Marble Baths Caves

Hello everyone

I have been to marble baths in Injisuthi before, but only been to what I presume is the main marble baths cave.

I have heard of a Marble Baths annex cave, as well that there is more than one marble baths cave. Slingsby also shows junction cave close by.

Are there 3 different caves or are they all the same cave? How do you get to the other caves if more exist?

This link



shows a picture of what I presume is the main marble baths cave on the right. Is the left hand thing partly hidden by trees a cave and is that the annex or junction cave? If it is the annex where is junction cave?

Thanks
John Mark

Junction cave is, from memory of when we stayed there ages back, pretty much in the flood plain rather than in the sandstone outcrop (like Marbe Baths). Junction Cave dropped off the list of bookable caves some years ago - possibly at the same time as Fergy's Cave also dropped off.

I also understood the one on the right to be the main one. But the cave on the left (the "annex") is far superior, was definitely more comfortable and better space and took more people

If I recall the "main cave" had only one decent level sleeping area on a shelf to the right, with very uneven floor in the rest of the cave.

The original route to Marble Baths actually followed the river which comes down from between the Old Woman and the Ape and then turned up the Buttress Fork with boulder hopping all the way to Marble Baths. At the Junction it passed right in front of Junction Cave, which in those days was quite comfortable with a capacity of up to 10. It was either the Demoina floods or an earlier flood in the 1980's which totally destroyed the cave. A few years later some hikers restored Junction Cave, but it is now much smaller and less frequented due to the new path to Marble Baths. Obviously, because of the danger, it is no longer bookable. Fergy's Cave dropped off the list later when it was reserved for school and, I think, scout groups, with mattresses even being stored in the cave. It then went into disuse after the cave roof collapsed.

Wow! mnt_tiska and intrepid you guys sure did reply quickly!

Kliktrak, you are dead right about the 'main marble baths cave' not being that great for overnighting.How many can the marble baths annexe sleep?

Sterkhorn, you answered the question I was just about to ask.

Thank you guys.

Do any of you know if that original path to marble baths that Sterkhorn talked about still exists or is it totally overgrown by now? The path I am talking about actuall goes on the north bank of the river which comes down from between the Old Woman and the Ape. It is clearly shown on Slingsby's maps.

If not then would the the best way to visit junction cave be to follow the river downstream from marble baths? From the map it looks like a good half a km of bundabashing/boulderhopping.

The path used to run quite close to the river and has probably been largely washed away as the river course was considerably widened during the floods. On a recent trip on the new route I tried to find some remnants of the old path near the junction with the Injisuthi, but could see nothing. I am not sure if more success would be experienced below Junction Cave. The best means of visiting Junction Cave would definitely be boulder-hopping from Marble Baths as you describe. My most recent pass by the cave was a few years ago from Grindstone Caves side, which is another, rather longer way of visiting the cave.

On my recent winter hike, I attempted to follow the old path along the river - it leaves the current Marble Baths path about halfway up the steep climb towards the rocky band, just after the single switchback. This is about 1km after crossing the Injauti River and heading up the Ape's Pass river instead.

It is very overgrown, but still follow-able in most places if you take your time. Certainly a better option than smashing through the bush on either side of the old path! It gradually descends to the Ape's Pass river and then heads up this boulder bed on the true right until you get to Junction Cave. This 1km stretch took me about 30mins of path-finding and bundu-bashing, so the approach from Marble Baths is probably much faster.

Stijn and Sterkhorn - what was Junction Cave looking like when you passed by?

As an aside, last time a stayed in the cave there was a dead baboon about 15m downstream of the entrance. Like most I've seen lots of baboons in the berg but only one dead one. It didn't half stink. Luckily the downvalley wind started blowing an hour or so after sunset and we survived the night.

Well-sheltered space for about 6-8 people I would say. Lots of fire ash around though and very exposed to potential flash-floods.