Cleft Peak
07 Apr 2011 12:14 - 07 Apr 2011 12:37 #2665
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Re: Cleft Peak
I was in the Tseketseke Valley in December, with a print-out of the RD in hand, studying Cleft Peak and I still had a hard time identifying the 2 routes.
I've identified a possible approach to the Frontal Route - see first picture, dotted line on the left. However, when viewed from the Camel, things look more messy - see second picture. Obviously a lot of time is lost on the approach, both Brian Godbold and co, and Martin Winter on the subsequent ascent, finished in the dark and walked back down well into the night.
It might be better camping at the top of Tseke Pass, and descending the pass early in the morning, while its still dark, so this doesn't have to be done after the climb.
As for the Diagonal Gully Route, hmmm. Starting directly under the main cleft and ending up 1 km further away from the summit? Doesn't add up totally. I see 2 possibilities which are highlighted well in the second pic from the Camel. The one furthest to the right looks more like a pass than a climbing route, and I've eyed it out for a couple of years already. It would be approached about a third of the way up Tseke Pass.
From the pics I can spot several gullies where new routes could be opened up. Good luck and let us know how things go!
View from northern slopes of Tseketseke Valley:
View from the Camel:
I've identified a possible approach to the Frontal Route - see first picture, dotted line on the left. However, when viewed from the Camel, things look more messy - see second picture. Obviously a lot of time is lost on the approach, both Brian Godbold and co, and Martin Winter on the subsequent ascent, finished in the dark and walked back down well into the night.
It might be better camping at the top of Tseke Pass, and descending the pass early in the morning, while its still dark, so this doesn't have to be done after the climb.As for the Diagonal Gully Route, hmmm. Starting directly under the main cleft and ending up 1 km further away from the summit? Doesn't add up totally. I see 2 possibilities which are highlighted well in the second pic from the Camel. The one furthest to the right looks more like a pass than a climbing route, and I've eyed it out for a couple of years already. It would be approached about a third of the way up Tseke Pass.
From the pics I can spot several gullies where new routes could be opened up. Good luck and let us know how things go!
View from northern slopes of Tseketseke Valley:
View from the Camel:
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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