April 2014 Grand Traverse

Day 10 Mkhomazi Pass to Sani

We departed in clear weather at 07h00 up the ridge path towards Mohlesi Pass and Mohlesi, with the view across to Thabana Ntlenyana to our right.



We paused at the top of the ridge to look down Mohlesi Pass,



and to look across to Ka Ntuba and Sehonghong from near Mohlesi Pass.



Contouring around the ridge the entire group summited Mohlesi, 3310 m. Tony and Lorinda joking around on the summit of Mohlesi.



Passing by Nhlangeni Pass, we continued along the ridge with the entire group summiting Sehonghong 1, 3324 m, and carrying on to the Ka Ntuba saddle as the mist came in. Tony summited Sehonghong 2, 3308 m and Ka Ntuba Buttress, 3344 m. The photo below shows the Ka Ntuba saddle with Ka Ntuba Buttress to the left and Ka Ntuba Peak to the right, with the mist coming in.



After taking a break at the saddle, we continued on to Ka Ntuba Pass where the mist had really closed in along the escarpment.



Descending the Ka Ntuba ridge and passing Mangaun and Ntshintshini Passes was done in mist with hardly any visibility and navigating by gps, and by lunch time it was raining lightly. After lunch we went over the Mangaun ridge and descending the other side towards Sani got ahead of the mist, enough to see to Sani village and looking back see the ridge across the Sani Flats.



The mist came in again as we approached Sani, and a wet group arrived at Sani Top at 14h45, where most of the group set to having a warm meal, before collecting our resupply parcels and continuing on to our accommodation at Sani Backpackers, about 500 m from Sani Top in the village. The Sani Backpackers is in two old buildings, the dormitories in the white building, and the kitchen and ablutions next door in the pink building.



Distance 17.9 km
Start Height 2860 m
End Height 2860 m
Total Ascent 905 m
Total Descent 905 m
Morning temp 4° C

Day 11 Sani to Sandleni Cave

We departed at 08h05 from Sani past the Lesotho border post and across the flats towards Hodgson’s ridge. Over Lesotho the weather was clear although there was a lot of mist along the escarpment. We had heard at Sani the previous evening that some snow was forecast for the southern berg overnight, and between the mist at Sani we could see snow on the slopes of Thabana Ntlenyana. Ascending Hodgson’s ridge, we could see snow on the peaks around Sehonghong and Ka Ntuba where we had been the previous day. This can be seen in the photo below, but is not that clear with the white clouds above the snow.



Once we were up the first part of the ridge, we followed the path towards Masubasuba Pass with the view of the Giant’s Cup formed by Hodgson’s Peak North and Hodgson’s Peak South.



Approaching Masubasuba Pass to the left of Hodgson’s Peak South, two shepherds stood on the skyline watching us approach.



Ascending to the saddle at the top of Hodgson’s ridge, we took a break and were joined by the shepherds as the mist came in, and this was basically the last clear weather we had for the day, which was a pity as we had decided to follow the escarpment and were hoping for the escarpment views around Minaret. The top of Minaret Pass was just a blur of mist.



We also passed the Pitsaneng Passes in the mist, before finding a spot next to a small stream for lunch.



As we continued on after lunch it began to rain lightly, and we walked on past Stones Passes and over Sandleni Buttress, before descending to our overnight spot at Sandleni Cave.



Thora, Elaine and Richard stayed in the largest of the three caves, while Christine, Stephan, Lorinda and Tony crowded into the back of the middle cave. Both caves had drips from the roof, and we were able to fill water bottles at the drips at the front of the middle cave, shown in the photo below.



It continued to rain lightly into the night, and the mist was so thick we couldn’t even see the Sandleni Pinnacle just in front of the caves. The next morning the mist had cleared and the weather looked much better, and we had the view of the Sandleni Pinnacle.



Distance 16.0 km
Start Height 2860 m
End Height 2815 m
Total Ascent 600 m
Total Descent 645 m
Evening temp 9° C

Tony jy is n yster en jou crew! This was one of the best write-up with pictures. Thank you

Day 12 Sandleni Cave to Mzimude

We departed in clear weather at 07h00 up the gully onto the escarpment. The photo below shows the three Sandleni Caves.



On the summit, we headed south with the view over Natal under cloud, the Sandleni Pinnacle and the route ahead to No Man’s Peak and ridge on the right.



The top of Garden Castle was visible above the clouds below.



We ascended No Mans ridge, and Christine, Stephan, Lorinda and Tony summited No Man’s Peak, 3101 m. From No Man’s ridge looking ahead we had the view to Rhino, Verkyker and Verkyker ridge, and the Mzimkhulu Passes.



We went over Verkyker ridge, crossed the stream after descending the other side, and contoured around the Mlambonja ridge dropping down gradually into the Mashai valley, and having lunch at the stream, where we were joined by two shepherds. The photo below shows the Mashai stream lunch spot, with the Leqooa ridge in the background, and the Leqooa ridge saddle notch where we would later cross the ridge at the right of the photo.



The group ascending the Leqooa ridge after lunch, where there were several shepherds passing by,



and the notch at the saddle where we went over the ridge.



Descending the other side of Leqooa ridge, we headed towards Mzimude and tented in the valley towards Walkers Peak near Mzimude at 15h30. Later Christine, Stephan and Tony went to the top of Mzimude Pass and visited Mzimude Cave and annex. The photo below shows Mzimude Cave annex on the left next to the pass, and Mzimude Cave higher up on the right and the scramble up to the cave from the pass.



Distance 17.3 km
Start Height 2815 m
End Height 3025 m
Total Ascent 970 m
Total Descent 760 m
Morning temp 7° C
Evening temp 4° C

Day 13 Mzimude to Bushman’s Nek

We departed at 07h00 from Mzimude in a cold wind up the valley towards Walkers ridge, ascending the ridge and contouring along the top towards Isicatula Pass, with the entire group summiting Isicatula Peak, 3096 m. The photo below shows the view from Isicatula Peak to Andre’s Knob and Thaba Ngwangwe, with the top of Isicatula Pass just below the edge of the peak, and my being photographed in a jacket and long pants shows that it was cold.



View down Isicatula Pass, our descent off the summit.



View up Isicatula Pass, the top of the pass in the previous photo is the low point in the rock band on the horizon.



After descending Isicatula Pass, we followed the valley path along the Thamathu River around the back of Thaba Ngwangwe, taking a break at the last stream crossed before the top of Thamathu Pass. It’s difficult to define the top of Thamathu Pass because it’s quite flat and undulating, but the photo below shows the view North to Thaba Ngwangwe and Andre’s Knob at the left from near the top of the pass. The path to the pass is at the right of the photo.



Passing Thamathu Cave on Thamathu Pass.



The view back to the escarpment from the plateau below Thamathu ridge, Devil’s Knuckles on the left and Thaba Ngwangwe at the centre of the photo below.



The end in sight, descending the last slope with the Bushman’s Nek border post and EKZNW office in the trees across the river.



At Bushman’s Nek, GT complete.



Distance 20.2 km
Start Height 3025 m
End Height 1750 m
Total Ascent 405 m
Total Descent 1680 m
Morning temp -2° C

Smurfatefrog wrote: What is creating the shadow in this pic?

It would be Ncedamabutho - Mponjwane Cave is on the other side of that bank. The khulu to the right is Mnweni Buttress.

Congrats Tony and team, and thanks for the report and photos.

Makes me want to put on a pack and do another GT soon

Also nice job on how many khulus you hit

Tony! This is a fantastic writeup, that I'm sure could prove very useful for future hikers. You kept each day interesting, with enough photos and didn't ramble on or leave out anything important. Thanks for all the effort you put into this!

@ Smurfatefrog and ghaz, yes that shadow is from Ncedamabutho, as the photo below shows. My shadow also gives an indication of the angle of the sun.



Mnweni Buttress is out of the photos to the left, that peak to the right of Mnweni Pass isn't a khulu at 2994 m.

I'll still post a summary of the stats, it's been a lot more time consuming to do this write up than I had initially estimated, especially sorting through around 800 photos. Thanks for bearing with me for the duration of placing these posts, although I suppose the gradual instalments is probably better than putting up everything at once.

Thanks for the positive response, it's been fantastic compiling this writeup and reliving the experience.