Corner NHA, Mafadi & Leslie's Loop

(All photos by Jo Chevalier)

We just got back from an extended 4-month cycling trip, so I was itching to get back to the Berg. I did the usual thing of inviting everybody, expecting only about 8 people to make it, but everybody was keen, friends of friends were invited and then suddenly we were 15...

This small army set off from Injisuthi on Heritage Day, after an early drive from Joburg that morning. The forecast was looking brilliant for the entire long weekend and we were a long string of conversations all the way up the Injisuthi Valley. This was one of those rare occasions that it was actually too hot in the Berg and we enjoyed many breaks at the river crossings along the way.



Heartbreak hill was more heart-breaking for some than for others, especially with Centenary Hut doing its usual trick of only becoming visible for the first time about 20 metres from the door!





The storms started rolling in just as we arrived at the hut, but we stayed relatively dry, filling up water from the tiniest of trickles at the usual spot, 300m from the hut. The hut was in better condition than I was expecting (it still had a roof), but all windows were smashed out so most chose to camp outside.



Charne had the worst luck, tripping over a stone while taking a photo just outside the hut and managing to tear an ankle ligament in the process. It became obvious very quickly that her hike was over and that she would be heading back down to Injisuthi with Alex the next day (who was only joining us for the first day anyway). Since she could barely hobble, we called the Injisuthi & Giant's Castle rangers as well as Mountain Rescue to consider our options. We were hoping to arrange a vehicle lift from Giant's Castle along the Injisuthi Managment Track, but that would have to wait for the next morning as nobody was answering their phones...

The evening was spent making our packs as light as possible through much wine consumption, including a particularly impressive rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody...

We had a brilliant clear morning and left Stobo & Tom with Alex & Charne to make the final evacuation arrangements, while the rest of us started the slog up Corner Pass via the Northern ridge approach. I hadn't done this variation before so was looking forward to the new route, but a little apprehensive about the scrambles with such a large group.





At the top of the first big hill, with the last view of Centenary Hut, we got the all clear from below, indicating that they had managed to arrange a lift with the Giant's Castle rangers. So onwards we trudged. The big scramble on the approach was fairly tricky with 20kg+ packs on, but we soon realised that the easiest route was on the far left where the path meets the rock band and we hauled everybody's packs up here.







Rounding the corner delivers one of the most intimidating views of Corner Pass, despite only 300m of ascent remaining. The group now realised this was serious business and everybody spread out at their own pace in smaller groups up the final gully. We had a very scary moment when a backpack-sized rock came crashing down the right-hand side wall, smashing into the gully just 50m lower, where we had been standing just a few minutes before. It must have been dislodged by a baboon higher up. We were on-edge for the rest of the climb, sticking as close as possible to the side walls and keeping an eye on the sky... nerve-wracking stuff.

Everybody reached the top safely, where we spotted Stobo and Tom, motoring up the pass behind us, having left much later after helping Charne and Alex to the agreed pick-up point. They reached the top of Corner Pass just 2-and-a-half hours after leaving Centenary Hut, carrying full packs nogal...



The rest of the day was straightforward, chatting to Basotho shepherds on the way up to Upper Injisuthi Cave (apparently the going rate for a sheep is R500 ). Once again a storm moved in as we were fetching water from the escarpment edge, so the slog back up to the cave was record-breaking for most.







We got news from Charne & Alex that the vehicle lift was a no show (they waited until 2pm), so they painstakingly hobbled back down to Injisuthi, arriving just before dark. I'd hope that the rangers are a little more reliable in a true emergency, but then I take it mountain rescue would play a bigger part.

Yet another clear day and we made our way up to Mafadi, with an extended group photo-shoot on top. I love it how it's so tricky to determine which summit cairn is actually the high point. We covered our bases and went to all of them





The traverse from Mafadi down to the top of Leslie's Pass along the escarpment ridge must be one of the most scenic in the Berg, especially the view point just past the top of Injisuthi Pass. Michelle had us all nervous here, doing crow yoga poses right on the edge... each to their own I guess!





I had forgotten how steep and loose Leslie's Pass is and had really hyped up the river section at the bottom, completely underestimating the initial descent to the ridge itself. It turned into a long, slow day with us finally reaching Marble Baths at 17:30, most still opting for a swim despite the chilly temperatures.

We had the most leisurely of Berg mornings on our final day, taking coffee and breakfast down to the Marble Baths and enjoying a few slides and swims once the sun started warming things up. We eventually got going at 9am for the easy cruise back down the Injisuthi Valley, once again with barely a cloud in the sky.

What a fantastic time in the Berg, with a great bunch of people! I think we have some converts amongst them...

Great write up and photos Stijn! It would seem that Upper Injasuti Cave is inhabitable again? - last year in April it was a mess with fires/ash and we thought the shepherds had taken up residence

Thanks elinda - the cave definitely had a bit of a sooty smell to it and there was a bit of ash around, but quite clean inside with a level floor so certainly inhabitable. Much roomier than I remembered!

Great shots with a 70's film look. Good stuff.