Drakensberg Mountains Landscape Photography Adventure November 2024

Join me and a small group in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa for a 5 night/6 day (7 nights/8 days total trip) guided backpacking and photography adventure like no other. Below you will see a rough itinerary of the trip which should give you an indication as to the kinds of places we will be visiting (needless to say, awe-inspiring and dramatic!).

This early version of the “workshop” is intended to bring together friends from all over the world to share in what will be an incredible experience - it is therefore only charged at cost (I won’t be making any profit). It will be my first time returning since I was a young boy and so we’ll all be  experiencing it with fresh eyes.

The Drakensberg Mountains are a UNESCO heritage site and host some of the most remote and stunning hiking routes found anywhere, a perfect location for a wilderness experience and world-class photographic opportunities. Much of the walking will be done on the Lesotho Plateau at 3000masl, so a good level of fitness is required. The trip will be limited to a total of 5 places (plus me).

If you have never seen images of the Drakensberg before, I would highly recommend looking at the work of Alex Nail and Carl Smorenburg to get a sense of the place.

What's Included?

• Qualified mountain guide and wilderness first responder

• Return transfers to & from Johannesburg/Drakensberg

• Accommodation at Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge before the hike (dinner and breakfast included)

• Accommodation at Didima after the hike (dinner and breakfast included)

• All park fees and hiking permits

• Lunches, dinners, breakfasts and various hot drinks on the mountain

• 3x porters to carry food, tents, sleeping bags or small dry bags

• Equipment including tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, backpacks and eating utensils, if needed.

Experience-First Adventure

This trip is intended as an experience-first adventure. What does this mean? It means we will be spending time in one of the most beautiful and remote places on planet Earth! While we are all keen photographers, it’s also a great opportunity to appreciate nature, get to know each other better “around the campfire”, and take a breather from modern life. I have found that these kinds of experiences out in nature are amongst the most life-fulfilling, and so I want to share that with others too.

Itinerary

We will be walking the famous ~90km “mini-traverse”, a shorter version of the Grand Traverse which walks across the entire Drakensberg range. The mini-traverse explores the most dramatic scenery in the Northern Drakensberg, including Mont-aux-Sources, Cathedral Peak, Tugela Falls (second highest waterfall in the world), Mweni Pinnacles, North Peak, South Peak, Cleft Peak, and Rockeries Pass. Below is a standard 6 day itinerary provided to me by our guide, but we will add extra small hikes at sunrise/sunset to access particular features for photography. The extra day to complete the traverse (usually done in 5 days) also has the side benefit of shortening a few of the day’s hikes!

Day 1: Meet at OR Tambo Johannesburg Airport in the morning and transfer to our accommodation at Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge for the night before starting the hike.

Day 2: Start the hike up to Mont-aux-Source & Tugela Falls via the chain ladders. Camp at Bilanjil Falls with spectacular views to Tugela Falls. Approx. 7.5km, 600m alt.

Day 3: Hike towards the escarpment appox. 14km, 600m alt. over a number of notable ridges and waterfalls to camp at Madonna and Her Worshippers.

Day 4: Hike along the escarpment edge to a view over the Mweni Pinnacles before hiking passed the Mweni Cutback, the source of the Orange River, and Rockeries Pass. Appox. 14km, 400m alt. Campsite near North Peak.

Day 5: Hike along the Mweni Saddle, approx. 15km, 400m alt. with the possibility to summit North & South Peak depending on fitness. Camp near Twins Cave at the start of the Bell’s Traverse.

Day 6: Continue along the escarpment to Cleft Peak spending the night in Roland’s Cave.

Day 7: Descend down Organ Pipes pass via the Camel, ending at Cathedral Peak Hotel. Stay a well-deserved night at Didima Lodge to wrap up the trip!

Day 8: Transfer back to Joburg to fly home.

Further Details

It goes without saying that walking at high elevations (3000m+) through mountainous terrain can be arduous at times, especially with the added weight of camera gear! Thankfully we will have the help of 3 local porters to aid in carrying gear and setting up camp (this also contributes to the local economy). Inclement weather can happen at any time of year, but April/May are considered some of the “best” and most stable months. In addition to your camera gear, I can provide a list of recommended hiking items to bring - sun protection is vital at this time of year! Tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, mattresses, and cooking equipment can be borrowed from our guides if necessary.

The following are not included in the price:

• Flights to and from Johannesburg

• Insurance

• Tips for guides/porters

• Additional food & drink (alcoholic beverages for instance)

Flights from Europe to Johannesburg often range from £600-700 return, whilst from elsewhere it can be slightly more expensive. We will all aim to land in JHB the morning of 16th March 2024, before a 4.5 hour drive to our accommodation in the Drakensberg. Return flights should then be booked for the afternoon of the 23rd March, after our final night in Didima.

Please note, there is no deposit for this trip because I have to book everything upfront. So, payment is due all in one sum to reserve your place. Due to the pricing scheme of hiring guides (set prices per group size), this also means that any cancellations will only be refunded should the participant be replaced/find a suitable replacement. Please refer to my standard booking terms and conditions unless otherwise stated. 

I’m really excited to bring this new idea to life and looking forward to the adventure with all of you! Any questions just send me a message.