DRAKENSBERG TRAVERSE, SOUTH AFRICA
Biggest danger: exposed rock scrambles, shaky chain ladders and bandits
Up until recently, the ‘only’ thing a hiker had to be concerned about was the terrifying fatality rate for which this hike was famous. Fifty-five people died on the route to year end 1985 – nearly always from falls. For some reason, official figures don’t exist from 1985 onwards, despite deaths being reported almost every year. Because of this, the route through KwaZulu-Natal province, known as ‘the garden province’, is regarded as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world.
To add to the dangers, in May 2016, reports surfaced of hikers being attacked and robbed by bandits wielding clubs and accompanied by fierce dogs. Judging by the comments in some of the reports, it wasn’t an isolated incident, reinforcing the Drakensberg’s place among the most dangerous hikes in the world.
Cathedral peak in the Drakensberg
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