Sandleni Pass

30 Jul 2012 14:20 #54730 by ghaznavid
Sandleni Pass was created by ghaznavid
Has anyone tried Sandleni Pass? Berg.co.za classifies it as "easy" and I have found a not very detailed GPS track for it:



Anyone know anything about it? The top is easy to spot from the escarpment, we camped near the summit on night 2 of GT, does anyone know what its like after the caves?

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01 Aug 2012 08:18 #54738 by Selous
Replied by Selous on topic Sandleni Pass
Hi Ghaznavid

Looks interesting and a must do. So many passes quite close together there. Might have to take a weeks leave and tackle them one by one.

Regards
Selous

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01 Aug 2012 08:50 #54741 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Sandleni Pass
My main Berg goals include climbing every pass and khulu at Garden Castle (as well as Cobham and Giant's Castle) - at the time of aiming for that I didn't realise that Garden Castle ends at Masubasuba Pass (although the reason I added Cobham to the list after discovering that is that it only has 2 khulus and 1 pass), but Garden Castle stays on the list as I don't believe in reducing goals due to them being too difficult, it kind of defeats the point of having goals. So I also plan on killing every pass in the area - including all 3 gullies of Mzimude Pass, and the tough Minaret and Amakehla passes...

The problem with all those passes is that they are too far north to be easily accessible without a day of hiking to reach them, often they are easier to reach from Cobham. But on the bright side, the Sandleni ridge is the only ridge between South Hodgeson's and No Mans Peak, so it would be easy to go up and down different passes in the area...

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01 Aug 2012 11:24 #54750 by Selous
Replied by Selous on topic Sandleni Pass
Hi Ghaznavid

Some excellent goals. You are right that it does need a day walk in for most of those passes south of Mineret and north of Mashai Pass. There is some private accommodation on the right just before Garden Castle that can be booked and then gets you access to that area. A chap Ryan Zammit owns a cottage opposite the big trout dam on the left I am sure a google might help otherwise he works at Foodpak in PMB

I have done Masubasuba Pass up and back in a day from Cobham and also Amakehla and Masubasuba loop in a day too. Both were long days and were close to 40km if my memory serves me correctly. Both times they had to open gates to let us out. I have attempted Mineret but had to turn back before we contoured into the pass due to one in our party not being fit enough.

Stones is an easy one to knock off.

Can't wait to get back up there. I also have a goal to try and do all the passes but my current rate of 6 a year I will be still at it when I am 70.

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02 Aug 2012 19:40 #54779 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Sandleni Pass
Ironic timing for my post, David Gay of Mountain Backpackers has just announced he is leading a hike down Sandleni Pass on the upcoming long weekend - wish I could join but I have an exam the next Saturday :(
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10 Aug 2016 18:32 #69460 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Sandleni Pass
This is the thread for Sandleni Pass. While this pass is technically at Garden Castle, it is very far from both Cobham and Garden Castle, and as a result gets very little traffic. It is a standard Drakensberg grass gully pass. Difficulty rating is about 4/10. It has no trail.

Part 3 of my hike report:

When life gives you snow - part 3 of 4

After day 2 didn't go according to plan, the focus of day 3 was to knock off 3 passes and get to Mzimkhulwna Hut.

At 6:40 we were off. We had spent the night in Sandleni Cave, so we had technically started the pass the night before. Not really caring about stats, we didn't bother going back up and started down the pass/

There wasn't much snow visible from the cave, but once we started dropping down the gully, this quickly changed. You stay true right till about 2600m. The line is really obvious and requires no guide.

On the way down, my trusty old K-Way hiking pole (that has been with me since 2011, including 3 GTs) finally gave up the ghost, as the handle snapped off.

Our movement on the pass was heavily restricted by the ice in the riverbed.

At 2600m we left the gully and started to traverse east towards the Stones Passes. We tried to stay high, but kept dropping to miss obstacles or cross rivers. We found no trails, and hit the Stones Pass gully at 2385m.

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10 Aug 2016 20:28 #69463 by Smurfatefrog
Replied by Smurfatefrog on topic Sandleni Pass
Ghaz, did you guys not notice that mysterious UFO hovering above you on your left the whole way?

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10 Aug 2016 21:00 #69464 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Sandleni Pass

Smurfatefrog wrote: Ghaz, did you guys not notice that mysterious UFO hovering above you on your left the whole way?

It is strange - I think the government is watching us.

So you don't like my cameras special effects. :whistle: It is a default setting that has been forced since the junction of the Ifidi and the Kubedu. I picked up my pack, the buckle hooked the strap and pulled my camera out of my pocket. It bent the lens cover and stops it from opening properly. Sometimes it is possible to just push it open, on this trip it just kept bouncing back.
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11 Aug 2016 03:33 #69467 by AdrianT
Replied by AdrianT on topic Sandleni Pass
I slowly went through the photos and thought, strange, I wonder what software he used to consistently get that effect. And then I also though, but why? Granted it is 03:30 and I cannot sleep anymore :dry: Always enjoy the photos, and the write ups.

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