Hiking:
Registers:
Overnight Hikes:
Always take the time to complete the mountain rescue register correctly and in information the rescue team has to refer to if you have an accident or get lost. Mountain rescue registers are kept at all entry points to the UDP.
Day Hikes:
Fill in the day hikes register where available, even if you plan only a short walk and especially if you plan to go above the contour path. Failing to complete the register wastes valuable time in initiating a rescue operation.
Remember to:
Avoid an unnecessary search by recording your return in the register at your point of exit or by phoning the Ezemvelo Kzn wildlife office where you started your hike. Tell a close friend or family member when you expect to be back and include their contact details in the register.
Planning:
Plan your route:
Describe this accurately in the register and stick to your plan. If you intend to use caves for overnighting these must be booked with the office before you depart on your hike. Camping is not allowed in any caves with rock art so enquire about this when planning your route.
Never hike alone:
The recommended minimum group size of 4 persons is especially important if you intend to hike up the escarpment, with a maximum of 12 people per group in the wilderness zone.
Please note - there is considerably less daylight in winter than summer. A bright summer morning can end in a severe summer storm with freezing conditions in the afternoon, so good quality equipment is essential. Over the years, snow has been recorded during every month along these mountains so be prepared for sudden weather changes.
For unexpected eventualities, always carry a tent suitable for mountain conditions, even if you have planned to stay in a cave. Always carry extra food when hiking. A day walk may become an overnight hike if any emergency should arise. When hiking on top of the escarpment, carry at least two days extra supplies. When hiking on top of the escarpment, carry at least two days extra supplies. An accurate map is vital and knowing how to use it is essential, as paths in the wilderness are not marked. Detailed maps are available at Ezemvelo Kzn wildlife curio shops in the area. Should you decide to use a Gps for navigation ensure that it is set to the same datum to which your map is aligned and take spare batteries. Remember to plan for the slowest hiker in the group and consider that children may become tired at the furthest point of your walk.
Border procedures:
Remember when leaving South Africa and entering the neigbouring countries. It is advisable to keep a passport with you if hiking in areas where it might occur.
Emergency Situations:
Extreme weather conditions combined with exhaustion can lead to dehydration, hypothermia (from extreme cold) and possibly death. Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrolled shivering, poor muscle control and a careless manner. Try to reach shelter before it rains as a combination of wet and cold can be fatal. Put on dry clothes, take warm drinks(no alcohol) and obtain warmth by body contact with another person. Windproof clothing, good socks, gloves and a good tent can prevent a problem from arising.
Protect yourself adequately not only from extreme cold, but also from the sun. At these high altitudes, a very painful problem can arise in a short time of exposure. It may become unbearable to carry a backpack when sunburnt. Use sun block cream often so that you don't spoil your hike. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration which may easily happen with physical exertion required for hiking in the mountains. The mountain streams on the escarpment generally have water safe do drink but water purification tablets may be used if in doubt.
Always keep together and travel only as fast as the slowest person in the group. In snow or lighting storms, move off the escarpment as soon as possible. Do not shelter from lighting directly under trees or large rocks. If you become lost, always stay together as a group. In poor visibility, stay where you are rather than try and find your way in the dark, snow or mist. Report your situation by cellphone earlier rather than later, guidance may be easily at hand and a rescue team may be put on standby before there is a real emergency. Rescue operations are seriously complicated when hikers have strayed from the recognised paths.
If you see a fire approaching you, act immediately. Either seek out fire refugia-rivers,forest or valley floors or light the grass at 90° to the wind direction and then stand in the burnt area. Fire burns very fast up a slope. If you are on a flat area or on the top of a ridge, run through the fire at 90° to the flames. Cover yourself with a blanket, hold your breath or breathe through your clothing and run.
Mountain rivers and even flooded streams can be very dangerous to cross as the water is very fast flowing, if in doubt, do not cross. Do not camp next to a river or stream as flash flooding may catch you unawares. There are 3 types of dangerous snakes in the area, the puffadder,Bergadder and rinkhals. The rinkhals is capable of spitting and in cases of poison in the eyes, rinse with water, milk or urine. If you have a snake bite victim, keep them calm and reduce movement to a minimum, exercise quickens the spread of the venom. Seek medical assistance as soon as possible and do not apply a tourniquet. Wrap the limb firmly, starting at the top in order to slow(but not stop) the blood the blood circulation in the limb.
Theft from overnight hikers has occasionally been reported and this mostly occurs on top of the escarpment, especially the amphitheatre. Should you become aware of a security risk in the late afternoon, have an early supper and arrange your equipment to easily set up camp. After dark, move without lights to a new camping site and sleep as close as possible to each other and arrange a night watch. If your camp is raided by bandits in the night, use a whistle to warn the other members of your group, grab your jacket and abandon camp. Take the rest of your kit only if you have sufficient time. Sleep with clothes and boots on and keep your kit packed into your bag at night. Do not resist with force as you are at a definite disadvantage at this time.
Every person in the group should note the exact location of your campsite each night, so that anyone can give this information to a rescue team in an emergency. Have a planned escape route from your campsite and an identified meeting point in case your group becomes split up. Keep important documents, money, car keys, cellular phone, a small torch and this pamphlet fastened in the pockets of your jacket. Tie a whistle to a buttonhole in the jacket. The few incidents which have occurred of this nature have indicated that the main objective of the bandits is the theft of your equipment. However inconvenient that may be, it is preferable for you to escape unharmed and a rescue operation can be initiated as soon as the alarm has been raised.
The right to risk is yours to go where you like, but remember that a rescue team may have to risk their lives to save yours, so while we encourage you to enjoy this World heritage site, please act responsibly. Report all security related incidents no matter how small, to the conservation manager as they are all important to us. After your hike report to the conservation ,manager or record on the reverse of the mountain rescue register form, any observations or incidents which made your experience a rewarding one. Any problems should also be reported, so that the management team can address these as soon as they have been brought to our attention.
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