Ngaqamadola Pass South

29 Mar 2019 20:49 #74836 by intrepid
This is the official thread for Ngaqamadola Pass, South, at Vergelegen.

To kick start the thread, I am adding some content on the pass from a previous trip report by ghaznavid:

ghaznavid wrote: We traversed though North Ngaqamadolo Pass, which looks quite steep, and soon found ourselves in the South Ngaqamadolo Pass gully. It had been burned the day before – the smoke cloud had been clearly visible from various spots.
There is a cave near the top, it has a high roof, but could easily sleep 12. There was no rock wall in front of it, and it was full of freshly burned grass tufts – this cave clearly isn’t used much, and probably not for a few years. The trail on the pass alternated between very clear and non-existent. The gradient is reasonably steep, with the pass traversing out of the main gully very high up, and using a grassy side gully from there.

The pass bottoms out quite high. The map shows the trail going along the top of the ridge in a reasonably straight line right back to the car park. The direction on the map is correct, but the trail alternates between very clear and non-existent.

With the aid of a berg.co.za GPS track, we managed to find our way along the ridge. There was only one spot with water, a small stream, and there was a lot of up and down.


Members are encouraged to add more content on this pass.

Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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30 Mar 2019 12:19 #74837 by elinda
Replied by elinda on topic Ngaqamadola Pass South
A photo showing Ngaqamadola South and North variations. At the time we were on our way to the Evranda Rock Arch which is just south of here


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01 Apr 2019 15:39 #74848 by Dillon
Replied by Dillon on topic Ngaqamadola Pass South

elinda wrote: A photo showing Ngaqamadola South and North variations. At the time we were on our way to the Evranda Rock Arch which is just south of here



If memory serves me correctly, this is Ngaqamadola Pass South. To ascend, you make your way up the snow-filled, grass gully on the left. Roughly where the snow ends, there is a large ledge (not visible in this pic), this ledge marks the start of the traverse in to the main gully. Top out easily in the center of the pic between the two main spurs. 

It may be possible to ascend the main gully in the center of this pic, but there was no path or signs of use when we were there.

Ngaqamadola Pass North is not visible in this pic. It's another pass entirely and is situated on the other side of the ridge on the right hand skyline.
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01 Apr 2019 17:25 - 01 Apr 2019 17:31 #74849 by elinda
Replied by elinda on topic Ngaqamadola Pass South
Hi Dillon, thanks for pointing this out.  We live and learn and I had thought this was the North variation.  I have gone back and looked at the other photos from this trip and have found these, which shows the North variation more clearly.  Very interesting!  Have you done both these passes?

 

I wonder if the gully to the North is doable?

 

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Last edit: 01 Apr 2019 17:31 by elinda.

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