Thabana Ntlenyana
Thabana Ntlenyana | |
---|---|
Ultra | |
Coordinates | 29°28′S 29°16′E / 29.467°S 29.267°E |
Geography | |
Location | Lesotho |
Parent range | Maloti |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Hike |
Thabana Ntlenyana (
Geography
Thabana Ntlenyana is situated on the Mohlesi ridge, north of the treacherous
Ecology
The high-elevation treeless areas in the Drakensberg like Thabana Ntlenyana are categorized by the World Wide Fund for Nature as part of the Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands ecoregion.[9] This ecoregion is characterized by high elevation and high rainfall, but also by cooler temperatures than more equatorial montane areas. Rainfall comes in summer, often exceeding 1,000 millimetres (39 in) per year. Snowfall can occur in winter. Temperature varies from −8 °C (18 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F), with an average of 13 °C (55 °F).[10]
Vegetation in the Maloti is known to vary with the surface geomorphic features beneath it, such as the soil's grain size, carbon content, and depth.
The unique faunal communities of the Drakensberg grasslands have not yet been fully described by the scientific community. However, a 2001 study surveyed avian populations on Thabana Ntlenyana in particular. It found relatively low species diversity (23 spp.), with about a dozen living at the summit and more living in the peak's foothills. The majority of breeding pairs recorded were
Access
The peak is often climbed from Sani Top Chalet or from Vergelegen Nature Reserve.[13] The first ascent of the mountain was probably in the deep past, as shepherds are known to visit the summit regularly[14] and likely have done so for thousands of years.[15] The first recorded ascent by Western-tradition mountaineers was achieved in March 1951 by a South African-English team of leader Desmond Watkins, surveyors Barry Anderson and Roy Goodwin, mountaineer C. W. Jorgensen, and least three other assistants, described by Jorgensen only as "cooks, bottlewashers and scarecrows."[16]
Resources
References
- ^ "Thabana Ntlenyana - Peakbagger.com". www.peakbagger.com. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-86954-137-1.
- ^ Sommer, Chris. "Roof of the Maloti".
- ISBN 978-0-19-190563-6.
- ^ Sommer, Chris (8 October 2007). "Grand Traverse". Vertical-Endeavor.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- . Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Cooks, Johann; Wellington, John H.; Hattingh, Phillip S.; Setia, Veenu (17 March 2024). "Orange River". www.britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- .
- ^ ISBN 978-1-919976-21-1.
- .
- ^ Kopij, G (2010). "Avian assemblages in the area around Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest peak of Southern Africa". Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego we Wrocławiu - Biologia i Hodowla Zwierząt. 60 (577): 67–75. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Geo Maps Series Map 5.
- ^ Schaefer, Norbert. "Ascent of Thabana Ntlenyana on 2023-02-27 - Peakbagger.com". www.peakbagger.com. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Gilbertson, Eric; Stanchak, Katie (13 December 2015). "Lesotho – Thabana Ntlenyana". Country Highpoints. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Jorgensen, C. W. (1952). "Thadentsonyana Basutoland, Easter, 1951". Yorkshire Ramblers' Club Journal. 7 (26): 305–310. Retrieved 21 April 2024.