Amakehla Pass

Hi SeriousTribe2

Thanks for your response. Ya, we stopped over at the C53 pool on the way up - it must be awesome in summer!

My comments in respect of the Spectacle path were more in response to the comments posted earlier in this thread by you: "We have not done the path up from Spectacle, but have been told it is bushy and not well defined", and Intrepid: "I studied the trail from Spectacle Cave crossing over the ridge towards Lakes Cave and concur that it doesn't look very clear (haven't done it myself)".

The Amakehle Amabili path is to the north of the start of the climb up the Amakehle Amabili - it contours round to the waterfall on the right as you look up the Amakehle Amabili (see first photo). In the second photo looking down the ridge from the Amakehle Amabili, you can clearly see the path coming across from the Minaret valley on the right and contouring round the north slopes of the Amakehle Amabili on the left. Just looking at the map again, I was wondering if it possibly the marked path from Pholela cave - I didn't expect a path such as this after Intrpid's earlier post in this thread "I've only done it from Pholela Cave - no trails or cairns until you gain the ridge and join the smugglers path".

{joomplu:328} {joomplu:329}

On the October 2016 VE Cobham weekend, which coincided with Chris and Kelly’s (intrepid and ClimbyKel) visit to South Africa, a group ascended and descended Amakehla Pass.

As described in the write ups on the VE Cobham Weekend thread, a large group headed out from Cobham to Spectacle Cave on the Saturday, and while several stayed at the cave, intrepid, Smurfatefrog, Katya and tonymarshall headed out to ascend and descend the pass in the afternoon.

We started by ascending steeply through the rock band Spectacle Cave is situated in, and once above the cave could see the steep ridge up to the main ridge giving access to Amakehla Pass by heading left.



Once we were on the main ridge, it was an easy walk along the ridge before it got steeper closer to the upper section. In the photo below, Minaret is the tall spire at the left of the high points, Amakehla Amabili is the small bump peak at the centre of the photo (at the top of the ridge), and Hodgson’s Peak South is to the right.



A view to the Giant’s Cup, with Hodgson’s Peak South on the left and Hodgson’s Peak North on the right.



Ascending the ridge with the rock back we would have to scramble through in the foreground. The prominent peak at the top end of the ridge and the peak to the right are the Amakehla Amabili (Two Old Men). We would pass below both before reaching a saddle which would give access to the summit.



A view back down the ridge as we pass below the Amakehla Amabili, after which Amakehla Pass is named.



Approaching the saddle at the head of the ridge, where we would go through the gap in the rock band.



As we approached the saddle it started to rain lightly, and we put our rain gear on. At the top of the saddle we dropped down a short slope on the other side, before traversing right and anticlockwise around an exposed ledge at the base of the final rock band.

Katya on the exposed section of the traverse.



The traverse led to the final gully up to the summit, at the middle of the photo below.



Ascending the final gully to the summit of Amakehla Pass.



Katya and smurfatefrog at the top of Amakehla Pass. Katya picked up a smugglers bag in the pass and was using it to keep the rain off her head.



Descending the pass, with the traverse section to the left and clockwise, and the short rise to the saddle. The pass has a well defined path from the saddle to the top of the pass.



Intrepid (a secret smoker, cigarette in hand) at the top of the saddle, with the view down into the Pholela valley.



Descending the ridge from the saddle towards the Pholela valley. The grass band ledge we used to access the saddle on our ascent up the ridge can be seen below the saddle (at the height of Katya with the orange jacket) in the photo below.



The path from the pass continues straight down the ridge below the saddle, avoiding the rock band we scrambled up on our ascent, before turning right and contouring to meet the top of the ridge lower down as the ridge gets lower.



We followed the path onto the top of the ridge, and after descending the slope opposite Pholela Cave towards the river we found remnants of the path down the ridge to Pholela Cave. We used this path to descend through the rock band in which Spectacle Cave is situated, and then traversed below the rock band downstream to Spectacle Cave.

Amakehla Pass has two main approaches; up the Pholela valley, or along the ridge south of the Pholela valley. We used the ridge approach for both our ascent and descent, with the variation of the approach directly up the ridge with the scramble, and the departure down the path to bypass the scramble, because we thought the ridge would be easier walking than the valley.

Ross and I did Amakehla Pass on Saturday. We used the trail via Lakes Cave.

I have to say - this pass is really worth doing. The lower section is fairly gentle up a slope, and not exceptionally interesting. The view when you hit the top of the ridge is great, though. The trail then traverses into the gully before the steep section up to the Amakehla Amabili. The view from the saddle is exceptional.

The traverse from there to the next saddle was fine, one short very exposed spot, but you are on a proper trail, as long as you aren't careless - you are unlikely to fall.

You climb up to this saddle only to learn that it is a false top, but from there to the real top isn't far.

Not the hardest pass ever (although also not the easiest), but the view to effort ratio is really good.

Here are some photos:

 

Full story at jonathantheghaznavid.wordpress.com/2019/09/23/amakehla-and-east-pitsaneng-pass/