Mlambonja Pass - Organ Pipes Pass link-up & escarpment traverse

Hi all, just registered and realy happy to find this site!

We are planing a trip in September. Going up Mlambonja and down Organ Pipes, I have never been up Mlambonja but have been up Organs and down it on a day trip.

Just wanted to run the idea past to see how viable 4 days are for the trip. I believe Mlambonja is a hard slog and we may need to overnight at Twins Cave and summit the next day. Then hike on to Cleft and spend a night or 2 before coming down Organs via the

normal

route to Mikes pass.

(By the way is there space to pitch a tent or two at Twins?)

I am realy glad to have found this site that has dedicated and up to date info. Well done!!

Whats the chances for a section on Gear and Kit, to hear what others use and what to lose?!

Cheers

Thanks for the info.

So far it will be only 3 ppl but we my be 5 or 6 that end up going.

I'm a little bit worried about the security issue and we have never slept up top in this area. We camped around the tugela about a month ago and things where fine. But you can't help but think about it at night.
So I hope that if we are 3 ppl it will be ok.

My other question would be navigation, I don't own a GPS, I only have a map and compas and will rely on others accounts of the area (like the info you kindly provided ). I figure that if we stay close to the escarpment and can see visual features like the peaks, we should manage fine. If mist comes up it could be tricky. I have done a lot of reasearch about the area, but once your up there things may not look the same as in pictures.

Thanks for all the advice!

Hey Bergbees

Any particular reason why you want to go up Mlambonja and down Organ Pipes, instead of the other way around? My first hike at Cathedral we planned the same route as you are now, but a parks board chap at the hotel told us we were nuts. (very possibly he noticed the large bellies in our group and decided to save us some pain).

Like domsmooth said, Mlambonja is a slog. It’s hell on the knees coming down, but every time I’ve descending it I’ve been grateful that I’m not going UP it. That day along the top is also best done from the Organ Pipes side – you start with a steep lung-breaking climb up Cleft Peak, and from there it’s a gentle trundle downhill virtually for the rest of the day. Whereas if you do it from the Mlambonja side, you climb virtually all day until Cleft’s summit. Not sure I would want to do that the day after climbing Mlambonja.

What we ended up doing and have done every time since, is parking at the hotel, ascending the Camel route to the top, following the escarpment, and descending Mlambonja Pass back to the hotel. Day 1 we usually start hiking at about 3pm to camp at the top of Ribbon Falls, taking either the Mushroom Rock route and passing the Tarn, or else going the Ribbon Falls route. If you are not carrying tents you could overnight in Ribbon Falls cave but I’m not sure what condition it’s in. Day 2 is up the Camel via Windy Gap, overnighting around the corner between Castle Buttress and Cleft Peak. Also lots of cave options as mentioned by intrepid. Day 3 is the big pull up Cleft Peak, then down past Cockade and Elephant (lunch atop the Cockade is great if you’re feeling energetic – so I’ve heard - and that cutback between C and E is magic) and overnighting in the Kwakatsi valley just below the start of Mlambonja Pass. Most folk overnight at Twins though. Day 4 is the ballbreaker down Mlambonja to the hotel.

We’ve never had any security issues. I’ve seen one or two Basothos every time on the Camel Route, but not along the top or in the upper Kwakatsi valley. Usual precautions advisable though.

Navigating along the top in good weather is pretty easy, just following the escarpment. However if its misty you could battle. Especially critical will be finding the top of Mlambonja Pass in mist. The pass itself is marked by a big cairn on the ridge, but if its misty you will have to be up on the ridge of the Mlambonja Buttress following the edge of the escarpment to find it.

Whichever option you choose, it’s a great hike, my alltime favourite. The scenery is mindblowing. Just remember to take extra camera batteries (speaking from bitter experience TWICE, how dof is that).

Two main reasons are...
1) I have been to Organs so I figure that if it is misty we my have a better chance in finding it than Mlambonja. 2) I battle with my knees on steep downs, not that it will stop me realy, I just take it slower!

So, no, other than that there is no real reason why we could not go O -> M. We probably are a bit nuts...Even old RO Pears recons Mlambonja is a bit of a slog!

Your route sounds great, we will have tents so we can camp above Rainbow Falls and we woun't rely on caves, and we haven't used the Camel route yet so it could be nice. Thanks for the suggestion!
For peace of mind I will see if i can borrow a GPS from a mate.

Cameras! Last time we went up I forgot to take an extra MemStick for camera, I only had 3 shots left and I could not delete any more! To top it of my friends camera decided to break as we got to the top of Mikes Pass, it was useless for the rest of the trip, so we have learnt our lesson with camera's!

You are absolutely right, Organs is far less of a mission to find in mist. I've been up on the Kwakatsi side before in thick mist and if we hadn't done Mlambonja about 3 months before, we would never have found the pass. GPS is a great idea, co-ords at www.geocities.com/supertraverse/.

Big plus about Camel is that its the shortest route to the hotel from the summit. Also, higher up you can get some great pics looking down on Camel, and also of mates climbing up Windy Gap. Its got one or two parts where the path washed away years back, and you have to trust the grip on your boots when wet. But otherwise its a good route. I also have a dodgy knee and i managed fine with a walking stick back in January.

hey, if you guys are all reasonably fit, there should be no probs doing M to OP. Coming down OP should be a bit easier on the knees too. Whatever you do you'll have a blast. have a great trip!

that is a VERY cool cross-section. funny i'd forgotten how big the climb up the Elephant is. Time heals all wounds I guess.

BTW really enjoy the site, Intrepid. I check it every week or so but only log in if i'm posting. keep it up chaps.