‘The Ridge that just kept Giving’

‘The Ridge that just kept Giving’

October three years ago I was sitting near my tent after some morning photography of a ridge that climbed up to nudge between the Molar and Sur the Molar in the area of Leslie’s Pass.  Scrolling through some of the images at magnification, I noticed a dark cavity in the rock, a strong dentistry theme is coming to mind with all these teeth metaphors…

Getting home and going through the images I was able to have a good look at what certainly was a large hole in the rock, perhaps a cave!  And if so, likely an unexplored and unknown cave, as there was no reference to it on any of the maps.  Given the popularity of the area, if it was known, it would be on the map.  Le petit mystère, nes pa!  Nothing quite like a mystery to get one’s imagination going.

Of course, life intrudes, sometimes in not so nice a way. Fast forward three years and that ridge and unexplored hole in the rock still needed to be checked out.  I had printed a large panoramic of the ridge and the mountains behind, so whenever I was in the lounge packing for a hiking trip, it was there watching me, teasing me to go and take a closer look.  So this October in a snap decision, it was this trip that I packed for. 



The water was cool on my head as I dunked it into the pool at Marble Baths, allowing it to dribble with cold refreshment down my neck.  I sat there enjoying the calm and coolness of water on my face after the first few kilometres had melted away.  I say melted, though just before Marble Baths, there is that nasty little uphill that you know is there but never really look forward to.  I walked the few steps back to the shadow of the large boulder to enjoy a well-earned lunch and contemplate the next not-so-enjoyable section of the path.  

The bushy path between Marble Baths and what I was calling Ape Camp can be a bit tricky with lots of low head-banging and high knee-catching branches.  Add to this, the occasional side paths that go nowhere, and it can be a mission to navigate.  Though this was a pleasure in comparison to what I was going to endure the following day!  

The bright, red blossoms of the Mountain Bottle Brush were in abundance; green bejewelled sunbirds flitting between them were a flashy colour spectacle to behold.  I let out a long sigh - it really was great to be out here again, despite the hot sun and spiky bushes.  

Ape Camp sits about 2km past Marble Baths.  It is not really a camp, but a small section of ‘flattish’ ground, minute really, that I cleared three years ago, and only just fitted my one-man tent.  But it has a view to die for and is near the river, both as important to the other, as far as I am concerned.  
Encamped, and tripod all set up, I sat and watched as the light beams played through the clouds, lighting up here and there on the peaks and slopes in front of me.  Many images later heralded the end of the day’s work, time to nosh and an early night.  

The following day was the planned trip up the ridge with an early start to ensure I had plenty of time for unseen situations.  Packing my small runner’s pack, I couldn’t decide how much lunch to pack - not sure how long this was going to take.  The ridge is a little over 2km and climbs to a height about 500 m above Ape Camp. That is not a lot, however, from my image and even Google Earth you can’t see the entire route and I was unsure what I was going to come up against.

I knew though that the start was not going to be plain sailing, as even to get to the base of the ridge, you have to bushwhack up a steep bank with thick bands of berg conifer, not too dissimilar to the route getting here, but at more than a 45 degree slope.  Through it.  The ridge looked like an interesting day out.  Slope followed slope as I climbed the same path that baboons obviously followed as there definitely seemed to be a faint track of primate origin.   



Every so often I stopped for a breather, looking through a beautiful arc of slopes and sky, river and sky and escarpment - a full 360 degrees of stunning!  The Triplets appeared, disappeared and reappeared, playing hide and seek with the warm rising thermals of moist air that wafted up its basalt face.  A band of cloud lay pulsing over the peaks in front of me, as if breathing in a rhythm of its own.  Carrying on up the slope passing through a pink mist of flowering bushes buzzing with the sound of thousands of bees.  The sound was calming, though I did eerily imagine the entire swarm all of a sudden noticing me and coming for a closer look.  Okay, enough catastrophizing.  Head down and put one foot in front of the other.

    

I was pulled up sharply to my senses, by a change in the slope!  Where, for the entire ridge it had been a relatively easy grade with bushy slopes, it now pinched into a 45 degree rock band with big drops on either side.  The first bit wasn’t a long section, perhaps 3 metres or so, but it was a committed couple of moves to clear it.  I managed to pack my hiking poles into the small pack and tested the first hand and foot holds.  I could do this.  I just needed not to let go and move through it.  So, with heart in my mouth and adrenaline pumping, I pushed off.  Getting to the top was a relief, as was the flat section above it.  I turned around and looked down; didn’t even seem that bad from this angle. 



I looked forward up the now very steep slope. Sur the Molar loomed large, a fang canine piecing the rock wall and blue sky behind it.  Over on the right, I could see the outline of the cave in the shadow.  Regardless of what next the slope threw at me, I couldn’t reverse that section, not on my own, so I needed to press forward.  The cave was near and required an explanation.  The incline steepened, rocky and precipitous - don’t want to fall here!  Grabbing onto fistfuls of grass tussock and watching where my feet went, I now confidently but carefully, scrambled up the last major hurdle. 



Traversing quickly across the rock strewn slope below Sur, I reached a gully which held a trickle of water.  Clearing away the pebbles and grit, I was able to wash my face and hands.  Anyone who ventures into these mountains knows the simple pleasure of washing your face after a long climb.  It’s a small thing, one of those tiny glimmers that can make life feel, at that time and place, worthwhile.  I scanned over to the right following a grass ramp linking what seemed like the best way to access the gully leading up to the cave.  Reaching it there was a relief that it was now only a steep but doable scramble up a gully then a traverse across a side slope to the entrance.  As I approached it my thoughts raced.  How deep was it?  Just a small rock wall that had caught the light that morning, or an actual proper cave? I don’t think that even Aladdin and his Cave of Wonders was more excited than myself on seeing what was around the corner. 



Continued...

The cavity eased into view, the large hole black and silent, the rock softened with dayglow green mosses and grasses.  It was pretty big!  There in the back, two smaller round shafts on each extremity of the space curved around – were they perhaps joined?  There were jewels here! Bright, green fern fronds shone in the dark, beautiful and delicate.  Water droplets like glistening diamonds fell from the cave roof - a steady drip, drip, drip.  Couldn’t really sleep in here, way too damp and wet!  I trod carefully so as not to do too much damage to the cave vegetation. I climbed into each of the smaller tunnels - they did not meet, but went back quite far into the damp and musty darkness.  Looking out of the dark interior toward the sunlit ridge that I had climbed that morning, I framed a few exposures, thinking what an amazing day it had turned out to be.  Lunch had ended up only being a few Jungle Oats bars and half a Tex bar; it was time to seek a safe route to return, and something more satisfyingly filling. My chicken toastie sprang to mind. I built a small cairn in the cave and headed out into the bright berg light. 

    

I had already decided that downclimbing the steep sections on the ridge was not an option and decided to return via the ridge leading into Apes Pass.  In hind sight, it would have been better to cut into the gully just north of Leslie’s Pass, exit that and then continue down Leslie’s ridge.  The bushwhacking that I had to endure was next level!  It felt like I was swimming through a head-high kelp forest!  Fortunately gravity on the steep slopes was assisting - absolutely no way you could climb up through this! 

 

I eventually arrived back close to where I had started, and after mulling over which would be the better way of going, decided to just plunge back into the green fray and fight my way back to the path.  I arrived back in time for a cold wash in the river and afternoon tea, pity there were no scones and cream on offer!

Any idea about names for this cave?  Was thinking Sur the Cave?  It is between the Ape and Sur the Molar, but the closest access is the Sur the Molar (Cave) ridge, which sounds a bit clunky and long.  Hopefully all will respect the near virgin and fragile nature of the cave and be careful while in it.  I think that I was liklery the first person to step inside it as there was nothing to indicate previous people had been here.  It also isnt mentioned anywhere.  Unlikely it will get used to sleep in as it is way to wet and doesnt really go anywhere.  It doesnt even have to get on to the map, but thought I would mention it as it was part of the reason for my trip.  

Hope you enjoy the story and images.

Wow!  What a great adventure and  I loved your  detailed write up and beautiful images!  It made me feel like I was right there with you and also long to be back in the Berg.  Thanks so much and well done!
As for a name, what about Sur Cave?

Hi ST,

Thanks for the poetic and artistic post, one to cherish! Your amazing photos establish and reinforce your narrative all the way through. Same as Elinda, it felt like I was right there with you. I even had my Slingsby map at hand to study all the contours and landmarks while I was following along.

Sur Cave has an excellent ring to it. Congrats on finding it, sure you must have felt quite content with yourself after so many years. I could just-about smell the earthy, dampness by looking at your photos of the cave   

It made me reflect on our own little 'side quest' during own recent ascent of Madonna Pass. My wife, being the avid explorer at heart, has always wanted to find a previously unknown cave. There was an alluring candidate in the north-eastern cliffs about 4/5 of the way up, but after a valiant effort on my wife's side, it got a bit too dodgy and we had to bail out. The search continues...

     

@Super Tramp & Elinda. Apprecaite the comments and glad you enjoyed the write up and images.  I always try to write as if I was writing it as an article that will get published with Getaway or the like.  I enjoy the creative process, and dont find it that hard to knock our 1600 words or so in about an hour.  My wife kindly edits it and keeps the english grammatically correct.  I write it in word then copy paste as I find this a more chilled way of writing.  While writing, I also have my editing suite open looking at the images as I describe the route or the feelings and thought processes that I experienced while actually hiking it.  It is also a bit like redoing the hike all over again .

It was an amazing trip, exciting to think that in our well explored Berg, there are still places that have not been visited or walked.  This always dials up the interest for me.  I think Sur Cave will do just nicely!  It has a regal twist to it.

Eish! Funtastic adventure and fantastic photography. You will have me reach for my dusty camera soon enough. Thanks for sharing this and it turns an office day in a fun day of planning the next hike. 
 

Awesome write up Karl and great pics as usual! It does feel like I might have been there (and not running circles on a tiny padel court!)l

The cave floor looks so green and fluffy, pity it was damp though.. your pic makes it look very inviting and comfy.

@all thanks for the thumbs up.  I think thats what trip reports do, have me reaching for my camera or maps to plan another trip.  And is always a great way of unwinding in any downtime at the office

@ASL in addition to the dampness, it also slopes toward the entrance.  You mention u may have been there, there ridge of the cave?

..was just complimenting the picture taker on how it made me feel like I was there! 

that's the coolest thing