Route to Didima Cave via Didima Dome & Buttress
13 Jun 2017 08:40 #71730
by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Route to Didima Cave via Didima Dome & Buttress
One of my favourites - it is a nice big cave with a mostly flat floor and a massive wall that means it is very well sheltered.
Sorry, excuse my laughter - this is one of those "no easy way" sections, and most recently was the section that cost us our target time on my last attempt at a fast GT. Short answer, no, there isn't. Welcome to the crux of any traverse in the area! You will drop to 2700m if you hold the escarpment edge or 2650m if you take the inland line. Nothing you can do about that. And the fact that Didima Cave is at 3200m doesn't help either!
Best is subjective - do you mean easiest or most impressive scenically? Most people advocate the Yodeler's Cascades, which is much gentler, but considerably further. I rate the best is to hit the saddle (how the heck do I clarify what I mean by "the saddle", @AndrewP: do you have a better name for it?), and instead of traversing in on the trail to the village, you follow the nose of the ridge up behind Didima Dome. From there, you traverse north to the top of the saddle between the Didima Peaks, and then traverse till you hit a really steep gully. Go up this, and you will come out just below the summit of Didima Buttress. Walk on a flat ledge and follow the top of the ridge before traversing at 3200m to the saddle with a cairn next to Didima Cave.
That is quite a big ask - you start the day by a big drop back down to 2700m, then have a nice easy gentle uphill till the trail dies and you suddenly slog up the monster that is Ndumeni Dome. After navigating through the cliffs of Ndumeni Dome and cursing how high you cross it, you drop right down to Organ Pipes Pass (which you look longingly down), and now must face the steeper and higher Cleft Peak. No worries, it passes in due course, only for you to remember that Mahout/Elephant still stands between you and your destination - at least it is easier than the previous two. This is then followed by a long but easy valley, gentle downhill on a good trail - but the sting-in-the-tail is that Easter Cave is quite high up in a big peak.
I doubt a newbie would manage a day like this - it isn't a doddle by any means.
Intrepid's GT download has both the Didima gully line and the Yodeler's Cascades line. If you don't come right, I can send you a track of the steep line as well.
Riaang wrote: 1) The plan is to stay high on the ridges when passing Rolands cave but we would probably have to descend somewhere before Didima dome for water. Were is a good place for this without losing too much altitude?
Sorry, excuse my laughter - this is one of those "no easy way" sections, and most recently was the section that cost us our target time on my last attempt at a fast GT. Short answer, no, there isn't. Welcome to the crux of any traverse in the area! You will drop to 2700m if you hold the escarpment edge or 2650m if you take the inland line. Nothing you can do about that. And the fact that Didima Cave is at 3200m doesn't help either!
Riaang wrote: 2) Is there a path around Didima dome and Buttress? What is the Best route around the two high points?
Best is subjective - do you mean easiest or most impressive scenically? Most people advocate the Yodeler's Cascades, which is much gentler, but considerably further. I rate the best is to hit the saddle (how the heck do I clarify what I mean by "the saddle", @AndrewP: do you have a better name for it?), and instead of traversing in on the trail to the village, you follow the nose of the ridge up behind Didima Dome. From there, you traverse north to the top of the saddle between the Didima Peaks, and then traverse till you hit a really steep gully. Go up this, and you will come out just below the summit of Didima Buttress. Walk on a flat ledge and follow the top of the ridge before traversing at 3200m to the saddle with a cairn next to Didima Cave.
Riaang wrote: 3) The next days hike is back past Ndumeni Dome over Cleft Peak and on to Easter cave. It looks like a long Day and i am taking a novice hiker (Who say he is fit) along. My gut feeling is this might be a bit too for for him, any opinions? How for is this stretch?
That is quite a big ask - you start the day by a big drop back down to 2700m, then have a nice easy gentle uphill till the trail dies and you suddenly slog up the monster that is Ndumeni Dome. After navigating through the cliffs of Ndumeni Dome and cursing how high you cross it, you drop right down to Organ Pipes Pass (which you look longingly down), and now must face the steeper and higher Cleft Peak. No worries, it passes in due course, only for you to remember that Mahout/Elephant still stands between you and your destination - at least it is easier than the previous two. This is then followed by a long but easy valley, gentle downhill on a good trail - but the sting-in-the-tail is that Easter Cave is quite high up in a big peak.
I doubt a newbie would manage a day like this - it isn't a doddle by any means.
Riaang wrote: 4) Anyone has a track for point 2?
Intrepid's GT download has both the Didima gully line and the Yodeler's Cascades line. If you don't come right, I can send you a track of the steep line as well.
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