Bannerman Pass
Bannerman hut at the bottom of this pass makes this a very popular pass. It is short and fun to do especially if you are new to the Drakensberg.
Bannerman cave can be found over the summit ridge to the south. The pass is 3 km long and 822 up from Bannerman Hut. On the way up the pass (1.8km) you will see Spare Rib Cave on your left.
Bannerman Pass was named after former British Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. It is said that, when viewed from the right angle, the cliffs just south of the pass resemble the profile of his face.
Listing Details
Starting from the hut, a clear path gently climbs up the wide river valley for the first kilometre. Once you have rounded the bend in the valley and can see the top of the pass. The path gets a little steeper as the path climbs up past a small waterfall and then up a small ridge. At this point you will pass Spare Rib cave on your left.
The path then enters a scree field before contouring into the final narrow gully of Bannerman Pass. The path disappears near the top but it’s obvious where you have to go so just make your own route up the narrow gully to the top of the pass at 3093m.
GPX track map
Elevation (altitude) diagram of the track
Track length and Trackpoint information
| Information | Calculated value |
|---|---|
| Overall distance (metric) | 2.4 km |
| Overall distance (imperial) | 1.5 miles |
Elevation / altitude data (metric)
| Information | Calculated value |
|---|---|
| Altitude range (highest-lowest point) | 832 m |
| Minimum altitude (lowest point) | 2263 m |
| Maximum altitude (highest point) | 3095 m |
| Uphill (addition of positive altitude changes) | 808 m |
| Downhill (addition of negative altitude changes) | 0 m |
Elevation / altitude data (imperial)
| Information | Calculated value |
|---|---|
| Altitude range (highest-lowest point) | 2730 ft |
| Minimum altitude (lowest point) | 7425 ft |
| Maximum altitude (highest point) | 10154 ft |
| Uphill (addition of positive altitude changes) | 2651 ft |
| Downhill (addition of negative altitude changes) | 0 ft |
