Elephant Gully

C isn't Plume, but the rest is correct. You can't see Plume from there.

The spot is easy to find - it is on the Elephant Shortcut route near Cockade Pass. The route has a trail, so if you can find the gully, it is easy to follow.

On your labeled map, you are close to C.

Incidentally my favourite spot in the Berg.

Wow thank you, am I correct in assuming it is not quite on the top but a little over the edge, slightly north of Cockade pass?

Is the start of the gully from the top?

I will try and find it and bring details.
Thank you.

From Cockade Peak - the yellow line is the Elephant Shortcut while the red line is the standard route over Mahout

It starts and finishes on the escarpment. I am pretty sure that if you download Intrepid's GT track, he has a sub-track for it there.

Incredible answer, thank you.
I assume that camp is setup somewhere along the yellow line?

I am always amazed at the size of the mountains on top of the mountain.

Nicodb wrote: I assume that camp is setup somewhere along the yellow line?

It is. When you walk along the route, you figure that those tents were pitched for the photo, and then removed shortly thereafter - not a particularly comfortable spot to camp! Notably also very far from water.

Personally Cockade Pass remains my favourite pass in the Berg. Lots of people argue that the overgrown approach is horrible, or that route finding can be difficult if you don't know where to go - but when you get forced into the rocky gully around 2700m, if you lie on the ground and look straight up, all you see is cliff with a bit of sky in the middle. The cliffs are absolutely immense and surround you on basically every side.

Thank You,
Yes I was trying to imagine what the site looked like and how one sleeps there. Makes more sense to pitch just for the photo.

I am still planning to go there this weekend, I am hoping the predicted snow doesnt create too much havoc.
Assuming the Camel will be frozen, and that I have no other preference, would organ pipes be the safest to the top, even if it is south facing?
Other options are cockade, and I am not too keen on Mlambonja again. Tseketseke?

Organ Pipes, Tseke & Mlambonja would be your 3 safest bets in snow[/quote]

Thank You. And I assume plans to get to the top in one day is also now a little optimistic?

Slightly higher angle, cell phone photo of mine. Maybe you get a better feel for where it is: