Outer Horn scrambling route

Hi. This is a nice site with the informative forums and articles. Thanks.
I am looking to do the Bell Traverse starting at the hotel and down Tseketseke Pass in August. Just wondering about this broad grassy ledge mentioned. Is it enough to pitch a two man tent or two?
I would like to spend the first night off the path, so not wanting to use the caves.

Maybe, is there somewhere else that we could "hide away"?
Probably not many "flat" areas on the traverse.
We will go up Cathedral the first day and look at ascending the Outer Horn the next. So somewhere close will be nice.

It would be pretty cool to be able to climb the outer horn without equipment, if you have any luck reaching the top by this route I would love to see pics and get a better description...

Hi. I climbed the Outer Horn using the route you describe (or as near an approximation of it as you'll get in the 'Berg!). We had a full country rack of gear but didn't place any protection on the ascent, but we certainly used a rope for the descent and I would not like to do it without the rope. A simple 30m abseil off some tape, but it made a big difference. It took us about 3 hours from the nek back to the nek. Tim had only been in a harness once before and he summited with me.

When I returned I wrote a detailed route description for myself because the 'official' one was so bland. I have copied it for you below - It will sound difficult to visualise when you read it on the computer screen, but I think it will make a lot of sense if you take it with you and read it in situ. Let me know if you ever do the route... enjoy. RobD.

Outer Horn 4 July 2004, Tim Argall & I (Sean Stevens almost)

7:am From the neck between the Horns we traversed onto the East face about 5 or 10 metres above the height of the neck, immediately below the rock face. We kept very high – it might be possible to traverse lower. At times the grass band became a very narrow ledge above exposed rock slabs spotted with tufts, and there was a lot of crawling under a small overhang (very inelegant).

This traverse eventually led us onto a clearly defined ridge under a very sheer East face with the summit clearly visible. There were three valleys, or gullys, one to our left and two to our right when looking up to the summit. The first we had already walked through without really realizing it was a gully, but the middle (dropping away immediately to our right as we looked up) and furthest were very distinct, and confluenced about 100m below us. The first was a wide, very steep, shallow, fairly indistinct valley defined more by the far bank (Northern) which is a sharp ridge, on which we stood looking into the middle. The middle gully is deeper with a bit of scree (as opposed to the rock slabs in the first narrow valley, as described). This gully drops down to the Umlambonja, and confluences with the third, furthest gully. The third gully originates at about the same height as the middle one, but the grass at the head of the third gully is on the ridge of the North-East ridge, not the summit, as with the middle gully. It is the middle gully that we took, right up to where we could go no further, and a grass ledge then runs left (South) back toward the Inner Horn, but a lot higher above the neck.

On the traverse to the shoulder opposite Inner Horn there are three dodgy places with extreme exposure. The first is at the top of the gully just as we moved left onto the traverse. It is at the bottom of a sloping basalt slab, and we had to step from one tuft to another without handholds that would survive a foothold failure. The tufts are just too far apart for a single step so I smeared on the slab for friction holds. The drop below goes far.

Again we kept as high as possible on the grass traverse. The next tricky spot is just after a small area where blocks have fallen off an overhang to create an area resembling a miniature Twins Cave. Sean took the opportunity to remain here to enjoy the view and the sun while Tim and I continued. Again the dodgy bit is tufts clinging to an exposed basalt slab, not as precarious as the previous dodgy bit, but longer. About 7m, not just 3 steps, and the drop below is as far.

The third dodgy bit is in a corner under an overhang that kept interfering with my helmet and pack. Tufts on basalt, but this time I had to crouch and slither while checking footholds. Only about 5 steps, but immediately above a drop – right on the edge of the fall – to the extent that the valley below is invisible. Like when you stand 5m back from the escarpment edge.

Once we had got through this ugly corner another thirty metres got us back onto good solid grass and we had emerged onto the shoulder opposite Inner Horn. Lots of grassy slope and a good view. We zig-zagged up the grass, bearing left, immediately below a vertical gully that leads directly to the summit. (This was the gully we later abseiled down).

Bearing left, the last dodgy grass move was encountered. Fairly high above the grass shoulder toward the Western skyline, it was the only way to get to the summit approach. A couple of steps on a path-wide ledge with a boulder to lean on. Not too bad at all.

Then it was onto the horizon ridge for about 5 metres of clambering up big loose broken blocks, perched high above the Ntonjelane. The biggest exposure yet. After that, a walk to the big flat table-top summit .

Our return was to follow the same route except for a 30 metre abseil down the gully leading to the South West ridge. We placed the first tape around the belay block – about 6 metres of tape. I was surprised not to find any other evidence of abseil anchorage anywhere.

Back to Sean, then to the Bell cave and the car at the new Didima camp.

That route looks exceptionally exposed and steep, is the line across the base the bell traverse route?

Nice job, Intrepid! And great photo! Makes me want to do it again!