Ngaqamadola Pass North

31 Mar 2019 20:01 - 01 Apr 2019 18:39 #74838 by intrepid
This is the official thread for Ngaqamadola Pass, North, at Vergelegen.

elinda wrote: 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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Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Last edit: 01 Apr 2019 18:39 by intrepid.

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28 Oct 2019 16:39 #75405 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Ngaqamadola Pass North
On Sunday morning, Michael R and myself left Johan to do some tent sitting and went up North Ngaqamadolo Pass. We came down the unmarked pass just north of it. Seeing as pass naming is a sensitive matter on this website, I won't make any mention of the pass just north of it - I will just say that the pass is a bit steeper than North Ngaqamadolo Pass, has a lot of loose stones at the top and some minor bushes - nothing to write home about really, just a standard Berg grass gully. A bit of aluminium in the gully in the middle, and a hessian sack nearby as well - so probably has had some use in the past. But a nice way to knock off two passes when you are camping below North Ngaqamadolo Pass and have already down South Ngaqamadolo Pass.



North Ngaqamadolo Pass is a fairly standard Berg grass gully - it is a bit steep in the middle. I had a very light pack and Michael just carried a water bottle (his emergency gear was in my pack). We did the full 3km loop up one down the other in 2h58.

We stayed north of the gully till the rocky bit in the middle. We stayed in the boulder field for a very short while until bypassing it to the left became viable. Once above the boulder field, it is just a grass bank to the top. The views with the cliffs above you are great - and the valley below the pass is spectacular. The pass itself isn't particularly incredible by Berg standards, but is worth it if you are in the area.

There is a cave around 2500m, it looked alright, some rocks would have to be moved to make it better - but you could get 4 people into it.

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28 Oct 2019 16:41 #75406 by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Ngaqamadola Pass North

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