Solo hiking in the Berg

Is there still a problem only registering for one person?
I read this on another forum topic. The person had to register for two.

Hey Stijn,

Good on you Man to go it solo in the Berg (finally, I may add !!). Great route.

On the Cent. Hut to LIC part :
On climbing to the Contour path and heading right, you go tho one ‘bowl’. On the ridge at start of the next ‘bowl’ I could not find the vague path as indicated by the map that heads down the spine for a few kms to LIC(but as you well know I have missed clear ones in the past !). At this point the contour path looks to continue into the next ‘bowl’ (not on map, or maybe I have an outdated map). Now, I didn’t appreciate the path heading in the opposite direction to where I know LIC lies, so I headed straight down to the eNjesuthi riverbed (picked up a clear path for about 10mtrs in middle of a thicket, weird ! .. maybe an animal path).
Head down following riverbed, should be no prob now with low level. At a point the valley narrows to a few meters, a dry rocky step or two on right hand side or try the unintentional slide into a thigh high pool and wade thro which I did.
Lovely pools at end of valley with LIC on left hand side.

Enjoy !

brio wrote: Is there still a problem only registering for one person?
I read this on another forum topic. The person had to register for two.

There was a problem for me at Cathedral Peak - a permit could not be issued to one person, so I bought two and the problem went away.
Injisuthi is a lot more relaxed in my experience than the Cthedral Peak area - this for several reasons. First, there are many admin offices at CP, second, hikers have died in the CP region recently and some (one) have (has) been lone.

I think I would still buy two permits in Injisuthi so that the issue just doesn't present itself.

I have only hiked a few times in the Berg on my own. My memories of these times are that one realises how disconnected from the mountains and the environment one can become in a group of hikers. Interestingly I have found it much harder to keep track of time when walking on my own. I also have to stave off some inherent need/desire to push myself for no good reason when alone. I wonder if others have found that to be the case as well?

I recently did a solo hike in the Injesuthi area. Arrived before the office opened, filled in the register for one person and set off on the hike. Paid for one person when I returned. No questions.

Thanks again for all the excellent pointers guys!

@Magan: Yeah, I've seen that continuation of the contour path on GE and also can't find the faint track as marked on the maps. I've always enjoyed making my own way in the Little Berg though so will definitely take a similar approach to yours.

And I like Sterkhorn's approach to avoiding any questions of whether solo hiking is allowed... as long as you don't get asked for a permit while in the mountains. It's happened to me before in Giant's Castle, where 2 rangers approached us on horseback while we were camping near the Tarn at contour path level. They had copies of the mountain rescue register, recognised which group we were based on our tent colours, and just wanted to check why we were not following the route we had recorded in the register... very impressive!

OK, a slightly modeified route plan so that I can include Sterkhorn:

Day 1: Injisuthi Camp to Blind Man's Corner Camp via Shada Ridge. Set up camp and then do Sterkhorn as a round trip without my pack. Is there any chance of water at the BMC camp in August or should I carry in?

Day 2: Along the Countour Path to Keith Bush Camp and then up Cowl Pass to Cowl Cave.

Day 3: Down the other side of Cowl Pass and along the Contour Path to Lower Injasuti Cave.

Day 4: Potentially explore up the valley towards Hilton Pass and the Triplets in the morning before hiking out to Injisuthi Camp.

Your thoughts?

Consider start and end at Monks Cowl. Saves you the drive on the dirt road ...

Stijn wrote: OK, a slightly modeified route plan so that I can include Sterkhorn:


Day 3: Down the other side of Cowl Pass and along the Contour Path to Lower Injasuti Cave.

Your thoughts?

Stijn, do you know if the contour path is continuous through the Ship's Prow Pass valley? I couldn't find it and ended up bundu bashing in some horrible spikey stuff that you described on your post-matric down pass- up pass traverse.

The last time I did it was indeed during that post-matric hike after coming down Ship's Prow Pass. So I don't know what the current situation is but in 2002, the first kilometer or so of the contour path (in the direction of Cateract Valley) was vague and difficult to find with head-high spiky grass. Thereafter, it was clear though.

I've never followed the contour path in a Northerly direction from the Ship's Prow Stream but from Google Earth, the same sort of situation seems to apply: vague for the first few hundred metres and then clear enough to be visible from space.

I'll report back here after my trip in 3 weeks time.