Originally, the name “Grand Traverse” was given to a multi-day backpacking trip across the top of the Natal Drakensberg escarpment from the Amphitheatre in the north to Bushman’s Nek in the south (or vice versa). This is a distance of over 240 km at an altitude of around 3000 metres. Participants (GTers) often refer to it as the backpacker’s equivalent of the world-famous Comrades Marathon – an apt comparison in terms of the camaraderie and mutual support required for both.

The Grand Traverse was conceived as the ultimate backpacking challenge for hikers in the Natal Drakensberg. There is no fixed route, the intention being to develop individual leadership and give returning GTers something different to look forward to each time. And – as with any multi-day backpacking trip onto the escarpment involving a group – tents, stoves and full hiking gear are a prerequisite.

Trail runners have adopted the concept of the Grand Traverse and turned it into a race. To compare times against one another, they have set a fixed route and other specific requirements to make the competition fair.