Injisuthi Pass

My intention is to hike up Injisuthi Pass and down Leslies pass - anybody done Injishuthi Pass recently? My idea is to see if there will be any vacancies at Lower Injisuthi Cave for the first night, 2nd night either on top of the escarpment or below the pass (which will require a third night in the tents at Leslies pass top) and then back down.

Oh, yes, this will be from the 19th to the 22nd - there is two places left in my car for anybody wanting to trot along (I leave from Jozi early the Monday), however I will be returning via Sani Pass and Lesotho so you need a passport. Some members of our party will camp for the few days at Injisuthi and not participate in the hike.

Klipsringer

Klipspringer wrote: My intention is to hike up Injisuthi Pass and down Leslies pass - anybody done Injishuthi Pass recently? My idea is to see if there will be any vacancies at Lower Injisuthi Cave for the first night,

Klipsringer

Hi Klipspringer -
I have been up Injisuthi Pass, but not recently so can't comment on any specifics relating to conditions in the pass. Surprised, though, that you are planning on LIC on the first night. Better, I'd say, to camp close to the bottom of the pass, or at the bottom of Leslies. Injisuthi pass is quite slow going and the haul over to the pass from LIC (which I have also done) takes time.

Hello mnt_tiska

We will be arriving in the afternoon only, therefore the early stop-over.

All I've seen from Injisuthi pass was looking down at the exit chimney from above. Am I right to assume that is a fairly incident free part of the berg as far as safety and security is concerned. I am taking one or two novices along, they've only done Cathedral and Bell Traverse (one trip, not their only berg trip but their only trip ever before) this winter - will I require rope and belay kit or is it a simple scramble? Is it feasible to plan on reaching the escarpment via Injisuthi pass from LIC in one day? or is it better to push as far as possible and ignore LIC on the first day?

Regards

@Klipspringer - if you want an earlier stop-over, I think Marble Baths cave (or its annexe) would be the ideal spot. It's about the same distance from Injasuti Camp as to LIC (7/8km) and would mean a much shorter walk-in to the base of Injasuti Pass the next morning (3/4km boulder-hop unless you find the path).

I have not done Injasuti Pass myself but the following link has a good description by intrepid. Seems pretty technical to me... take care.

www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/11-drakensberg-passes/212-qrockq-passes-vs-rock-passes.html#214

Klipspringer wrote: I am taking one or two novices along, they've only done Cathedral and Bell Traverse (one trip, not their only berg trip but their only trip ever before) this winter - will I require rope and belay kit or is it a simple scramble? Is it feasible to plan on reaching the escarpment via Injisuthi pass from LIC in one day? or is it better to push as far as possible and ignore LIC on the first day?

Regards

I think Injisuthi pass will be quite hard for them, especially if they have not done much climbing. There are two issues: a) the approach to the pass is on steep grassy slopes a lot of the time and there is no path. I recall this bit being hard-going but not technically difficult b) there is a section of the pass which does involve a short pitch of climbing if you stay in the gully. We worked around to the right and then traversed in. There was one difficult move with a drop of many meters - possibly up to 25m. We belayed this stretch and I was quite pleased to have the rope (a short 25m will probably do). We didn't place any gear. Thereafter the pass was OK. Provided you get up first, the others will be OK. I seem to remember you cracked Hilton Pass which is similar - perhaps a little harder. Good luck!

One more thing - we started from the bottom of Leslies and reach UIC at 5pm in winter. We were fit and didn't mess about. It was a long day. 5pm is the latest I've reached UIC or any destination on the high berg, including going up Rockeries and other passes in a day from the Mnweni Police post. We topped out Injisuthi pass at about 3:30pm. Start v.early if you are not camping at the bottom of the pass.

Thanks mnt_tiska!

We decided that we dill skip LIC, camp at Leslies Pass bottom and do the slog up to UIC via Injisuthi pass. Were reasonably fit. However, I noted last night at our planning meeting that the novice joined this forum and helped himself to all the co-ordinates (Think this will be my best planned trip ever!) without posting or even introducing himself!

Beuler, you can Lead the section up Injisuthi pass - it just seems fair!

Thanks for the contributions guys, much appreciated! Will report back

Thanks Stijn,

Would you recommend the cave or rather to push to the base of Leslies pass and camp there.

Last time I came down with Leslies, the path was OK (read not entirely 100% bundu-bashing) from Leslies bottom to Marble baths. Would the speed and convenience of sleeping in the cave offset the distance gained by camping at Leslies bottom?

Regards

From what I've heard, the section between the cave and the bottom of the Leslie's Pass ridge can take 2-3 hours if you don't find the path. Since Injasuti Pass is likely to take all day, I'd push to camp at the bottom of the pass on Day 1 rather than using the cave.

Enjoy! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.

Thanks to all those who offered advice an help - we had a good trip and our report can be found under the topic An Epic Injisuthi "Tail" by Beuller (who finally contributed to the forum...)

Yes yes. Blame the new recruit!