Madonna Pass

On the September long weekend, intrepid, ClimbyKel, Sabine, Lorinda, Thora and tonymarshall descended the gully at Madonna & Her Worshippers, which we call Madonna Pass. elinda and Richard Hunt, the other two members of our group that had ascended Pins Pass the previous day had decided to descend the gully past Fangs Cave into Fangs Pass, and join up again where Madonna Pass joins into the Fangs Pass route. We had overnighted near Rwanqa Pass the previous night, and some of us went up to Rwanqa Peak the next morning to view Madonna Pass, and the position in relation to Fangs Pass.



We then traversed around to Madonna & Her Worshippers, spending some time viewing the Fangs and Rat Hole Cave, before taking in the classic view of Madonna & Her Worshippers, glad to have clear weather and good visibility unlike our ascent the previous day.



We descended the grassy slope from the top, which many of us had looked down before, wondering if this was a possible pass. No doubt this route has been used before, and could easily be mistaken for Fangs Pass or Mbundini Pass, but we are unaware of any recorded use of Madonna Pass.



We were amazed to see a group of baboons descending from the summit down the sheer cliffs near the Worshippers, marveling at their climbing skills, as we descended the upper grassy slopes of Madonna Pass.



The slope remained grass until roughly the level of the base of the Worshippers.



The slope then changed to more boulders, and with steep sideslopes our route down was restricted in the gully.



The sideslopes became quite bushy.



We continued down the boulder bed, but when the valley opened out a bit some of the group moved out to grass sideslope on the true right.

Lower down the boulders became larger and trees were growing in the valley.



Some interesting rock formations occurred in the valley, and as with Fangs and Mbundini Passes the Mnweni Needles dominate the view down the Pass.



Lower down we could see to the junction of Madonna Pass with Fangs Pass and there was water flowing in the valley.



The valley sideslope became steep again, concentrating the group back into the boulder bed.



The boulders had become quite large, with Madonna Pass having virtually identical characteristics to neighbouring Fangs Pass.



Near the junction with Fangs Pass the trees and bush became thick, but there was no problem making our way down.



Then we were at the junction with Fangs Pass, a bushy area, where we met up with Richard who was waiting for us. Fangs Pass is the route up the centre of the photo below, with Madonna Pass coming in on the right (true left) behind the eroded slope at the right of the photo. The thick bush and narrow valley camouflages Madonna Pass very effectively, and it is hardly visible from the Fangs route.



We had successfully achieved the first recorded descent of Madonna Pass, without encountering any obstacles at all, although we were prepared with rope and some climbing gear just in case. We continued down the Fangs route, overnighting at Five Star Cave, before walking out back to MCC the following day.

On the first weekend of 2020, myself and AndrewP day hiked/climbed the Mbundini Abbey Spire. We used Madonna Pass as our descent route.

It isn't a commonly used pass, but I have to say it is one of the nicer passes at Mnweni. You get the towering cliffs of Mbundini Abbey above you, and the top half is actually on pleasant ground. The lower section is a mix of overgrowth and rock hopping - pretty standard for an obscure pass. What surprised me was how long the section from the Fangs junction to the Mbundini junction was. I had done both Fangs and Mbundini Pass back in 2015 - so it wasn't new ground. I just didn't recall such a slog between them.

Our line was simple - we followed the ridge in the middle of the gully till it became too steep, then moved left into the riverbed and boulder hopped till we found the trail just above the Mbundini Junction.

Most hikers who are likely to attempt an unmarked pass would probably figure out this route easily enough - and Tony has already put up a lot of detail, so no need for a mass of info about it. But here are some photos.



Full story at this link.

Keeping up with the momentum of sharing some trip reports (while it lasts   ) As mentioned in my recent Icidi Pass report, my wife and I ascended Madonna Pass as part of our 5 day Mnweni trip during September of 2025. We split the ascent over two days, tenting at the Fangs/Mbundini waterfall.

 

 

Our camp spot was absolutely splendid and we were rewarded with a stunning view of rainbow to the east.

 

 

In terms of the technicalities, there is not much more I can share of the pass over and above what has already been mentioned on this thread. What I do feel worth sharing is that I can’t believe that it took me so long to attempt Madonna Pass. It really is an amazing pass and in my opinion, on a blow-by-blow basis beats Fangs Pass hands down. Yes, it does share the same approach and large riverbed section but once you make a right turn (true left) at the riverbed junction, the pass comes into its own in terms of views and experience.

The only bit of bushwhacking occurs immediately after turning right (at the Fangs/Madonna Junction), but it is over in a heartbeat. 



One is then presented with breath-taking views with towering cliffs on either side of you.

 

 

 

Route finding on the way up was quite intuitive and the scenery just continued to get better as we gained elevation

 

We reached the summit with a rainstorm chasing at our heels. Then hastily headed a bit inland to fetch water and motored to Fangs Cave for our overnight spot. This was our 1st visit to Fangs Cave and we were very grateful for the waypoint to the correct gully that was provided on VE.

 

I can highly recommend Madonna pass. It adds a nice variety to the Mnweni passes and has quite a distinct feel to it.

Side note: As we approached 5 Star Cave we encountered about 10 guys that were busy cooking and chatting about. After friendly greetings they shared with us, as mentioned on VE before, that they have been tasked to protect the livestock in the area. I'm in no position to comment on whether this is a sustainable solution (from both the theft and environmental impact aspects), but can understand that it may stem out of necessity, especially given the large amount of livestock in the area. We did not notice much progress to the permanent shelter being built between our recent visit and that of June earlier this year. 




 

Thanks for the write up, those pictures are amazing 
 

The Mweni never fails to impress  .