Epic Day Hikes

Stijn, the same thing came to mind when reading the "Up Corner & Down Leslies in 3 days" thread: that must be an interesting challenge for a day hike!

Certainly these extended day hikes is something I'm getting into a little more these days. Not necessarily on the epic scale, but to sometimes do passes without a full pack at the expense of longer distance, is less wear and tear on my body. And you see more. On a recent trip to Garden Castle where we camped at the campsite, a friend and I went up Rhino Pass, climbed the Rhino summit and descended Mashai Pass as a day hike: 24km, 11h50m. This is certainly an enjoyable day loop that need not be too epic. The next day we went up Bollard Pass and down Wilsons Pass: 18km, 12 hours. On average a little more challenging navigation, hence the same time for a shorter distance.

Stijn already mentioned a classic for this kind of thing: Mnweni-Rockeries loop. And to echo ST2, the Giants Castle massif presents great combinations involving Giants Pass, Eastern Gully and Elandshoek Pass. Add the Bannerman-Langalibalele loop.

Cathedral Peak, Giants Castle, Garden Castle and Bushman's Neck all have numerous passes with quick access which makes them good areas for this kind of thing. And the good contour path of the first two areas presents even more possibilities.

The Cowl Pass loop could be a good day hike. Then there is Ships Prow South Fork, climb Champagne Castle and descend via Gray's...ouch!

The Bell Traverse, Cleft Peak, Organ Pipes circuit was done as a day hike already by Angelo de Nicola and Monica Britz in about 13 hours.

I've also heard of a 24 hours Devils Tooth climb done from Joburg.

@Stijn: any more details on the 3 hours Column ascent? Sounds insane...is that even humanly possible?

I did a day hike once using Tarn Cave as a base: up Knuckles Pass North, climbed the middle Knuckle, down the other side of the pass (its one of the few passes with 2 distinct sides), via the Lesotho valleys to Saddle Neck Pass which we descended, then bundu-bashed across to Bushman's Cave at contour path level, then ascended Ngwangwane Pass, on to the base of the Knuckles, then traversing across the base of them ("Knuckles Traverse Pass" - much longer than it looks!), back to Sehlabathebe side and back to the cave. It was 31.6km. We were actually aiming to ascend Isicatula Pass, climb Walker's Peak and descend Walker's Pass to get back to Bushman's Cave (instead of Saddle Neck), but we thankfully realised we would have run horribly out of time.

The great Central Range of Lesotho also presents good, long, day traverses. The best one is the hike between Bokong and Ts'ehlanyane, descending Holomo Pass at the end (35km total).

Certainly this kind of hiking has it's place for those that enjoy it. It is a different kind of enjoyment and satisfaction.