimize their impact. Camps too close to streams or river beds can get washed away in
sudden storms by flash floods. ALWAYS watch the weather!
• Camping is not allowed in intensive-use zones which may be demarcated on this map.
Tenting is permitted anywhere in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, with the exception of intensive use zones and Royal Natal.
• Remember that NO FIRES are allowed including in caves – use a lightweight stove
.
Leave NO waste by
• repackaging food etc before leaving home to minimize waste.
• carrying home every scrap of food, litter, cigarette butts, toilet paper etc.
• storing rations and trash so that they are secure from wildlife.
Hygiene
• Carry water 100m away from the water source to wash yourself and your dishes. Use
biodegradable soap and scatter the water after use.
• Deposit solid human waste in cat-holes 15 – 20 cms deep and at least five minute’s walk away from water, trails, campsites, caves and forests. Cover and disguise the cat-hole when
finished. You should carry a small trowel for this purpose.
Security
Never leave any equipment unattended, and place all your belongings inside your tent at
night. It is recommended that care be taken at night when camping on the escarpment. Ask
the local Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ranger about the security situation.
Preserve the wilderness – you’re a guest here; be considerate to the resident plants and animals. Please don’t ...
• pick the wild flowers – some species are very rare and you could contribute to their extinction.
• deface rocks, plants, historic structures, rock art and artifacts, but observe and admire them
so that others may enjoy them after you. The rock art of the area is a precious resource of
international archaeological value. Don’t touch, wet, trace or interfere with rock art in any way.
• introduce non-native species into the area; no pets of any kind are allowed!
• feed, follow or approach wildlife especially during the mating season or when young are being raised; never kill anything, including snakes that play a very ecologically-important role.
• dislodge rocks as they may endanger the lives of others, damage vegetation and even start
erosion.
• forget that the wilderness you are experiencing has been carefully preserved by many people
before you – take equal care to keep it pristine and peaceful for others. Don’t shout, whistle or make loud music: respect other hikers and behave like reasonable human beings!
PRIVATE TRAILS and ACCOMMODATION
The names of other recommended accommodation, trails and recreational features are provided on the map, and some of the QR codes on the right may direct you to more information about these. Most have websites on the internet; google these for more information and bookings.
Please remember that the same basic rules as above apply to your use of private land; above all you should never enter any private land without the prior permission of the landowner.
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
Most of the problems encountered in the Maloti-Drakensberg are related either to a physical injury, as in a fall, or to weather extremes. Whatever the emergency, don’t panic.
Bad weather: Weather conditions can change very rapidly, Always keep together and ensure that no one falls behind. See ‘Extremes of weather’ below.
Mist: Misty conditions are frequent on the summit. Seek shelter and do not move until the mist has lifted. If forced to move because, e.g., the summit mist has persisted for more than 24 hours, find a west-flowing stream into Lesotho and follow that.
Rain: Try to reach shelter before it rains; a combination of wet and cold conditions can be fatal.
Extra caution should be exercised when crossing rivers in flood. If you are in doubt as to your safety do not cross.
Snow: Seek shelter and move off the summit at the earliest opportunity. Conditions may
deteriorate and you don’t want to be trapped.
Lightning: Avoid prominent positions, isolated trees or rocky outcrops and shallow overhangs. Move away from fence posts and large animals [cattle, horses]. Do not run. If forced to sit it out, sit down on a dry groundsheet with your head down and arms around your knees.
Physical injuries: if you have to help a patient, ensure that the person’s breathing is
unobstructed; give cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if necessary; stop any bleeding and dress any wounds. Make the patient safe and comfortable. If the injury appears in any way related to the spinal column avoid moving the patient.
Extremes of weather: exhaustion and exposure to cold, wet and windy weather can lead to
hypothermia and eventual death. Symptoms include uncontrolled shivering, poor muscle
control and a careless manner. Seek protection from wind, rain and cold. Put on dry clothes,
take warm drinks but no alcohol, and obtain warmth by body contact with another person.
Socks can be used as gloves in cold weather. A tent, wind- and waterproof clothing used in
good time will prevent a potential problem. Remember that exposure-related problems can
occur even in summer time.
It is recommended that at least one person in your party be conversant with the accepted first aid treatment of hyperthermia [overheating] and dehydration.
Snake bite: is most unlikely at high altitudes. At lower altitudes the puffadder, berg adder and
rinkhals are the only three snakes whose bites could prove to be serious.
If you have to assist a snake bite victim:
a] Keep the patient calm and relaxed – he or she is in no immediate danger.
b] Avoid any movement by the patient as this quickens the spread of the venom. If necessary, carry the patient.
c] Do not apply a tourniquet. Seek medical assistance as soon as possible.
d] The rinkhals is capable of spitting, in which case the eyes must be rinsed immediately with water or any suitable fluid.
Raising the Alarm:
If you are delayed but are not in any difficulty, inform the closest Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife office where you completed the mountain register as soon as possible, so that the rescue team is not summoned unnecessarily. Help is available at the nearest Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife office, or hotel who will contact the local Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ranger. Do not telephone the Ambulance and Emergency Services nor the Mountain Club directly, except as a last resort.
Tel: 0800 005 133 (Ambulance and Emergency Services)
Messages should be written and give details of the nature of the problem, the names of the party concerned, the number of persons involved, the exact location of the party and the altitude. This prevents the message from being misunderstood or altered while being relayed. This cannot be over-emphasized – garbled messages cause unnecessary delay.
Remember, a rescue team may have to risk their lives to save yours. Please act responsibly.
DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE
1. The purchase or possession of these maps does not confer any right of access upon the
purchaser or possessor to any property or accommodation shown on this map; nor does it
absolve the said purchaser or possessor from any laws, regulations or rules which may require him or her to obtain a valid permit or permission to enter said property or accommodation.
2. The depiction of any road, track or footpath on these maps does not imply or infer any right of access to any person, whether on foot or in any vehicle.
3. Property boundaries as shown on these maps should not be taken as authoritative.
4. All maps go out of date, and we always revise ours before we reprint. It is strongly
recommended that you should always use the latest versions of these maps; refer to
www.slingsbymaps.com for further information. This edition should be replaced within five years of the stated publication date; out-of-date maps may be unsafe.
5. Information that may come to light, or comments from users of these maps, will be posted from time to time at drakensbergmaps.blogspot.com or published in new editions – your comments will be appreciated and will be of great value to other users.
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