Tseketseke Pass

Morning all , looking for some advice. I have a group of teenagers i will be taking to the berg for a 3 day hike. I would like to show them a pass but as a day hike. 
I thought of using Xeni cave as a base for 2 nights and then doing a day hike up and down Tseketseke. I would appreciate comments o the feasibility of this idea. 
My alternative plan was Marble baths cave and a day hike up and down leslies.  

Any advice would be appreciated. 
 

Yoru plan can work but I would rather go up Cockade or Xeni pass from Xeni cave since Tseketseke is quite a way south on the contour path from the Xeni cave valley. Leslie pass can also work but hard work with some bushwacking. Also - add about 1 hour to your drive in to Injasuthi compared to Cathedral.

 thanks appreciate the quick response.
I have done Cockade before and recall looking at xeni thinking that looks pretty dam steep!
I have not used Xeni cave in 15 years, does it need to be booked ?and would it be a terrible idea to stash gear and leave it unattended in the cave all day? or a farily safe option?  
 

If you wanted to go up and down Tseketseke, it would make sense to stay in Tseketseke Hut (gear would probably be fine in there, but you can never be too careful in SA). That would also be easier for the teens if they're inexperienced, as Xeni Cave to the top is quite an altitude gain and Cockade/Xeni are not the easiest passes, though Cockade is very beautiful.

Hi All 
Came down Tseketske pass this last weekend (23/24 Feb '24) and just wanted to warn others that it's pretty intensely overgrown and difficult to follow on the descent.
The pass and path are both easily identifiable from the top and the initial grassy section is manageable (although steep). However, about 1,2 km in from the top (after one crosses a stream with  a small waterfall to your left), things start getting a little hairy. Because the path is so overgrown (and GPS signal patchy in the valley)  we found ourselves getting drawn down erosion routes into some pretty dicey situations.  For the stretch from 1,2km until you get into the river, best advice is just to stick as far left as possible- even if you can't see any path- you might not believe it, but it's there. 
At about 1,9km there's a Cairn in the riverbed, counterintuitively you need to  walk to it, turn right and double back along the bed, cross the river and come down with the Cairn on your left (you'll need to be in the river for this- and hope your Merrel's are as waterproof as they claim). From there on to the bottom, the pass is a pretty brutal river rock scramble- very unforgiving on knees and toes.
We had thought we could make it all the way down in about 2-3 hours, but we ended up taking double that. We had planned to push for Xeni Cave but were thankful to just make it to Tseketseke hut before we lost too much light.  The Hut's not the Ritz, but we were thankful for the shelter from the wind for the night. The pool / falls below makes for grand coffee spot in the morning!

Not sure what the status of the other passes in the area are, but I wouldn't recommend Tseketseke in it's current condition, definitely not for a descent and would hesitate to suggest it on the ascent. 

Hope it's helpful! 

Hi Alistair,

Welcome on VE!

Thanks for the feedback on Tseketseke pass. Note that this is a fairly common occurrence in the berg, especially late summer/early autumn. Lots of rain leads to overgrown paths A technique I often use to find (and stay on ) the path, is to "feel" for a level section underfoot. Even though the upper sections of plant growth covers the path completely, quite often the path on the ground is still fairly clear as the vegetation grows up to find sunlight.

Another technique I also employ is to try and estimate where the path would logically be situated. Coming down Tseke pass, specifically the section you are referring to, you stay mostly on the left (true left) of the gully, and never venture too far from it. So, I would then assume that the ath would stay on this course, and should I veer off this assumed route, I would scout around to see if I went off the path by mistake, or if the path actually changed direction.

You will often find that paths tend to disappear in sections, or you get onto a game path by mistake, or thick mist rolls in, all of which leads to confusion. Don't let this put you off specific passes, that's simply part and parcel of the wilderness experience. Build in enough time/food/reserves/escape routes to cater for these type of eventualities as they happen. The more you hike, the less frequent the occurrences, but they still happen.

Before I started hiking in the berg, I was used to walking on nice paths with signposts, footprint markers etc, and my first few hikes were a bit unsettling, till I got used to hiking in the berg.

Enjoy exploring and bundu-bashing in the berg, it's all part of the experience!

I went up Tseke in November and found the path where it leads off the riverbed quite easily and onto the true left. You stay on that path until nearly the top. It was fine when we did it. Maybe finding the start at the top might be an issue plus the grass might have grown since