Bushmans Cave To Tarn Cave

03 Jan 2025 14:04 #79409 by Bear
Please could anyone with information on the route conditions from Bushmans Cave to Tarn Cave help. I've done the Bushmans cave Hike a couple of times as it gives my less experienced friends I'm introducing to the berg the opportunity to get to the escarpment relatively easily on day 2 with an early morning walk up over the top. I'd like to extend the hike to 2 nights however and go across the escarpment and down to Tarn Cave for the second night. Alternatively we could come across to Lammegeier Cave for night 2  but I don't recall much in the way of water / pools for swimming at Lammegeir when last there. 

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks - Craig

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04 Jan 2025 17:52 #79412 by Smurfatefrog
This is quite easily doable via the paths in front of Goats cave (or can go via escarpment) and Knuckles Traverse pass, then through Sehlabathebe.
I just did thus route yesterday, between Tarn and Thomathu cave

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06 Jan 2025 20:53 - 06 Jan 2025 20:59 #79419 by supertramp
Hi,

My wife and I ascended Ngwangwane Pass via Halfway and Bushman's Cave over the last weekend. We also did the Knuckles Traverse pass to Tarn Cave section at the end of December. 

This was our 1st time doing Ngwangwane Pass and therefore do not have any previous reference in relation to the condition of the path. Generally the path between Bushman's Neck and Bushman's Cave along the Boesmansrivier was in an OK condition. There are a few sections, especially for a few kms after Halfway Cave, that was hard to follow and a bit tough underfoot, but not much of a concern bundu-bashing or navigation wise. The path from Bushman's Cave to the escarpment continues until about 2400m (just before the contour path that runs north to Ngwangwe and Saddle Pass) before it fizzles it, but by then you just take a B-line for the last 140m ASL to the escarpment. 

We found Knuckles Traverse pass path to be quite a bit harder to follow now than what we did during our previous visit in December of 2022. This was especially true for the 2nd half (moving north to south towards Sehlatabathebe). Keep a clear lookout for the path, it does have a knack of just disappearing on you, but is picked up again easily enough. The views of the Knuckles looking up makes it all worthwhile 

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 After completing Knuckles Traverse Pass, it is plain sailing to Tarn Cave 

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Please let me know if you are in need of any tracks or photos. Enjoy your hike
Last edit: 06 Jan 2025 20:59 by supertramp.

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10 Jan 2025 15:01 #79436 by supertramp
Some images:

Looking down Ngwangwane Pass towards Bushman's Cave
 
Contour path section to the North
 
View from Ngwangwane Summit towards Devil's Knuckles / Thamathu Pass (note the 2 alternatives as per Smurfatefrog's post)
 
Basecamp View showing the 2 alternatives
 
Strong path at start of Knuckles Traverse
 
View looking back
 
Not all contour path
 
Approaching Knuckles Traverse end looking back
 
Final valley before end
 

 

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The following user(s) said Thank You: Serious tribe, firephish, hikingle, tonymarshall, Smithers_23, Carl Gebhard

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20 Jan 2025 15:45 #79447 by Carl Gebhard
@Supertramp
So lovely and green.
We were there July end, very different. Obvious, yes - but still striking.
Land looks almost edible

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