In november 2025, I failed miserably in my first Drakensberg Grand Traverse attempt. Altitude sickness made me tap out. But it got me hooked and mildly obsessed. Outside the vastness of the Jordan Desert, I never felt so small, humble and in awe of nature than during my days in the Drakensbergen.
Last time I wrote in reply to all people asking me … will you try again? “yes'”. I felt I needed to be back. Like unfinished business. Well … that moment came sooner than expected. Because of the unstable situation in the Middle-East in March 2026, I had to revise my Western Hajar Mountains plans … Oman didn’t feel safe enough. So, when looking for a Plan B I gravitated back to the one that got away … the Drakensberg Grand Traverse.
The Drakensberg Grand Traverse?
The Drakensberg Grand Traverse (DGT for friends) is the trail that covers the key peaks of Drakensbergen, in the mountainous region between South Africa and Lesotho. 6 peaks, a collection of sheep- and shepherd trails … making it a route of approximately 220-250 kilometers. Approximately, as the “trail” is a loose collection of unmarked trails, with multiple options to get from peak to peak. That, the fact that the weather is notoriously unpredictable and fast-changing (the only constant is the fast change), and that the area is remote without options to re-supply, makes it, as some people say, “one of the most difficult trails in the world”.
Well …
I will update this post after my attempt (whatever the result may be …), most likely early april.
