Question on Mnweni Marathon Hike with snow this weekend

Hi Guys,

We are a party of 6 looking at doing a 4-day/3-night Mnweni Marathon Hike this weekend (up Mnweni, down Rockeries). We are planning the following overnights:

21/09 - Base of Mnweni Pass (Chi Chi / Shepards Cave)
22/09 - Top of Mnweni (Ledges/Mponjwawne Cave)
23/09 - Base of Rockeries

We are well prepared in terms of winter gear, but it's our first time doing this particular hike and as far as I know you need to path-find/navigate your own way in some sections. There will likely be snow on the mountain this weekend. I am mainly worried about heavy mist and snow making it impossible to safely navigate as well as ice on the higher paths (broken ankles and slipping). We thought about hiking to the base of Mnweni Pass and assessing the conditions before deciding whether to ascend to the top. Worst case we will spend some cold nights at Chi Chi and do some exploring in the area before heading back. Do you guys have any advice on navigating up these passes in these conditions?

Much appreciated!

Saturday is forecast to have low clouds over the escarpment in the two forecast models that I have access to (ICON and GFS). 
Precip is forecast in 4 models on Saturday with all but one of those models showing the precip backing off on Saturday afternoon. 

So the idea of heading up to Chi Chi and seeing what things look like is a good one. 

If the snow is as deep as it is forecast to be on Friday/Saturday then you’ll likely find it hard to see any path up the top bit of Mnweni Pass. If going gets too tricky, you can always descend Mnweni Pass on Sunday. 
if the pass is walkable, then it looks like a winter wonderland awaits on top. 

The walk in on Saturday looks very likely to be cold and wet though. 

Hi Tiska,

Thanks a lot for the advice, I believe we're are going to do just that. We will hike up to Chi Chi and see if it is safe to ascent via Mnweni Pass on Sunday. Failing that we will just explore the valleys and try again on Monday. I am just curious if Chi Chi camp is still accessible and in good condition? The Slingsby Map says it was washed away in 2021.

Fingers crossed that we get to to see the winter snow from on top

Cheers!