Giant's Cup Trail
A five-day hut-to-hut walk through the foothills of the southern Drakensberg, from the Sani Pass road to Bushman's Nek.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Sani Pass Road trailhead
- Ends in
- Bushman's Nek
- Length
- 49 km
- On foot
- 5 days
- Countries
South Africa
About the trail
The Giant's Cup Trail runs along the foothills of the southern Drakensberg, below the basalt wall of the escarpment that forms the border with Lesotho. It takes its name from Giant's Cup, a peak on the escarpment, and it is managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the provincial conservation authority.
The path crosses grassy valleys, sandstone overhangs and clear mountain streams, and several rock shelters along the way hold paintings left by the San. Scottish settlers gave names to some of the streams, among them the Killiecrankie, and each night is spent in a hut: Pholela, Mzimkhulwana, Winterhoek, Swiman and finally Bushman's Nek.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's trail guide says the route is easily walked in five days by someone of average fitness, with daily stages of 9 to 13.3 km. Summer brings most of the rain and frequent mist, while autumn and winter days are usually fine and warm, and spring is the season for mountain flowers.
Length measured on the OpenStreetMap line; no official figure checked yet.