Minaret Pass

On saturday, there was a post on minaret pass. Unfortunately my images refused to load and i lost the info i had written as well. So i come this morning to rewrite the info and load the images and the topic has disappeared. Any idea what happened to it?

It was under " December Plans"

Ta. Yes i often do copy, but on this occasion, I did not not. Fortunately, it was not a huge amount of detail. I will go and upload the images and rewrite the info.

Minaret Pass

The pass is best accessed from Lakes Cave as per the Slingsby map route, however the map is a little misleading, and gives the impression that it is an almost straight course from the caves up the pass. This is not the case!

When you top out at the source of the iNhlabeni River (the river that runs past Lakes Cave) you will find yourself looking over a deep chasm of a valley that does not look like it should be there (Image 1a & 1c). This valley drains the slopes of both the Minaret and Amakehla Passes, and it is too deep and too big to try and traverse to the base of Minaret Pass. I have ringed three hikers on image 1a to give an idea of scale.

The only way, is to head northwards up the slopes of Amakehla and when you reach about 2550m start to contour in a westerly/sw direction back toward Minaret Pass, I do recall quite a good path once on the traverse. Once on the traverse, just burn it over a set of double waterfalls (see image 2 with the two hikers ringed) and then on into the base of the pass which is about 2652m. There was a large amount of water in the waterfalls in March.

Once in the pass, it is quickly noted that rock fall might be an issue as the fractured rock in the gully testifies. This was one of the passes that I actually managed to do rather quickly, spurred on in part by the worry about the potential rock fall, real or imagined. There was only one section that gave us some pause. There is a large rock in the middle of the pass that has to be negotiated. Because of an extra few inches, I was able to climb the section with my pack on, however the rest of our crew was not so fortunate, and Brad then hauled their packs up with rope. (see images 3&4) The top is a grass gully. Near the top, look over to your right and there is a nice waterfall coming off the top and running into the right hand gully.

We came off Amakehla Pass and followed the ridge all the way down through a set of beautiful tarns which I have (tongue&cheek)named Karl's Tarns.

Excellent pass write-up ST! And inspiring photos too...

Nice pics! Lol so I'm not the only one who names every unnamed feature in the berg...

Minaret is on my to do list, but far behind passes like Thamathu, Bollard, Wilson, Mzimude, Giants, Judge, Leslie's, Greys, Ships Prow, and the list goes on for another 12 or so passes, so probably after I've done Killi and Everest Base Camp...

Wow! - Have just seen your write up and photographs - fantastic - can't wait to do this - thanks so much ST2.....

Hey, who is that STUD in the blue top and the groovy cap!

Whilst we are yet to finalise our Easter hike- our plan B is to do the tried and tested Cobham shuffle- up Siphongweni- towards the Lakes area. With light day packs- how is Minaret Pass- from Lakes as a base or thereabout.... Compared to say Buttress Pass or Greys pass.... The threads on passes don't seem to have much on this one.... is there a reason I should re-consider this plan? For photos and bagging a pass....