This started as these things usually do, with a throw away comment over a beer, a typical...why don't we... moment. Then it kind of grew and grew until 9Peaks9Weeks was born. We have decided to try and climb the highest peak in every province in SA, sort of like a mini 7-Summits, just without the extreme cost and life-threatening danger that that involves. To make it a bit more of a mission we will also try to do it within 9 weeks. In itself it's not the most difficult thing to do, but with two middle aged chaps juggling family and job responsibilities it is a bit of a challenge. We'll be starting our challenge with climbing Iron Crown in Limpopo Province on Friday the 4th of October 2013, and hopefully ending with Seweweekspoort Peak in Western Cape on Friday 29th of November. Below is a full list of the Peaks and their respective heights. The Peaks – in the order we hope to climb. Iron Crown 2126 m Limpopo Province Die Berg 2331 m Mpumalanga Nooitgedacht West 1806 m North West Province Toringkop 1913 m Gauteng Province Namahadi 3275 m Free State Mafadi 3451 m Kwazulu Natal (and highest point in SA) Kwa Duma 3019 m Eastern Cape Murch Point 2156 m Northern Cape Seweweekspoort 2325m Western Cape
We hiked in from the pass through some of the most beautiful Drakensburg scenery imaginable. We reached the base of the massif at about 5.30 and then summited in light rain and biting cold wind. Afterwards we headed down and camped on the slopes below, and then walked the 21 km out again the next day.