Mountaineering and Hiking
On Your Journey There, When You Get There, There Is Not There
Mountaineering and Trekking Specialists
Adventure Travel Company In South Africa
Explore Our Signature Adventures
Unforgettable ways to experience the mountains.
Northern Traverse
6 Days · Northern Drakensberg
Meet the team
A Word from Darren – Founder & Co-Owner
One of my favourite parts of this job is meeting people before an adventure and seeing the change when they return. They arrive wondering whether they’re fit enough, whether they’ve packed enough socks and whether this whole thing was a terrible idea. They leave with mountain stories, new friends and an impressive ability to steer absolutely any conversation back to their trip.
I founded Soul Adventures because I wanted to share the places and experiences that make you feel properly alive. These days, I mostly lead our international treks, introducing people to extraordinary mountains, unfamiliar cultures and the surprising amount of happiness that can fit inside a mug of something hot.
Of course, mountains have their own plans. Sometimes we reach the summit. Sometimes the weather tells us, quite firmly, to wind our necks in and turn around. Knowing when to listen is part of the job. The mountain will still be there next time, and we intend for you to be there too.
There’s plenty of effort involved, usually a little swearing and, wherever practical, beer and biltong afterwards. Watching someone finish a journey they weren’t sure they could manage is something I’ll never get tired of.
The jokes, unfortunately, are considerably older than that.
Darren MacDonald
Founder, Co-Owner & International Trek Leader
A Word from Patrick – Co-Owner, Lead Guide & Chief of Operations
The Drakensberg is where I feel most at home. Give me a mountain pass, a remote campsite and a weather forecast worth getting excited about, and I’m a happy man. I’m also the fittest person I know, although my friends have suggested that I should meet more people.
As co-owner, lead guide for our Drakensberg hikes and chief of operations, I’m involved in everything from planning routes and organising equipment to making sure your dinner actually makes it up the mountain. Behind every great adventure is a surprising amount of admin, and apparently “I’d rather be hiking” doesn’t count as completing it.
What I love most is sharing these mountains with people. Sometimes that means helping someone find their confidence on their first overnight hike. Other times it means leading experienced hikers through a demanding traverse and watching them discover another part of the Berg to fall in love with.
My enthusiasm for an uphill is admittedly suspicious but guiding is about understanding the people walking with you. Your pace, your experience and how you’re feeling matter. There should always be time to appreciate the view you’ve worked hard to reach.
I want you to head home feeling looked after, proud of yourself and already thinking about your next hike. If you’ve also developed an unhealthy interest in contour maps, I’ll consider that a personal success.
Patrick Richardson
Co-Owner, Lead Drakensberg Guide & Chief of Operations
