Tseketseke Pass

08 Aug 2019 15:03 #75231 by Vicki
Replied by Vicki on topic Tseketseke Pass
Hi, please can someone tell me if you think beginners would handle this potential route:

Day 1: hiking from Cathedral Hotel up the waterfall route, to Tseketseke Hut. Sleeping there on the first night.
Day 2: Hiking up Tseketseke Pass the next morning, across the top of the escarpment to Rolands Cave. Sleeping there.
Day 3: Hike down the Camel route to the hotel.

I have done the Camel to Rolands, but have no idea how difficult Tseketseke would be for beginners... Thanks!

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08 Aug 2019 15:14 #75232 by Smurfatefrog
Replied by Smurfatefrog on topic Tseketseke Pass
Hi Vicki, 

The question is more about fitness than being a beginner.
A few weeks ago I took a fairly experienced (although not with berg passes) hiker this same route and after taking 4 hours from the contour path to half way up Tseketseke pass we decided to head back down to the hut.

Tseke pass is of average difficulty as far as berg passes go, probably quite comparable to Camel

So personally I'd take them on a warm up hike locally with lots of hills to test their fitness

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08 Aug 2019 18:43 #75233 by elinda
Replied by elinda on topic Tseketseke Pass
Hi Vicki

I would agree with Smurfatefrog - rather take your beginner hikers on an easier route.  In my personal opinion, Tseketseke pass is not that easy and is also full of loose rocks which can be dangerous, especially if hikers are not experienced

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12 Aug 2019 10:58 #75243 by Riaang
Replied by Riaang on topic Tseketseke Pass
Hi Vicky,

Let me be the optimist and say that your route selection per day is very doable and achievable. I normally take Berg newbies on this exact same route, or around to Twins cave and down via Mlambonja pass. Getting over Elephant/Mahout is a bit easier on tired legs than tackling Cleft peak and Ndumeni dome.

I would advise starting early, so you can get a good section of the pass done before it gets too hot.

Also, if you can get a track of the route and download it on your gps. There is a place where you need to exit out of the riverbed, if you miss this spot you will be having an adventure :-). Best way I can describe it is as follows: After about 1,7km's from the hut you will get to a section where there is a 3m high waterfall (if the river is flowing). Fairly large rocks lying around. There are cairns leading you onwards in the riverbed, but here you need to get onto the bank on the right hand side (as you are ascending). You will notice a flattish rock to your left if you turn around and look down towards the hut (which you won't be able to see from this point as it is around the corner). On the right side of the river (still looking down the valley) you will notice a couple of large, dead, pine trees about oh, 300m or so away. 

The dodgiest section for me follows soon after this, where you walk close to the edge about 15m or so above the riverbed (on your left). These side banks could very easily break off and fall down into the river. I normally hurry through this section, only about 30m long. Hereafter it's up and down over little side gullies, pretty steep until you get to the scree field at around 2550m. From here it is a real slog for about 300m (I ALWAYS struggle with this section!!!), then just the finall grassy secttion to the top. Hop over and about 200m down you will find a stream with water. Go left for Rolands, right for Twins.

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12 Aug 2019 11:02 - 12 Aug 2019 11:06 #75244 by Riaang
Replied by Riaang on topic Tseketseke Pass
Here Herman was going the wrong way, i.e. carrying up the pass instead of going onto the bank on the right side as you ascend. I had to call him back and he then climbed back down onto the flat rock where I was standing.



This is the section of flat rock. Where I am standing you will find a cairn showing you where to climb onto the bank.
 

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Last edit: 12 Aug 2019 11:06 by Riaang.

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15 Nov 2019 18:39 #75463 by mike_cromberge
Replied by mike_cromberge on topic Tseketseke Pass
Hi Vicki, how did your hike go? I'm interested to hear about the current condition of Tseketseke pass as I'm planning on going up over the long weekend in December.

Does anyone have a GPS track of this route? :)

  

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16 Sep 2020 10:43 #76076 by ruthtbl
Replied by ruthtbl on topic Tseketseke Pass
There is a typo in this article I believe. Under 'Access' the article refers to Fangs Pass instead of Tseketseke Pass.

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16 Sep 2020 18:47 #76078 by intrepid
Replied by intrepid on topic Tseketseke Pass

ruthtbl wrote: There is a typo in this article I believe. Under 'Access' the article refers to Fangs Pass instead of Tseketseke Pass.

Thank you, this has been fixed.

Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.

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31 Mar 2022 12:03 #77557 by Wandelaar
Replied by Wandelaar on topic Tseketseke Pass
I would just like to thank whoever went up or down Tseketseke pass in the last week or so. We had to exit a hiker with a bad knee and following your path through the vegetation really helped a lot! Especially near the top where there aren't any rock cairns. 

Regards,
Wandelaar. 

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01 Jun 2022 08:39 #77741 by GWTennant
Replied by GWTennant on topic Tseketseke Pass
Hi All

Has anyone done Tseketseke Pass recently? Just looking for an update on its condition after all the rain...

Thanks!
Geoff

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