Drakensberg hikers beware
This letter is in reference to Grant Christie’s excellent article about his five-day hike in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, “Big mountain magic”, in issue #192. I was alarmed to see that the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park maps by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) are recommended:
Hiking Map No. 1 Royal Natal (Rugged Glen – Mnweni) and Hiking
Map No. 2 Cathedral Peak (Culfargie – Monk’s Cowl).
From 2021 to 2023, I was engaged in redrawing and publishing a completely revised map series of the Drakensberg, with the support and endorsement of EKZNW. Drakensberg North was the first of these Slingsby maps – Central and South are also in print. (Grant also recommended these maps. – Ed.)
During the course of this process, I was continually puzzled by inconsistencies in EKZNW’s six-map series until it dawned on me and my fellow researchers that the entire series uses two different and conflicting map projections. This explained to me why – for more than 20 years – serious hikers and climbers in the Berg have complained about errors on those maps. The path projection (which differs from the topographic projection) shifts most paths as much as 500 m east or west of their true location! One is simply unable to use a GPS reader with these maps, and it would be very dangerous to try.
In addition to the above, the EKZNW maps were last revised more than two decades ago and they show many paths and routes that have disappeared entirely (often washed away) or been closed. The whole Mnweni area, for example, is completely and dangerously incorrect on those maps.
There are serious consequences here. In some places, the old maps literally show paths that plunge over vertical cliffs that are hundreds of metres high! Following these maps in misty or lowvisibility conditions would be life-threatening.
These errors and dangers were brought to the attention of all parties at the time, yet the maps are still sold. The novice hiker in the Berg will be unaware of the risks of the product they are buying. Continuing to sell them can only be described as the height of irresponsibility.
PETER SLINGSBY, Cape Town