The Drakensberg Grand Traverse in 41hrs 49min! (video)

The Drakensberg Grand Traverse is one of the toughest hikes in the Drakensberg mountain range in South Africa. The approx. 205km - 220km hike, which starts Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek and ends at the Bushman's Nek Border Post, has no prescribed route, but certain checkpoints must be completed along the way. These checkpoints are all above 3,000m and include the highest point in South Africa (Mafadi) as well as the highest point in Southern Africa (Thabana Ntlenyana, Lesotho). The Drakensberg Grand Traverse takes experienced hikes usually six to 12 days to complete. Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel, two South African ultra trail runners, had a different goal as the started speed hiking the trail at the end of March 2014. Their goal was to break the old record of 60hrs 29min to complete the trail. And they did it in just 41hrs 49min! Congrats Ryan & Ryno!



Drakensberg Grand Traverse checkpoints:

1. start: Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek (elevation: 2,625m | 0km)
2. Mont-Aux-Sources (3,282m | 8km)
3. Cleft peak (3,277m | 55km)
4. Champagne Castle (3,377m | 78km)
5. Mafadi (3,451m | 92km)
6. Giants Castle (3,314m | 118km)
7. Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482m | 145km)
8. end: Bushman's Nek Border Post (1,974m | 205km)