Copyright: MCSA-KZN 1998 ©
THE XENI CUTBACK
(Map #2 : AD:49)
There is an excellent campsite in the Xeni valley about 30 minute's
walk up from the contour path. However, the longer climbs in this area
are best tackled from a camp further up the valley - about two hour's
walk from the contour path. To reach this spot, walk up the Xeni valley
and then turn left into Cockade Pass (AE:49). Continue up Cockade Pass
to some overhangs on the right, and about 150m short of two huge
boulders that lie across the gully. These overhangs provide good
shelter and water is available in the adjacent stream.
XENI PEAK (D)
(Map #2 : AD:49 : 3121m)
Opening Party: Peter Urban, Peter Scott and Issy Cohen.
Date: 1961.
Time: Two hours from top of escarpment.
The Xeni Peak is the free-stander between the Elephant and Mlambonja
Buttress. It is climbed from the escarpment, from which it is separated
by a gap some 10m wide.
Start at the head of a gully on the escarpment near the south side
of the peak. Climb down the gully for about 30m to the nek between the
peak and the escarpment. Cross the nek and traverse to the right on the
inside of the gendarme. Climb a 50m D grade pitch diagonally up to a
stance from where the south side of the peak is visible. Traverse a few
metres to the right and then climb a wide chimney for 5m to a stance.
The chimney, which narrows, is followed for 20m to the summit.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1961, pg 54.
ELEPHANT: South East Ridge (F3)
(Map #2 : AD:49 : 3109m)
Opening Party: Peter Urban, Tom Kerrick and Peter Scott
Date: 1961.
Time: 10 hours of climbing to the summit.
The start of the first pitch may be reached in an hour from the
campsite mentioned above. The route starts in a subsidiary crack almost
directly in front of, but slightly to the left of, the main crack.
After about 40m of C/D scrambling up the crack and around to the left
at the top, it becomes necessary to rope up for the climb proper.
- 25m E. Climb diagonally up to the right (taking care on the grass)
to reach an obvious ledge from which it is possible to look into the
lower sections of the pronounced crack immediately to the right.
- 30m E. Climb for 10m up vertical rock and then traverse to the left
across a face to a projecting nose which is climbed on the right. (Some
loose rock). Move a few metres to the left above the nose and then
continue up an open book to a good ledge to a fixed piton belay.
After these preliminary pitches, scramble to the left until directly
opposite a subsidiary gendarme on the south east ridge. A further 15m
of scrambling up the main ridge leads to a crack where the third pitch
starts.
- 15m E. After climbing a chimney/crack for 3m, move diagonally to
the right via a narrower crack that leads to a stance on a ledge.
- 15m E. Traverse 3m to the right, and then climb up the corner to a recess under an overhang.
- 35m F. After traversing 3m to the left, climb diagonally up to the
edge of the ridge. Continue up, bearing to the right, past a sling
point and up a very steep section for 15m. The grade of the pitch eases
off on the next 10m until a stance with a chockstone is reached. The
very steep section is climbed on the right, as the rock on the left
looks unreliable.
- 70m D. Follow the ridge to a stance at some boulders below a steep section.
- 20m E. Traverse 5m to the right, climb up 5m, and then move to the
left to the main ridge, which is followed up to a stance on a wide
ledge. A running belay point may be found to the left of the main
ridge.
- 30m E. Climb down diagonally to the left where an exposed traverse
with good grips for a tall climber leads to a stance in a gully to the
left of the 'trunk'.
- 30m E. Climb the gully, which becomes an airy chimney, to a belay
at a prominent chockstone. (Diversion: 5m of climbing from this
chockstone leads to the top of the pinnacle forming the trunk, but this
is not a part of the main route.)
- 30m F3. From the chockstone a delicate traverse to the left for
10m, past a loose looking block, leads to a formidable open book which
appears to be the only feasible route through the band of overhangs
that form the shadow of the Elephant's 'eye'. Use layback holds inside
the crack for the take-off. Chimney up the second section of the open
book to a small ledge and continue up for 3m to an exposed stance.
- D. After traversing to the left, 3 rope-lengths lead to the summit.
The descent via Cockade Pass to the campsite takes little more than an hour.
Note: The crux pitch starts at the chockstone. If time is running
short it may be possible to escape benightment by traversing off to the
left on a good ledge about 40m below the chockstone. This long traverse
which probably involves a little climbing, terminates with an abseil
into a gully.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1961, pg 58.
COCKADE: Frontal Route (F3)
(Map #2 : AE:49 : 3086m)
Opening Party: Tom Kerrick, P 'Taffy' Lloyd, Peter Scott and Peter Urban.
Date: November 1961.
Time: 11 hours of climbing.
The route lies up the face to the right of an enormous tower that
abuts the Cockade near its centre. The face is broken by a very
prominent ledge about halfway up, and by two lesser ledges evenly
spaced in the upper half. From the campsite in Cockade Pass, go up the
gully a short way and then climb up the Cockade and traverse left until
a gully on the right of the tower is reached. Scramble about 50m up
this gully.
- 10m E. Straddle up to pass a large chockstone that blocks the gully. This pitch is F3 when wet.
- 20m C. Continue up a smaller, easy gully/chimney on the right.
- 20m D. Traverse to the right and then climb over the large tufts of grass to a suitable stance.
- 20m E+. Climb a vertical face for 10m, traverse to the left for 5m then follow the grass to a stance under a cubbyhole.
- 10m E+. Traverse to the left for 5m. Ascend some grass to an exposed stance below a steep section.
- 10m F3. Overcome the steep section by following a crack for about
5m (aid may be necessary). From the top of the crack, where there is a
strong bush, 5m of scrambling leads to a stance.
- 20m D. Traverse to the right for 5m round a corner, and continue to
a suitable stance on the prominent main ledge. The next pitch begins
about 100m to the right.
- 30m C. Scramble around and up the buttress that interrupts the
ledge. From the top of this buttress two overhanging chimneys can be
seen about 30m to the right.
- 10m D. Climb a short rock band to a stance below the rock about halfway between the two chimneys.
- 20m D. Climb to a stance in a dry cave below the overhang in the right-hand chimney.
- 35m E+. From a point 5m below the cave, traverse to the left for
25m passing some large blocks en route that may be loose. A mantleshelf
move leads to the next stance.
- 10m D. Climb a short crack and then scramble to a suitable belay.
This stance is on the second 'ledge' which turns out to be a grass
gully. Scramble up the gully then to the left to a small dry cave
before the gully narrows to a chimney.
- 35m E. Further scrambling parallel to the grassy gully leads to an
awkward move 3m before one emerges onto the third ledge. The final
section starts about 20m diagonally to the right, and the route follows
a line of chimneys.
- 25m F2. Climb diagonally to the left for 5m up a very steep ramp,
using friction footholds, just to the right of a crack. Step to the
left across the crack and scramble to a stance below a prominent
chimney.
- 25m F2. Climb a difficult chimney for 10m and then after a few
metres, ascend a second chimney to a stance below an overhanging crack.
- 25m F3. Traverse 5m to the right to the bottom of a crack. Work up
the crack for almost 10m, partly by using layback movements (including
an exceptionally severe move), scramble for a few feet, and then climb
a short chimney to a large boulder stance.
- 10m C. Climb the short face to the left of the chimneys to complete the climb.
The descent via Cockade Pass to the campsite takes little more than an hour.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1961, pg 55.
PLUME (F/A1)
(Map #2 : AE:49)
Opening Party: Andrew Gruft and Brian Clark.
Date: July 1960.
Head for the nek between the Plume and Cockade. From the nek,
traverse diagonally left and up across some steep grass to the base of
a sort of broken pillar of rock leaning against the wall on the south
west face. Start on the recess between the 'pillar' and main face. The
exit from the recess is obstructed by a large, loose block that must be
climbed. This first pitch consists of very loose rock and involves
about 15m of F grade climbing. From above this, move diagonally left to
a short traverse pitch which ends near the base of one of the cracks
running up to the summit - 15m F with a peg for possible aid.
Scramble up about 15m into the base of the crack (C). The crack
leads to the summit ridge, which is about half a metre wide. The crack
and summit ridge involve about 40m of D grade climbing.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1960, pg 125.
COLUMN: North Face (F3/M2)
(Map #2 : AG:50 : 2926m)
Opening Party: Pitches 1 to 4: HL 'Derie' van Eeden and Johann Schoonees.
Pitches 5 to 7: Johann Schoonees and George CL Mallory.
Date: Pitches 1 to 4: April 1981. Pitches 5 to 7: July 1981.
Time: The opening party took two days, prussiking up fixed ropes to start the second day's climbing.
This is apparently an extremely serious route that should not be
underestimated. From Tseke Hut walk up to the nek between the Column
and the knife-edge ridge that leads to the escarpment. Descend a
landslide for about 40m on the far (north west) side. Traverse out
across three spurs to reach the northern slopes of the Column. The
climb starts at the base of the ridge facing NNW, on the right-hand
side of the north face.
- 50m F3. Ascend the ridge to a grass ledge.
- 40m F3. Climb diagonally right towards a grassy open book. Ascend
the open book to a ledge. Scramble left for 8m to a large flake leaning
against the face.
- 40m F2. Walk left to the first grassy crack. Ascend the crack and
ridge until forced to traverse left past a loose pillar towards a
grassy ledge. Ascend the open book above to a ledge with a block belay.
This ledge is about 10m to the right of and below the big cleft that
splits the top third of the Column..
- 20m F1. Climb the broken rock to the right, keeping immediately to
the right of a smooth face. Continue up to a ledge in a recess with a
good peg belay.
- 30m F3/M2. Climb 4m up the broken pillar to the left and use a
point of aid to traverse 3m left along a sloping ledge. Place peg
runners as high as possible before being lowered 10m and making a
tension traverse to the left to reach a soily recess below the cleft.
Climb the recess for 3m, using three shaky pegs for aid, to reach the
base of a large chimney. Ascend an off-width crack in the chimney to a
stance as high as possible. The second climber follows on tension from
above, or by prussiking from the ledge with the block belay (does he ab
back down the 4th pitch or are pitches 4 and 5 led as one?!)
- 40m F3. Ascend the chimney to above a large chockstone (using one
point of aid) before bearing diagonally right up a steep, broken face
to the large ledge on the Escarpment Arete Route. Alternatively, it may
be possible to continue up the chimney.
- 20m E3. Scramble to the top.
Descend via Thompson's Route or preferably via the Escarpment Arete Route.
COLUMN: Thomson's Route (F3)
(Map #2 : AG:50 : 2926m)
Opening Climber: George Thomson.
Date: 9 December 1945.
Time: 7 hours up, 3 down from Tseke Hut.
From the Tseketseke Hut walk up the valley for just over a
kilometre. Break out right and scramble up the crest of the grass ridge
that leads up towards the rock ridge connecting the Pyramid and the
Column. Walk left along the grass ledge at the base of the
Pyramid-Column ridge to reach an obvious grassy chute just left of the
junction formed by the Pyramid-Column ridge and the Column proper.
Alternatively, approach as per the Escarpment Arete route and traverse
around to the right to reach the start.
- 25m D. Climb up the grassy chute to the level of the first obvious grass ledge. Traverse left onto this ledge.
- 45m F1. Climb up a leftward diagonal line of grass to a large grass ledge.
Note: From the top of pitch 1, it is possible to carry on straight
up to the second grass ledge. This involves a further 25m of E grade
climbing with the odd F1 move and few grass pull-ups. This single 50m
pitch is far quicker and easier than the alternative described above.
Either way, walk around to the left on the grass ledge. Continue
around a corner where the ledge is very narrow and steep. The ledge
broadens again around the corner and the next pitch starts, just before
the ledge ends, at a slab below a recess about 15m up.
- 20m F2. Climb up the slab slightly to the right of the recess, and
to a height level with a grassy stance. From here traverse left on a
small foot rail, using an undercut grip, and up onto a grassy step in
the recess.
- 20m F3. From the stance move up diagonally right for a couple of
metres onto a small grass ledge. Climb up a couple of metres to reach a
left sloping groove with a good fixed peg. Follow the groove left to
regain the recess at a point below a short crack that leads to the next
grass ledge.
Note: It is easy, and much quicker, to climb pitches 3 and 4 as one.
Walk around to the right to where a 5m C grade climb through a rock
band leads to the next (4th) grass ledge. Walk back left to an obvious
recess with deep cracks on either side.
- 40m F2. Climb the right crack for about 8m and then move left and
up into the left chimney. Climb this chimney or the buttress to below a
chute of loose rock that leads to the small nek between the two summits
- the higher one is on the right (east). Scramble up a short steep face
just left of a huge chockstone then walk a few metres to the higher
summit.
Descent: Before you read this 'spiel' skip to the notes below, on
the descent of the Escarpment Arete Route. Now, if that did not
convince you then you may descend Thomson's route as follows. From
underneath the huge chockstone in the nek between the summits, abseil
40m down the last pitch. Either make a 20m abseil off a bollard or
scramble down to the next grass ledge by reversing the 5m C grade
scramble. Abseil down pitches 4 and 3 from two pegs underneath an
overhanging boulder on the grass ledge to reach the next grass ledge.
Walk to the right along the grass ledge and around the corner to the
top of the 2nd pitch. Abseil off a large dead root that curves up out
of the ground. This 30m abseil reaches the narrow grass ledge between
the first and second pitches. Descend the first pitch a 25 m ab off a
peg.
The Escarpment Arete route has overshadowed this classic line.
Despite this, Thompson's route provides good climbing and is worthy of
more frequent ascents. Copyright: MCSA-KZN 1998 ©
Ref: MCSA Journals 1946, pg 40; 1947, pg 32 and 1986, pg 49.
COLUMN: Escarpment Arete (F3)
(Map #2 : AG:50 : 2926m)
Opening Party: Colin Shuttleworth and Dave Pullen.
Date: August 1970.
Time: 6 hours up, 3 down from Tseke Hut.
This is one of the better routes in the Drakensberg. Start from
Tseke Hut and walk up Tseketseke Pass to the gully that runs down from
the nek between the Column and the ridge leading to the escarpment.
Scramble up this gully to the nek. The bottom of the gully is difficult
especially when wet. It is easier to continue for about 100m up the
Pass and then to approach the nek up the grass slopes on the left
(west) of the gully. Apart from the first pitch, the route is not
sustained and the belays and rock quality are good.
- 40m F2. Start at the highest point in the nek and straddle up the
gap until it is possible to mantleshel awkwardly into a small
triangular recess on the main peak. Move out right onto a ledge. Use a
grass tuft to pull up awkwardly and then move diagonally to the right
around the corner and then up to stance on a shoulder under an
overhang. Avoid the large tempting grass ledge on the left.
- 20m F3. After a strenuous take-off, climb up the broken recess to a grass ledge.
- 30m E. From the stance traverse to the left skyline, then move up
the ridge to a large grass ledge with a big flake leaning against the
back face.
- 50m F3. Climb a rectangular recess 10m to the right of the flake,
moving right onto a slab halfway up. Cross a small grass ledge to a
narrow chimney and climb this to another grass ledge. When wet, this
chimney is very difficult and it is possible to climb a steep scoop to
its left, but this is unprotected. This pitch is sometimes split in
two. Walk about 40m to the left and then around a corner to reach the
start of the next pitch.
- 45m E. Follow the line of least resistance through the final, broken rock band to reach the lower of the two summits.
Scramble down into the cleft between the two summits and then climb
a short, steep face just left of a huge chockstone. Walk a few metres
to the higher, eastern summit.
Descent: Conventional wisdom is that it is best to descend via
Thomson's Route (see above). However, if you scramble (or ab) back to
the top of pitch 4, then three clean abseils lead straight back down
the route to the nek. This is a much easier, quicker and safer line of
descent than Thomson's Route, no matter which route you took to the
summit.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1970, pg 70.
PYRAMID: Standard Route (F1)
(Map #2 : AG:50 : 2914m)
Opening Party: Ken Howes-Howell, Brian Godbold, Naomi Bokenham, H C 'Hooter' Hoets, Charles Axelson and Stanley Rose.
Date: July 1936.
Time: 4 hours up, 2 down from Tseke Hut.
This popular beginner's route is usually climbed from the Tseke Hut.
About 30 minute's walk up the river from the hut, a grass gully on the
right (north) leads up to a nek to the right of a 'shark tooth'. From
the top of this gully, traverse across the 'back' (north) side of the
'shark tooth' to reach the north east slopes of the Pyramid. Continue
traversing across the north east slopes to reach the main north ridge
of the Pyramid. Walk up the north ridge, scrambling through a number of
rock bands on the way. The north ridge is broad at first but narrows
and is eventually blocked by a large prow of rock.
1. 20m F1. Climb up a recess in the middle of the prow until it is
possible to traverse out left and under a small overhang along a good
rail. Just past the overhang a few metres of easy rock lead straight up
to a belay on the crest of the ridge. Alternatively, ignore the
traverse and continue straight up to the belay (F2/3).
2. Scramble along the top of an exposed, blocky, knife-edge ridge leading up towards the summit.
3. The final rock band protecting the summit is climbed via a left sloping crack.
Note: The original ascent did not climb directly up the prow as
described above, but traversed to the right around the peak until able
to climb up using the same second pitch as described for the South Face
Route - see below. Although technically harder, the Standard Route
described above is far more direct and better protected.
Descent: Abseil down the prow. A second abseil further down avoids a
tricky scramble through one of the larger rock bands on the north ridge.
Ref: MCSA Journals 1936, pg 51; 1941, pg 23; 1962, pg 90.
PYRAMID: South Face (F2)
(Map #2 : AG:50 : 2914m)
Opening Party: G 'Jeff' Thorpe, Jannie Graaff, Dennys Williamson, Phyl Goodwin and Betty Chadwick.
Date: 1947.
Follow the approach described for Thompson's Route on the Column to
reach the grass ledge running across the base of the Pyramid-Column
ridge. Turn right and walk along the grass ledge towards the Pyramid.
Scramble diagonally right, up to the highest of the small grass ledges
on the south face. At this ledge there are two obvious breaks a couple
of metres apart. The one on the left looks well protected, but is very
hard. Rather take the one on the right, which starts up an easy but
sparsely protected slab. Continue up the line of least resistance to
broad grass ledge above. The first 20m of this pitch is fairly easy and
passes an old fixed peg. However, the upper 20m is solid F2.
Walk left along the grass ledge and follow it around a sharp corner
onto the west face. Continue along the ledge until it peters out about
30m short of the prow of rock on the Standard (north ridge) Route. Just
before the grass ledge peters out there is an obvious right-tending
recess in the rock wall. Climb this recess on good clean rock, passing
a small overlap protected by two pegs, and belay on top of the ridge.
This belay is very close to the belay at the top of the first (and
only) pitch on the Standard Route. This pitch involves about 20m of F1
climbing. Follow the ridge to the summit, as per the Standard Route.
Descent: Abseil down the top pitch and then walk back to the point
where the main grass ledge turns the sharp corner. An ab off a peg at
this corner reaches the main grass ledge that runs across the base of
the peak. Thereafter simply reverse the approach. Descending via the
Standard Route and its approach is probably quicker.
Like Wong's Route on the Bell, Winter's Route on Cathedral and
Thomson's Route on the Column, this route has been overshadowed by an
adjacent route. Like those routes it is worthy of far more ascents and
is in many ways superior to the Standard Route.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1947, pg 32.
CLEFT PEAK: Diagonal Gully Route (D)
(Map #2 : AH:52 : 3277m)
Opening Party: Doyle Liebenberg, Tony Hooper, and Hans & Else Wongtschowski.
Date: 1941.
Time: 6 hours.
The climb starts directly under the main cleft and below the highest
point of the main peak. The line follows a single gully that runs
diagonally up to the right and reaches the top of the escarpment at a
point about one kilometre north west of the summit. The route is about
C/D grade with the first pitch being the most difficult. This may well
prove an interesting snow route.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1941, pg 24.
CLEFT PEAK: Godbold's Frontal Route (F2)
(Map #2 : AH:52 : 3277m)
Opening Party: Brian Godbold, A Millard and Naomi Millard (nee Bokenham).
Date: July 1946.
Time: A very long day.
This route may be approached in various ways - none of them easy.
Route finding is simplest if you follow the crest of the ridge leading
up from near Tseke Hut. This approach has a lot of thick bush in the
lower stages and requires bypassing rocky knolls higher up - not
recommended. The easiest approach is to cut across the spurs starting
near the stream at the sharp bend in the contour path between junctions
C7 and C8. Both of these approaches will require carrying water. It is
also possible to start from the top of Organ Pipes Pass and to traverse
in from the south. This involves crossing many gullies and takes longer
than it may appear on the map. At least this approach means that you
don't have to carry water up from below and you don't have to ab back
down the route. Whichever approach you use ends up near the base of the
huge rock wall to the left (east) of the massive cleft that splits the
upper half of the peak. Walk to the right and scramble up a couple of
short grassy gullies to reach a large nose of rock some 100m left of a
point directly below the start of the cleft.
Climb up on broken rock and grass on the right of the nose (it may
actually be easier on the left!). This involves about 60m of exposed,
unpleasant scrambling which leads to the options of a horrible gully on
the left or a more pleasant chimney on the right. From the top of the
gully or chimney, walk across a good grass ledge leading to the right.
There is a small bivvy cave midway along this ledge, but it would be
difficult to reach this with full packs. Follow the ledge further to
the right and around into the cleft. (The original ascent climbed a
grass gully further right and traversed left to the cleft. This is not
recommended.)
The cleft itself is then climbed. This simply involves a series of
chimneys, separated by scrambles. The first two chimneys may be
bypassed by a difficult, exposed 80m scramble, starting up a slab on
the left, if so desired. Continue up the cleft climbing chimneys where
necessary. The final chimney is short and overhanging with two good
cracks. It is at least F3 but may be bypassed by making a few moves out
of the main cleft on the right wall and then around and up an easy
gully, parallel to the main cleft, to reach the top.
Notes: This is a fairly strenuous climb but is spoiled by the long
and difficult approaches. The route is also long - do not underestimate
the time that will be required. Several parties have been forced to
make unplanned bivvies on the route. Dislodging rocks could prove a
hazard to those below. The climb may be much more difficult if it is
wet during the summer or icy during the winter. Autumn and spring are
probably the best times to try this route. If you did not start from
the top of Organ Pipes pass, then it will probably be necessary to ab
back down the route. Scramble down the last pitch and from below the
final chimney, 3 full 50m abs and 3 more 40m abs with some scrambling
inbetween will get back to the grass ledge with the bivvy hole. Two
more abs will reach the base of the route. Bring plenty of ab cord.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1946, pg 35.
CASTLE BUTTRESS: South East Side (F)
(Map #2 : AI:52 : 3046m)
Opening Party: Bob Davies, June Slinger, Dennis Mitchell and Dennys Williamson.
Date: October 1952.
Walk up (or down) Camel Pass / Windy Gap Pass until the path crosses
the gully that runs up to the escarpment wall immediately south of the
Buttress. Walk up this gully for about 100m. From this point a gully or
crack, including several chimneys of F standard, is followed almost to
the top. One deviation is made to the right on to an easy face about
two thirds of the way up. The final chimney is avoided by traversing
left on a grass ledge and ascending an easy gully. The route is about
200m in length and is easily accessible from the fire look-out hut on
Organ Pipes Pass. The route is likely to be difficult when wet or icy.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1952, pg 40.
Note: Roy Gooden, Mervyn Gans and Gordon Bulter opened a frontal
route of about F2 grade in about 1977. They've forgotten where it went!
ORGAN PIPES
Opening Party: Various.
All the Organ Pipes have been climbed but none have been documented.
Most of the routes are fairly obvious, starting from the gully behind.
Those at the southern end are scrambles but the difficulty increases as
one moves north. The last Pipe, Isithupha, resisted all attempts for
many years.
ISITHUPHA (F3/M1)
(Map #2 : AJ:53)
Opening Party: Brian Shuttleworth and Charl Brummer.
Date: 1981.
Isithupha, Zulu for 'thumb', is the last and lowest of the Organ
Pipes. It is about 90m high and is situated directly behind the usual
lunch spot where the stream crosses Organ Pipes Pass.
- 20m F3/M1. Start the route on the east side of the pinnacle and
climb 10m up to the overhanging bulge. One point of aid is used to
reach the top of the bulge. Climb slightly diagonally left for 10m and
belay on top of a block where a fixed peg is found.
- 20m F3/M1. Start from the block and end up on the south side of the
pinnacle where one point of aid is used on the last three metres.
Note: The aid points are required more because of the loose rock than because of the difficulty of the moves.
Ref: MCSA Journal 1985, pg 98.