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
29°15'11.9"S 29°25'11.3"E
-29.253300, 29.419800
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.
| Track length: | 3.07 km |
| Moving time: | 5:02 |
| Total ascent: | 813 m |
| Total descent: | 25 m |