- Forum
- Drakensberg Forum
- Drakensberg Hiking
- Injisuthi
- Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
25 Mar 2010 18:09 #1013
by anthony
Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop was created by anthony
Hi guys
We would like to do Mafadi can anyone recommend a good route and how many days we should take.
We would like to do Mafadi can anyone recommend a good route and how many days we should take.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
26 Mar 2010 08:38 #1014
by plouw
Replied by plouw on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
Hi Anthony
Three of us did Mafadi last year August.
We ascended Corner Pass. It's called a ROCK pass on the maps, but can be easily done without technical gear. We had a short nylon rope just to haul our packs up one tricky section.
The descent is down Leslie's pass, a very easy and pleasant hiking pass.
I would say its a four day round trip, we aimed for three days , but didnt manage.
Three of us did Mafadi last year August.
We ascended Corner Pass. It's called a ROCK pass on the maps, but can be easily done without technical gear. We had a short nylon rope just to haul our packs up one tricky section.
The descent is down Leslie's pass, a very easy and pleasant hiking pass.
I would say its a four day round trip, we aimed for three days , but didnt manage.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
26 Mar 2010 10:03 #1017
by Stijn
Replied by Stijn on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
I second that - an excellent 4-day route!
Just one addition: Leslie's Pass can very easily turn from "a very easy and pleasant hiking pass" to hell on earth if you miss the path at the bottom. As you get down the steep grassy ridge which takes you to the river plains, there is a gravelly open area which looks like it could have been a road/campsite. From here, there is a vague and overgrown path which keeps to the left (northern) banks of the river all the way to marble baths cave. This is a much faster and easier alternative than boulder-hopping down the river!
Just one addition: Leslie's Pass can very easily turn from "a very easy and pleasant hiking pass" to hell on earth if you miss the path at the bottom. As you get down the steep grassy ridge which takes you to the river plains, there is a gravelly open area which looks like it could have been a road/campsite. From here, there is a vague and overgrown path which keeps to the left (northern) banks of the river all the way to marble baths cave. This is a much faster and easier alternative than boulder-hopping down the river!
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
26 Mar 2010 11:37 #1018
by gollum
Replied by gollum on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
Yes, keep a lookout for the path in Leslie's Pass. As you head down, the ridge on your left gets less rocky. A short distance below the last rock bands, the path traverses out of the gully to this ridge. We hiked down Leslie's last December, and the path was still clearly visible as you move down the pass. Corner pass is a beauty - we had the privilege of ascending it in snow!
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
26 Mar 2010 18:37 #1020
by anthony
Replied by anthony on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
Thanks guys cant wait,which is the best way to get to the base of corner pass,where would be the best place to overnight on the first day as we will only arrive late in the afternoon to then leave for corner pass.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
30 Mar 2010 09:40 - 30 Mar 2010 11:28 #1029
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
anthony wrote:
Stijn wrote:
The only other 2 critical waypoints on Leslies that I can think of are: 1) the point at which the route crosses the stream after the steep grassy slopes (assuming a descent of the pass), and contours out of the gully - this cuts out an apparent nasty bit of the gully which makes for unhappy hikers if the turn-off is missed; and 2) the point at which the trail makes a sharp turn from this contour down toward the river along a grassy spur, directly below The Molar. I have noticed a faint track which continues along the contour from that turn-off - anyone know where it goes, if anywhere?
Standard approach would be Centenary Hut via junctions G5, G8 and G74. From there you ramp up onto the contour path above the hut. If you're leaving late afternoon you'll possibly only make it to G6 near Battle Cave. As you get close to that junction, observe the river bed carefully below you - last time I was there I noticed a large, flat patch of dirt that may have been used as a campsite for the army or some archeological team (I can't imagine that hikers created such a big clearing). Beyond that is Fergy's Cave, but one can't sleep there anymore cause of the paintings. After that is the climb to Centenary Hut, which is normally the best place to camp, but its unlikely you'll make it (leaving in the afternoon), and don't underestimate the long uphill that it is!Thanks guys cant wait,which is the best way to get to the base of corner pass,where would be the best place to overnight on the first day as we will only arrive late in the afternoon to then leave for corner pass.
Stijn wrote:
@Stijn: I think I know which spot you are talking about, an open area (gravelly being a good description), pretty close to the river, which becomes a watercourse during heavy rain? It intrigues me that a trail runs out from there - does it avoid the river bed all the way (have noticed that the banks are pretty steep at times)? I've always walked in the river bed, following cairns and bits of trail.Just one addition: Leslie's Pass can very easily turn from "a very easy and pleasant hiking pass" to hell on earth if you miss the path at the bottom. As you get down the steep grassy ridge which takes you to the river plains, there is a gravelly open area which looks like it could have been a road/campsite. From here, there is a vague and overgrown path which keeps to the left (northern) banks of the river all the way to marble baths cave. This is a much faster and easier alternative than boulder-hopping down the river!
The only other 2 critical waypoints on Leslies that I can think of are: 1) the point at which the route crosses the stream after the steep grassy slopes (assuming a descent of the pass), and contours out of the gully - this cuts out an apparent nasty bit of the gully which makes for unhappy hikers if the turn-off is missed; and 2) the point at which the trail makes a sharp turn from this contour down toward the river along a grassy spur, directly below The Molar. I have noticed a faint track which continues along the contour from that turn-off - anyone know where it goes, if anywhere?
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Last edit: 30 Mar 2010 11:28 by intrepid.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
30 Mar 2010 11:18 #1030
by Stijn
Replied by Stijn on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
The last time I did Leslie's was 6 years ago so my memory might be hazy. But we followed a bushy and overgrown path all the way to Marble Baths. You do get to the boulder bed every now and then but mostly stay on the banks. As a comparison, it took us about 40 mins to get to Marble Baths from the bottom of the ridge along this path while others who stayed in the river-bed have taken hours for this section.
But friends who have done the pass recently say they can't find the path I describe so perhaps I'm getting old!
But friends who have done the pass recently say they can't find the path I describe so perhaps I'm getting old!
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
30 Mar 2010 12:04 #1031
by gollum
Replied by gollum on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
When doing Leslie's in December last year, we boulder-hopped the first section from the bottom of the pass, and later found the path on the left hand side of the river. It took as about 90 - 120 mins from the bottom of the pass to Marble Baths. The boulder-hopping section is marked by cairns, so I suspect this is the best route at present. We tried staying on the bank after the pass, but it was way overgrown and no path could be found. There are some nice campsites at the bottom of the pass.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
30 Mar 2010 15:11 #1033
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
To find that path and drastically reduce travel time between the bottom of Leslies and Marble Baths would be awesome...will certainly investigate when there again. In my mind Injasuthi is not associated with clear and maintained trails!
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
31 Mar 2010 10:04 - 31 Mar 2010 10:47 #1036
by tiska
Replied by tiska on topic Corner Pass / Judge Pass, Mafadi, Leslie's Pass Loop
The path from the bottom of Leslie's down to Marble Baths once ran along the river terraces - it was fast and clear and within the 40 minute spec that Stijn quoted. A couple of years ago I came down Leslies pass for the first time in many years and expected to hook up with the terrace path and be having a dip in the baths within the hour. But several hours later we were still cursing down the sometimes ridiculously routed link between beacons in the river bed. Boulder hopping is a tiring way to finish off a hike. Because we knew that the path on the river terrace once existed, we spent quite a lot of time trying to find it. We found it successfully in several places, but 100m or so further on it would be too overgrown to use.
The ranger in Injesuthi camp asked us how we liked the path - 'what path?' was our reply. Whereas they once sent out gangs of guys to do path maintenance, I'd guess its now down to groups of twos building stone beacons in the flood plain. Its a shame really, because a path on the terrace will just about maintain itself but those stone beacons probably have to be redone after the rainy season and the line will change from one year to the next.
There's one silver lining - Corner pass, being a bit more tricky and Leslie's pass having the sting in the tail at the bottom, keeps locals from using it as a through route from Lesotho. The area remains nice and quiet. While once Rockeries and Mnweni were served by vague paths and Leslie's was well maintained, the opposite is now the case.
The ranger in Injesuthi camp asked us how we liked the path - 'what path?' was our reply. Whereas they once sent out gangs of guys to do path maintenance, I'd guess its now down to groups of twos building stone beacons in the flood plain. Its a shame really, because a path on the terrace will just about maintain itself but those stone beacons probably have to be redone after the rainy season and the line will change from one year to the next.
There's one silver lining - Corner pass, being a bit more tricky and Leslie's pass having the sting in the tail at the bottom, keeps locals from using it as a through route from Lesotho. The area remains nice and quiet. While once Rockeries and Mnweni were served by vague paths and Leslie's was well maintained, the opposite is now the case.
Last edit: 31 Mar 2010 10:47 by tiska.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
