Expedition Africa

Into The Barrier of Spears

Rob Howard / 25.04.2013

'Ukhahlamba’, meaning Barrier of Spears is the Zulu name for the dramatic 200-kilometre-long mountain escarpment which the Dutch Voortrekkers called 'The Dragon Mountain' - The Drakensberg - the destination for teams at this year’s Expedition Africa.

The main part of the range falls in Kwaszulu-Natal province and it is easy to understand why it was christened The Barrier of Spears – the view of the awe-inspiring basalt cliffs is one of the most iconic images of South Africa. The cliffs form a massive barrier between Kwazulu-Natal and the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, standing guard over a region of riverine bush, yellowwood forest and cascading waterfalls.

The Drakensberg is the highest range south of Kilimanjaro, with an average altitude of 3000m and the area is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The mountain scenery, ecological diversity and cultural heritage of the area ensure it is one of the most visited areas in South Africa and a mecca for hikers and climbers.  The area has a rich flora and fauna and an estimated 40,000 San (bushman) rock paintings at hundreds of sites – the largest collection of prehistoric art in sub-Saharan Africa.

It also boasts the world’s second highest waterfall, the Tugela falls, which drop 948m in 5 cascades down the face of the mighty ‘amphitheatre’  from the Mont-Aux Sources plateau.  The Amphitheatre is the most recognisable feature of the Drakensberg, the curving cliff walls spanning over 5km and rising 1220m.  (The highest peak nearby is Mafedi at 3,482m.)

The images of the amphitheatre are evocative of South Africa, and the teams will get time to appreciate the view as race registration and hotel accommodation is at the Orion Hotel Groups Mont-Aux-Sources hotel, an amazing venue at the base of the amphitheatre. 

The venue will allow teams a comfortable stay as they acclimatise and prepare over the weekend of May 4^th and 5^th. It will be a relaxing setting for briefings and kit checks, and on the Sunday all the participants will take place in a community project, visiting a nearby orphanage with gifts for the children.

The teams won’t find out anything about the course until the Sunday afternoon, when the first maps will be given out, but they can expect to pass though several Nature Reserves and local rural communities.  Here they will be able to stop at a local “Shebeen”/Spaza shop (the African name for a small shop with a few supplies) and will encounter the local tribes, small children, cows, donkeys, pigs and sheep as they graze the land freely. 

They can also be sure they will be exploring the rolling high altitude grasslands, pristine steep-sided river valleys and rocky gorges and peaks of the Drakensberg.  They’ve been warned the weather could be very cold and pictures of the organisers on a snow covered plateau just a week before the race have reinforced the point. 

Expedition Africa will be a race of extremes in a majestic and challenging environment and Rob Howard will be there reporting for SleepMonsters with daily coverage and photographs throughout the race.

For more information on Expedition Africa go to the race website and for news follow their Facebook page.