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Thanks Chris

You can also add links in for
Saddle Neck pass www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/11-drakensberg-passes/55586-saddle-neck-pass-bushmans-nek.html
Elandshoek www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/11-drakensberg-passes/55164-elandshoek-pass.html
Rhino www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/11-drakensberg-passes/55202-rhino-pass.html

List has been updated. I might try and improve on the layout after the site upgrade. A similar list of caves would also be nice. Both lists take quite a bit of time to set up and maintain, so we will see how it goes.

intrepid wrote: I'll add these and see what else can be done to improve this list - provided we can keep outdated website software, cable cars and pine trees at bay.

Roughly what I was thinking when I posted - as if you need additional work put on your plate. I don't think there's any kind of a rush for this to be done, just one for the future...

I'll add these and see what else can be done to improve this list - provided we can keep outdated website software, cable cars and pine trees at bay.

Just looking over the list - the following passes are missing:
- Gypaetus
- Bond
- The 2 middle Knuckles Passes (i.e. there is one north of the north Knuckle, one between each of the Knuckles and one south of the South Knuckle, 4 in total).

Also, isn't there an alternative Cockade Pass gully? Mzimude Pass can arguably be split into 4 passes, 3 south gullies and the north pass (although this raises the highly subjective question of when an alternative pass top constitutes a different pass).

Ghaz it seems your enthusiasm is not shared by all!

BobbyStanton wrote: I think you should concentrate on getting a comprehensive list of passes together before asking this question. I don't see Elandshoek, Masubasuba, Amakhela or Minaret, and I haven't given it much thought yet. Are you just not adding these because you have heard they have been done?

If you have a look at the attachment sheet 1 you'll see a list of 114 passes. If any are missing please let me know. It's full of funny passes like Uklebe etc.

The list posted was purely a list of passes that I am not 100% sure of VE members having not done - e.g. I knew you had done Elandshoek, so I excluded it. I know Hobbit has done Masubabsuba, I believe ST and Stijn have both done Amakhela and Minaret etc.

I think you should concentrate on getting a comprehensive list of passes together before asking this question. I don't see Elandshoek, Masubasuba, Amakhela or Minaret, and I haven't given it much thought yet. Are you just not adding these because you have heard they have been done? I have done Redi, Elandshoek, Ntubeni, Mkhomazi, Masubasuba, Pitsaneng South, Stones South and Verkyker, and Dagga Nek, the most northern pass in the Berg, as well as many others not listed.

Stijn wrote: And what is Tarn Cave Pass? If it's the path up to Tarn Cave, then we did that on the same trip.

That's the one.

Stijn wrote: And my wife along with a UCT MSC group came down Nhlangeni Pass in 2005. Don't think any of them are members of this site though, if you're being particular about that point.

That is a pass I really need to set out and do - looks awesome (see www.berg.co.za/images/Passes/Nhlangeni%20Pass02.jpg). The reason why its specifically people on this site that I am looking at is that I'm sure every pass on the list has been done by somebody at some time.

Stijn wrote: Hoping to tick off Nguza and Pins later this month, which will put me at having done all marked passes from Chain Ladder down to Gray's Pass. Ship's Prow North Fork is the next one I still have to do. Then it gets tricky with Injisuthi and Hilton! I suspect Intrepid's (and others) ticked continuous marked pass list extends a lot further South than that...

Nice! I just need Corner Pass to tick off all the marked passes at Giant's - exactly the same problem with extending north from there! I'm up to 8 passes at Giant's, just need 2 more Jarding's, Thumb and Corner to complete the current VE list there - then I have 6 other possible new passes to check out in the area.

Interesting that only 5 passes out of 52 north of Giant's are currently not marked off, yet of the 63 south of there there is quite a substantial list.

I've done Knuckles Pass South with Andrew (the one which summits just South of the Southern-most Knuckle). And what is Tarn Cave Pass? If it's the path up to Tarn Cave, then we did that on the same trip.

And my wife along with a UCT MSC group came down Nhlangeni Pass in 2005. Don't think any of them are members of this site though, if you're being particular about that point.

Hoping to tick off Nguza and Pins later this month, which will put me at having done all marked passes from Chain Ladder down to Gray's Pass. Ship's Prow North Fork is the next one I still have to do. Then it gets tricky with Injisuthi and Hilton! I suspect Intrepid's (and others) ticked continuous marked pass list extends a lot further South than that...

I've done Mkhomazi Pass several times, it used to be the MBC GT qualifier hike and standard route to summit Thabana Ntlenyana.

I haven't done Redi Pass myself, but know a lot of people who have, among them John (Pickup) and Christine.

I'm wondering if between the 1200+ VE members there is a pass that no one on this site has done. My pass list shows 114 passes between Namahadi and Bushman's Nek (yes I know I am missing some Free State and Eastern Cape passes).

I have eliminated the ones that I know certain VE members have done - e.g. TonyMarshal and Intrepid have done all the Mnweni Passes, I know Stijn has done Xeni, there is a writeup on the site about Hilton Pass etc. Most of what is left is stuff at Vergelegen and south from there - not implying that no one here has done them, just that I am not sure.

I think it would be interesting to find if there is a pass that no one on the site has done, so here is a list of candidates - if you have done one (or many) of them, reply with the ones you have done. My predictions for likely candidates would be Inner Tower Gully, Uklebe Pass and Dyke's Pass...

Inner Tower Gully
Ape's Pass
Jarateng Pass North
Jarateng Pass South
Giant's Castle Eastern Gully
Lotheni Pass North Fork
Lotheni Pass South Fork (main access)
Ntubeni Pass
Uklebe Pass
Redi Pass
Mlahlangubo Pass (Hlatimba Valley)
Mlahlangubo Pass (gully)
Ngaqamadolo Pass North
Ngaqamadolo Pass South
Dyke Pass
Mkhomazi Pass
Mohlesi Pass
Nhlangeni Pass
Twin Peak Pass
Mangaun Pass
Ntshintshini Pass
Mqatesheni Pass
Phinong Pass
Pitsaneng Pass North
Pitsaneng Pass South
Stones Pass North
Stones Pass South
Sandleni Pass
Mzimkhulu Pass Central
Verkyker Pass
Mzimude Pass (North Fissure Pass)
Walker's Pass
Saddle Nek Pass
Lammergeier Pass
Knuckles Traverse Pass
Knuckles Pass North
Knuckles Pass Upper Middle
Knuckles Pass Lower Middle
Knuckles Pass South
Tarn Cave Pass
Jonathan's Gate Pass

Ps. my pass list is attached - and Jonathan's Gate was a name referred to by Dave Gay, it was not named by me

Ok - so the list seems to be very out of date again! Hlubi Pass needs to be split into north and south and Gypaetus Pass needs to be added...

I think its pretty cool that this list keeps getting longer, says something about the ruggedness of the Berg

Just for reference purposes:

North Hlubi's summit gully from Thumb Spur looks like this:


The pass then takes a sharp turn around a corner, this is from about 30m down the pass looking back at the top (the summit gully is off to the left):

Right, I have added Hlubi to the list. I see it's time for a routine update to this list since more links and pics can be added. At some point I will expand this table with more detail and links too.

As for Rhino Pass, it is in a gully and bit scrambly here and there but straightforward. We did it with some ice build up even. I agree that in the thick of winter, and after a flood, it would be more of a challenge.

Thanks, thats one old question you are responding to!

I have heard that Rhino Pass is not to difficult to do, but two points to note on the pass:
1) there was a major storm in the Garden Castle area in Jan/Feb of 2011 and washed the steam clear. It is now just a boulder bed. Any paths close to the stream would have been washed away. This is very noticeable if you look left from Rhino Peak. So just watch the stability of the rocks especially as you get up higher and you have people behind you.
2)In winter especially after snow there is a big ice band at the top of the pass going down (Not sure how far down) you would need some appropriate gear to get up that.

Hope that helps a little bit.

Regards
Selous

The list should be updated to include Hlubi Pass...

Right, the list of passes has been updated, added to and polished up a bit. One major improvement you will notice is that the names of the passes, where applicable, are now links to more info, typically a write-up on the blogs or a detailed forum discussion. So that this page is easier to find, a link to it has been added as a menu item at the bottom of each page on this site. Be sure to check out the associated GPS data too, as several passes have been added.

Redi has a short, scrambly bit where you may want some rope to haul your packs up. Apparently not that bad. Rest is steep grass. Lotheni North Fork (the one indicated on the map) does have a nasty waterfall section. Lotheni South Fork (which should have been indicated on the map) is straightforward, just steep grass slopes. Rhino Pass apparently just a little scrambly - will confirm in a week

There are some passes I have seen which look interesting, but the description as "rock" has put me off them in the pass, has anyone done Redi, Lotheni or Rhino pass and if so, what are these passes like, are ropes required, are there any waterfalls to climb?

A grade D is part of a purely technical grading system indicating how difficult the actual moves on the rock are. It gives no indication of exposure, rock condition etc. C+ to D in the Berg is normally where you have to start roping up and use climbing gear, but not as a hard and fast rule. Cathedral Peak is C (without the ladder maybe a C+ or slightly harder). The first pitch on the standard route on the Sentinel, which you can see from the trail, is a D. This is an older grading system which is still used in the Berg. D in the new system is grade 8-9. See tables at the bottom of these pages:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_%28climbing%29
peakhigh.co.za/climbing/rock-grade-comaprison/

The "D" on Injasuthi Pass is straightforward and has no scary exposure, but this kind of thing is very subjective and depends on the person. If you fell you would injure yourself however.

That D -grade climb on Injasuthi looks quite managable, though I'm not a climber

Sorry for asking such a "noob" question , but how does climbing gradings 'work'? How tough is D- grade exactly? Or is it also a 'relative' rating, since you did it with packs?

thanx

J

The only 2 websites on the net that I have found to be useful for the Berg are this one and www.berg.co.za, the latter has gradings and conditions of paths, also lots of pics of most passes (including Rhino pass, Mzimude pass, and pretty much every pass I have ever considered using other than Judge pass) and garmin tracks for some of the passes as well as the gps coordinates of most of the tops of passes and caves. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakensberg_hiking also has some useful gps coordinates (passes, peaks etc).

All in good time! There is a corresponding page with GPS waypoints and elevation. There is a lot more I'd love to put into this, but I have to be careful of spending more time working on this site than I do in the mountains (oh..and I nearly forgot my day job) . The next step is to make the pass name a link to Stijn's pass write-ups.

I purposefully have not attempted my own rating system yet. This can be very subjective, takes time, and has to be done with care since others make decisions based on it. Very roughly though, "trail" mostly indicates easy to moderate, "no trail" is easy to difficult, and "rock" is difficult to technical. Howz that?

Anyone that wants to contribute or add their own page, please go for it! Serious tribe has just sent me some pics of passes to add - thanks for that!

And then I'd love to do something similar for caves, and extend what I've started on peaks... let me get back to my own work though!

Nice summary, would be handy to have other info like gps co-ordinates, elevation, nearest access point (car)and maybe some indicator of difficulty, perhaps a rating system, ooh ooh and a comments section under each pass which will have recent info about path condition, water availability, Basutho sitings from other memebers etc etc. Ok, ok, maybe I'm getting carried away