Redi Pass

Hi Balthazar1,

There are a number of pics of the Ka-Masihlenga/Uklebe Pass area, as well as the Lotheni Pass area in ghaznavid's thread called Hawks and Waterfalls. Otherwise, I can send you some pics. I depends on what you are looking for.

Thanks I will have a look... Just always concerned re the rock pass status... but it seems okay from what I have seen...

This shows the only significant rock scramble on the whole pass. We hauled one pack up there with a rope, the rest were easily carried up on our backs.

Dillon wrote:






Sequence of my mate, Agustin, ascending the only significant rock scramble. As per previous posts in this thread, I found this to be higher (riskier), yet technically easier than the Corner Pass scramble. In wet or icy conditions it could be rather dangerous.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place - part 1

Seeing as both passes on this trip are unusual passes, I will post the writeup on the respective pass threads.

On Saturday, Hobbit and I decided to take an easy chilled hike at Lotheni. A day pack is always nice for a pass with scrambling, so we decided to use Redi Pass.

We camped at Lotheni Campsite (I would say it is between Injisuthi and Lotheni for the best EKZN camp in the Berg). We scouted the turnoffs for the next morning, but decided it is not best to take a trail we don't know when it is dark.

So at 4:30AM we were up, and at 4:50 we were walking. We started out on the Yellowwood Cave trail, breaking out to the south after about 3km. After negotiating a labyrinth of trails, we eventually found a turnoff marked "Hlathimba/Redi", and took it.

We slogged up the ridge, before crossing what we assumed was the contour path and continued up the ridge, now off trail.

We stayed true left up the pass. The river was flowing nicely, which was great on such a hot sunny day.

We eventually hit the "scramble". It is a joke to call it a scramble. You walk to the base of the chockstone, then walk along a flat ledge, walk up a few steps and then turn around and walk on another ledge that comes out above the chockstone. You barely even need to use your hands, and unless it is iced up, you can probably do it with a full 20kg pack.

There is a big drop near you in places, but the ledge is so wide that you can easily have both feet next to each other for almost the entire scramble.

The top of the pass is easy - you zig-zag around a cliff band and come out on a wide grassy ledge. The view from the top of the pass is great.

The hardest feature of the pass is the steepness, it is not a fast pass. But there is nothing technically difficult about it, e.g. Corner Pass is easier by exertion but harder in terms of scrambling.

We slowly made our way from the top of the pass (2980m) to the trail below Redi Peak (about 2200m). We stopped for lunch below a cliff band, and had a chat with some very friendly Basothos. I suspect we would have given them less food if we knew how the day would end!

Thanks for info, just a question? How is the Basutho activity/ traffic on the top of Redi and Buttress passes?
Safe to camp solo  in the area?