The toughest pass in the Berg

Ratings and assessments of Berg passes will never be easy to agree on because they are best understood within a matrix of various factors, and because we as humans will always be subject to the limitations of our own perceptions and experiences. I also find that my assessment and even memories of the passes changes over time and as I do more of them. Perceptions will also be shaped by experience in other mountains and how they compare to the Berg. The bundu-bashing I've done in Canada in the last while (bush-whacking as it is called here) has left me feeling very different about what I've done in the Berg so far - I don't think Ill be complaining about the bushes in the Berg too quickly again. And while Berg rock is certainly quite loose and brittle, and should be respected, it actually isn't too bad either. What I've experienced here on Alpine climbs and scrambles I think has been worse - you definitely want to put on a helmet here. It is very easy to lose rocks onto your buddies, I've taken more than one minor hit in the last few weeks. Also what we commonly call "scree" in the Berg is referred to as "talus" here. Scree here is much finer - dirt and small pebbles kind of thing, whereas talus is more coarse, anything from small rocks to large boulders. Talus can be fairly secure, or it can be treacherous to walk over, it just depends. Scree is incredibly loose, the kind of stuff you can even foot-ski on sometimes, but often it has to be very carefully negotiated as it can be extremely treacherous. I don't recall that the Berg has much in the way of scree in that definition of the word, seems to mostly have talus. It will be interesting for me to return to the Berg to confirm or contradict my own current perceptions.

I propose that at some point we attempt to tackle the question of how to describe and rate Berg passes since it comes up periodically. No doubt this will open up a good can of worms, and its a longer-term project for sure. Ideally we need to establish the "multi-dimensional" matrix within which the assessment can be made, as I think one single description or rating will simply not cut it. This can be even be coupled with a voting system whereby members can give various aspects their own rating. It may not necessarily give us a clear answer about which pass is THE toughest at the end of the day, if that even really matters, but it will be handy reference and resource for trip-planning and will help people choose the pass which is right for them according to their owns tastes and capabilities.

AndrewP wrote: Well, I have now done Inner Tower gully. It takes first place as hardest technical pass I have done

From which side Andrew?

**Edit - never mind I've just seen the write-up.