Join me in Patagonia! Trip will be launching late next week. Limited spots available. Sign up here for first access when it goes live and a early bird discount: ► harmenhoek.com/grouphike Follow me on Instagram to get daily stories with trip details upcoming week: ► harmenhoek.com/instagram Super excited about this! More information, including pricing and exact dates, following soon!
This may be the coolest hiking film I’ve watched, and I’ve watched 100s and 100s. So many unique elements. I’ll be watching this again. Well done. I LOVE how you filmed some locals, the monkeys, horses, the caves, the moon, stars, everything. Stunning film work.
I bet you didn't even ask those children's parents whether they're allowed sweets. It's rude and ilmmanerd behaviour from anyone whether black or white. Lesotho🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸
Watch the canoeing trips on the Yukon River America has spectacular natural areas Also watch " Outdoor Girl " s RU-vid channel SCOTISH HIGHLANDS ETC Of course rsa has magnificent picturesque scenic beauty too JAH BLESS ...
So evocative, thank you for capturing and preserving the essential, unchanging spirit of the 'Berg - this from an 85y-old expat SAfrican now living in Ontario, Canada. Starting in 1960, based in Durban, having hiked most passes and ridge walks from Drakensberg Gardens to the Amphitheatre, every fortnight, with much older, heavier equipment let it be said. Yours is an especially masterful capture of the daily monsoonal electric weather, thank you. We covered your route in the reverse direction, my young bride and I, and finally fled SAfrica in 1969, so your video is heart-rending (my wife passed away recently). My only tangential comment is that, having absorbed the essential 'Berg with one's life companion, adds even more somehow; Lyn was especially knowledgeable about the wildflowers and natural habitats. How I miss all of that, so much, dammit. Thanks again.
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your wife. I have read your comment several times now, and it moves me every time. I thank you for sharing your story with me. And I bet the equipment in those days wasn't as comfy and lightweight as these days, so respect for that! I wish you all the best. Harmen
This may be the best hiking video I’ve seen on RU-vid. The landscape, weather, camera angles, wildlife, people, music choice, everything. You created a masterpiece Harmen. Very well done!!!
I have never seen a hiking movie that well produced. I love that your dad shows up in the middle of the Drakensberg. I'm looking forward to your next Hike.
This is the most beautiful hiking video I’ve ever seen. I’m a South African and can definitely say that we do have the most beautiful landscapes with gorgeous sunsets and thunderstorms. I’ve never been to the Drakensburg but I’ve always wanted to go. It’s officially at the top of my list this year 🌻
I love this film so much! (I love South Africa) It touch my soul. I know it wasn't easy some days, but you did it! And again: I am so proud of you! Love you!
Oh, you know, Kraig Adams was exactly the one I recollected while watching. I even wanted to say that to Harmen, something like "oh, your film is as impressive as Kraig Adams' ", but thout later that it, perhaps, could be not too flattering and pleasant to here- to be compared with someone else:). These two guys are definitely high professionals in such kind of videos.
As a South-African and a Photographer/Filmmaker you have touched my heart. I run in these mountains and you have connected me with them again in such a deep level. Well done!
I have now seen both, the full version, and this shorter one of "The Drakensberg". I'm lacking superlatives that would describe well enough my feelings. Both versions are the best hiking or nature videos I've ever seen, in RU-vid or elsewhere. Outstanding cinematography, every scene so complete, the beauty, and on the other hand - the hiking challanges of the area so well presented, all those breath-taking drone sequences, and all the trouble you have seen to get that splendid material, and such an outstanding result of editing. Ýou truly are very, very talented, Harmen. Heartfelt thanks for these two wonderful visual experiences!
I was young when I first hiked through Drakensberg, I'll never forget the taste of the purest water I've ever had, the clearest star light sky I've ever seen, and the most at one with the earth I've every felt. Great Video, brought a lot more back, like the signs of long dead animals, back to the earth only leaving their bones behind, the lives of the many living out there, people, animals and plants. Great watch!
The earth was created for man kind!! Wow A picture paints a thousand words!! Iove the scene the respect and the quiet!! Excellent choice of music. !! Thank you for the effort
Harmen, this is the most inspired and inspiring piece of film making I've ever seen about the Drakensberg. I'm from Durban, now living in Germany, and I've hiked in the Berg, once for four days with three others, sleeping in caves. But what you depicted was at another level! Breathtaking shots and time lapses. All of it. Having travelled a fair bit, South Africa's beauty and people still hold the number one spot for me. But you have shown me its beauty beyond what I knew before. Gratitude maatjie!
This is the most elaborate, well thought out and executed hiking film I’ve ever seen. The placement and frames and effort put into this is incredible. Very inspiring Harmen!
Harmen, I need to start watching your films on a larger television! The images are spectacular!! The storms and lightning! The rugged terrain. The hot coffee and heavy rain. This landscape is amazing and beautiful. Love the brief interaction with the kids and locals! Safe travels Harmen and please continue to produce these films that transport me to places I will likely never have the opportunity to visit! Loved the closing music with still pictures as well.
Sir, you truly trekked the rarest of places in this planet. I wish you good health forever, so that you can produce such breathtaking videos for us for a long time. Bless you!
Thanks again for another great video! Your films really help me keep my mental health under bombardments in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Great work. This planet is so beautiful. Can't wait to see the next one.
This is perhaps the most awe-inspiring video I have ever watched featuring my beautiful country. In a world with so much wrong, this feature silently yet majestically encapsulates all that is right with it. Well done on creating a true masterpiece.
Thank you for doing justice to the South African hikers favourite escape …. Been hoping Craig Adams came along to do one but you did a magnificent job .
Harmen thank you so much for sharing this adventure with us! It is one of my favorite hiking videos on YT to date. I am so pumped for the long version on Friday! Cheers my friend!
Yeah, someone finally made a professional new film on my favorite place. I'm in the US now, but I grew up near Durban, South Africa. We went to the Draakenshurg many times, the best hike was up to Policeman's Helmet. A magical place at the bottom of the continent.
OH MY GOD!! THAT WAS BY FAR THE BEST IV EVER WATCHED!! wow wow wow 😮 The emotion you just brought out in me 😭😂 So so beautiful! From begging to end, just an absolute journey. Bonding with the locals, hugging your friend and catching up.. helping the lady cross the river.. the kids following you.. all so nice I couldn’t help but smile and feel so many amazing emotions all in one. You bought so much feel and something entirely new to this video. It was so in-depth!! Just an absolute masterpiece Harmen, I honestly can’t say enough good things.
Well done!! This video epitomises what hiking is about, we’ve hiked NZ, Nepal and Oz. This takes some beating, thanks for sharing as this took a HUGE effort to make, you should be very proud. Enter it into a doco comp, if there is such a thing, we’ll done!!! Al
I come from Durban, the Drakensberg is one of my favourite places in the world. I absolutely love being there, you captured it perfectly, amazing video
I think this is one of the most beautiful hiking documentary-like videos I’ve seen on RU-vid, even better than some good professional produced films. No words pal, you are an absolute inspiration for many of us! Hope to see more soon, take care :)✌🏼
I haven't finished watching it yet, but this is one of the most inspiring and uplifting videos. I noticed some Harmen details! His sensitivity is in details like the contrast of the camera frames, the poetic blurs, it made me reflect. The “songs” at certain times. An emotional scene was when you were walking alongside the children. There is artistic composition in this video! And I'm happy for you Harmen! Good luck on your journey, and I'll be here with you! I came back here just to confirm... what an amazing video bro! It's this kind of content that adds to people's lives. The ending was wonderful! Thanks for sharing! God bless you!
I love reading comments, especially yours! I see my content hundreds of times when making these films, sometimes losing the true first connecting I had during my experience. Your words did me realize that again. Thank you!
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Capturing the thunder storm and then the shot of the stars. Got me a little emotional. Thank you for sharing your adventures.
Wow man, simply amazing! I have seen some of your stories and was looking forward to this film. The new slider shots were fascinating! Your filming skills and your sense for compositions are unmatched! Thanks a ton! :)
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks! I really love the whole process of shooting a film. Some 5 second shots take 15 minutes to set up, but I get goosebumps seeing the results, I just love it.
I had a lump in my throat watching this, so beautiful. I'm a two hour drive away from the Drakensberg but have never hiked it to this extent. I'm definitely going to now. Wow wow wow 👏
Damn son...so well done, Harmen. I can see the effort you put in besides the hiking to capture the visuals-even hiking with a camera slider. I couldn't help but think of our earliest ancestors when you were camping in that cave. Oh, how far we have come.
Thank you so much for making this film. I wait until the family is gone then watch your films alone on the biggest screen possible and then get transported by your story telling and cinematography, to wherever you are hiking . Fantastic work by you , capturing the people , weather and the stunning sunsets. Then your father shows up, and it brought a tear to my eye. Please keep making these .
Magic, Harmen, how you covered so much beauty in the Dragon's own place, the up-pointed spears, the ready smiles of mountain shepherds, and the rawness of nature - very refreshing ... in many ways the country and wildness resonates with my home in southeast Oz. And yes, in the ambiance of this film .. you brought us along 🥾 👣
I think you took my breath away at least 30 times in that video. Wow. You have such a gift. Those tracking shots! What a beautiful part of creation, and beautiful people you met. Romans 11:36 indeed!
Thank you so much for another amazing video! Such a beautiful scenery, people, animals gave me goose bumps and made me cry! (in a good way :-) I have never seen lightnings filmed so beautifully. Looking forward to seeing longer version!
Amazing work! I really hope to visit South Africa in the future, my friend went there recently and he loved it so much and even bought me a souvenir! Africa is amazing,and i can’t imagine what heights African nations are going to achieve in the future.
Such a great film...all your films are phenomenal...thank you for giving us all great film after great film to watch. What you and Kraig Adams do with your films is better, more worthwile, and higher quality than anything Hollywood has produced in years. You are up there in the clouds of the greatest filmakers in the world right now and I am thankful and a huge fan of every one of your masterpieces! But this one...is just out of this world!
Breathtakingly beautiful!! My favorite video yet. 🙋🏼♀️👍🏻❤️Green mountains ⛰ reaching up to the blue sky with white clouds. WOW! A true masterpiece of a trip! 😱🇺🇸
This is a MASTERPIECE Harmen! you are one of a kind for making these videos, everything is perfect, thank you so much for sharing theses moments with us! i will also be watching this again and again!
Thank you so much for great pleasure to see this magical scenery! I'm deeply impressed. Thank you for detailed description of all equipment you used. Can be really helpful for other hikers! Btw, it made me smile to see in description that you had liked everything including weather:). I thought while watching- "raining every day. The guy wasn't too lucky with weather":). Big regards from Russia! :)
Hi Helen. Thank you! Haha, of course rain isn't always fun, but it part of the experience, and as long as it doesn't rain all day every day, I like it. (;
Wow epic journey bro! Im a biologist at Stellenbosch University and have worked and hiked in the Drakensberg and Cape Folds a lot. What a beautiful country hey! Just you and your thoughts and Mother Nature! Utterly nurturing... to the soul...but not the feet.....
Harmen you are amazing! Thank you so much for the hard work you do! Nice to see another people in the frame) with the participation of a man the whole view is transformed and changed. Culture and ethnicity are felt! THANK YOU
This one was especially beautiful Harmen. As always, total professional production. You inspire me to do more with my Mavic Air 2 and BA Copper Spur! Best wishes from Cheshire, England 👋
i live and breathe in South Africa. i have hiked more than 40 times in the Drakensberg. Harmen has captured the essence of this wild, lonely and challenging place. silent beauty ✨
What a fantastic film about our stunningly beautiful Drakensberg ! I LOVE the Drakensberg but unfortunately cannot hike due to health reasons. But you have taken me on the journey into the heart of the Berg ... spectacular .... wow ! The fauna and flora of the Drakensberg are simply mind blowing ... God-given. Thanx for sharing this with us.
I love when at 15:05 that cow just stands in your way, looking at you defiantly and you two just stare at each other like "what now? Who will move first?"
So beautiful Harmen, another banger! This is an outstanding production, you really know how to put South Africa on a stage. Looks like you had an incredible time out there and an awesome adventure. I am gonna rewatch that HIKING MOVIE, again and again, thank you so much for putting in all the work. You motivated me to record my own hikes (even if I am still walking in my "baby's" shoes regarding the skill set, compared to your knowledge and sense of filmmaking). So sad that I didn't have the passion of recording hikes while walking the trails of Namibia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, but I am gonna go there again hopefully someday, as Africa is such a beautiful and colorful continent. Thank you again for providing content like this for free. Happy Easter and stay safe out there. Best wishes, Mario
Sounds like you know Southern Africa well, Mario. Welcome to my home! So glad you enjoyed it and have great memories to share. It's really awesome to see some positive news about S.A. (specifically in this vid) and her raw beauty. I have a house in Jhb that you're welcome to stay at while you're travelling S.A (a home base if you like).
Mesmerising - just beautiful. Makes me want to get back out there. We are blessed and privileged to live in the Central berg and get to hike every week - but not as extreme as this ….days of our youth. Just beautiful . Thank you for sharing
This reminds me so much of Stellies, I never really had time to explore the beautiful landscapes as studies occupied most of my time, but I will for sure make time this year.
