Fangs Pass, Drakensberg

Back in 2021, I was hiking through the rugged Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa and Lesotho. It’s incredibly rough terrain with barely any real trails. A few paths lead up onto the plateau, but once up there, it’s mostly endless grasslands where you have to find your own way.

After finishing a four-day trek across the plateau, I came down for a resupply and some proper food before heading back up to tackle another route called Fangs Pass. There wasn’t much information available about it, but from what I had read, I felt confident I could manage. The official park map even showed a trail.

The hike started easily enough, with a long approach of about 10 miles on a clear path. But higher up, the trail slowly faded until it disappeared completely. Determined to keep going, I started bushwhacking through thorny vegetation and waist-high grass, tearing up my legs while slowly making my way upward.

By sunset, the fog started rolling in and I still hadn’t reached the top of the pass. Finding a campsite was almost impossible since I hadn’t seen a single flat spot for hours. Exhausted, I kept pushing upward, convinced I had to reach the top before dark.

In my exhaustion, I made a critical mistake and headed into the wrong valley.

The fog thickened, darkness fell quickly, and my headlamp barely pierced through the mist. Every rational part of me told me to stop, but I kept going until I finally realized I had ended up in a dead-end canyon with no guarantee I could safely get back out.

Luckily, just before complete darkness, I spotted a cave where I could safely spend the night and come up with a new plan the next morning.

With daylight, the mistake immediately became clear. I managed to find the correct route out of the canyon and eventually made it safely onto the plateau.

Quite the adventure.

I took this photo somewhere off trail on the way toward Fangs Pass. The scenery in the Drakensberg Mountains is absolutely mind-blowing.