Discover One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth in This Viral Timelapse

We wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of The Drakensberg before. It almost sounds like a region in Game of Thrones, but it’s not: it’s a mountain escarpment in South Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the subject of the timelapse above, and probably the newest addition to your bucket list.

The timelapse above was captured by UK-base landscape photographer Alex Nail during a grueling-but-totally-worth-it 9-day hike along The Drakensburg Escarpment with a few friends. Carrying 70lbs of camera gear and other equipment, they hiked from stunning vista to stunning vista.

“Known by the Zulus as uKhahlamba, the Barrier of Spears, the escarpment hosts colossal cliffs, jagged ridges, and the world’s second highest waterfall, Tugela,” writes Alex on his Facebook page.

drakensberg

The trip was equal parts photographic and physical challenge, as Alex told us earlier today:

In order to keep weight down I designed and build a custom carbon fiber time-lapse slider which employs my hiking poles in place of a tripod at one end. I carried 12 batteries and a solar charger to run a Sony A7RII and a Canon 5DSR.

The result of his hard work was well worth it though. The resulting timelapse has gone viral, earning media coverage in South Africa and nearly 6,000 shares on his Facebook page alone. Check it out for yourself up top, and let us know what you think in the comments.

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