Tlanyaku pass

@Diverian,

Thanks for that positive feedback. I have gained a vast amount of information from this forum, and it's humbling to realise that my small contribution is valuable to others.

Out of curiosity, we didn't deviate from the path down to Schoongezicht Cave and I was last there many years ago, what condition is the cave in and how many can it sleep now?

Here is a shot taken of our camp site near the base of the Tlanyaku Pass. We had a blups with the navigation and ended up on the rh bank of the river instead of the left. The rhs is a bramble death trap interspersed with nasty gullies. (By the way, I was not navigating and trusted my friend who had done the pass recently) Anyhow by the time we had negotiated this and got the base of the pass proper it was to late to start it, so we found a good spot and camped. After the bramble gully episode i found the pass a doddle.

The Didima area south-east of Organ Pipes has always been shrouded in mystery for me. This may be due to it's history of smuggling activities, the lack of passes and / or relatively long walking distances from Didima or Monk's Cowl Offices. During my 2 December GT's in 2019 and 2020, I was awestruck by the unexpected sight of the Didima Falls and surrounding cliffs. I made a mental note of needing to return to this valley and see it from the lower Berg.  

Having done most of the "usual" passes in the Didima and Monk's Cowl area (many, many times) we decided on a Thuthumi and Tlanyaku pass loop. There was surprisingly little information available on Tlanyaku pass which just elevated the intrigue.

Herewith just some aspects of my experience of the pass:

Scenery: Majestic!!! Excellent views of Didima Falls, Gatberg, Sterkhorn, Cathkin Peak, Champagne Castle & a unique view of the Dragon's Back.
Condition of pass: Easy to follow with no navigational challenges. It is quite heavily eroded which shows frequent use. There are no technical sections but some minor rock band sections which may require caution when wet.
Length: The pass (from summit to 1st riverbed entry) is quite short but steep
When to do it: Definitely in the summer. The Didima Falls are magnificent and just adds an entirely different dimension and splendor.
Approach / exit: we descended the pass and exited via Phillip's Folly - The Neck - Mike's Pass. There was more than a fair share of bundu bashing required (the path is quite overgrown) after exiting the 1st riverbed until just before the 90' turn-off to Schoongezicht Cave. Phillip's Folly does not show signs of frequent use (although easy to follow it is surprisingly lush - for some reason I was expecting this section to be in a better condition).

I can highly recommend this pass to those who want to explore this lesser visited area. We thoroughly enjoyed it and the cuts and bruises are always worth it  

Our "special" campsite before the descend
 

Some early morning recon (the pass starts at mid right of the image just below the cliff band)
 

View after making the right turn onto the pass (below the cliff band). Strong path can be seen
 

Our "breakfast of champions" spot


Didima Falls
 
 

View back with indication of how eroded some sections of the path are
 

Short section of the riverbed, incl. the exit point
  






 

 Did I mention bush whacking? Spot the hikers... 
(and yes, there is a strong path underfoot)

 
 
 

Final panorama
 
 

Agreed that this is a nice area to explore, although not often visited by hikers. For me, it's a bit far out of the "normal" routes. Went down it a couple of years ago and had similarly stunning views, can highly recommend this pass. And yes, that bottom section is, uhm, interesting. We got "lost" in the undergrowth and missed the path over Eastmans ridge, so sommer bundu bashed straight up over it soon after we got to the river. If you think the undergrowth is bad at the bottom, stay away from the river on the left hand side as you walk down (NE) as it is far worse when it is flowing than the upper sections! We went over Eastmans and then hiked on the "path" all the way to the back of Gatberg, overnighted here at a semi-level spot and the final day hiked back to camp.

For those that want an adventure, this area will not disappoint

Enjoy!!!