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I swore I would never use rathole cave again, but .... I do get claustrophobic, so I slept as close to the entry as I could. Spiders were everywhere, and I am very respectful of wildlife, and expect the same from them! I especially like spiders, they eat mozzies, and anything that eats mozzies is my friend! The spiders though feed on each other. A big one was scurrying on the roof, above my head, and each small spider would drop down a thread of silk to avoid him, drop close to my head that is. After watching this dance for 15 minutes, I decided I wasn't on the menu, and went to sleep. They did leave me alone.

But rathole is my least favorite cave, I would only use it again in an emergency.

Can't we get the Zulu gods to enlarge the thing?

It certainly is a fascinating cave...what intrigues me is how the thing was created in the first place.

I once slept there with 2 others...I slept right at the back with my head furthest in. My friend slept next to me with his head towards the entrance. The other friend slept in the narrow middle section and we left packs and wet equipment (it was raining) at the front. It worked but I did wake up in the middle of the night and almost got claustrophobic (and I dont normally get that either). For the guy at the back to get out, everyone else has to get out too!

But it is certainly a snug cave, very warm and well protected. On my last visit there in April 2007 I noticed that the cut grass at the back had been burned...possibly a knocked over candle!

You may have noticed the cave directly across, which you see if you look out the entrance. We refer to this one as "Skylight Cave" because it has a gap in the roof at the back, in addition to a side window and a large entrance. Sleeps about 3 people but is rather exposed and not good shelter, in addition to it being wet in the summer.

Fangs Cave, pretty close to Rat Hole, is a gem on the other hand, very well sheltered, spacious and pretty comfortable. Much harder to find though. If I'm staying over in the area Fangs Cave is my first choice.

Fangs is a great cave. I stashed my non-overnight gear (as in the silly rocks I collected and all my exposed film) in a rock (marked it on my GPS) and went down the gully. I have the top of that gully marked on my GPS.

While I was there the most amazing scene transpired - the mist was all through the jagged rocks (the worshippers? the fangs?) below and the sun was shining through. I think it was late afternoon. Sadly, I was out of film.

Strangely I have never seen skylight cave. I have small 1 person overhang marked on my GPS, but I still pitched the tent, so it gave little shelter. Seems there are always new things to discover. Good thing, too, else I'd be bored.

anybody got any pics of Fangs Cave?

Solid cave it is. The sleeping areas are all around the boulders and packs in the centre.
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looks pretty decent.

I keep hearing it is a real mission to find though. And whats the sleeping capacity?