Ka-Zwelele Ridge/Hlatimba South/Buttress Passes

Five of us gathered at Lotheni over the recent long weekend to do a three day hike. Our aim for day one was to hike along the Ka-Zwelele Ridge that runs all the way to the contour path, and comes in just below the Buttress (The Passage). Our group consisted of Richard Hunt myself, Tony Marshall, ( all VE members) Lorinda and Thora. The visitors from Gauteng had to make a very early start that morning as it’s a long drive from that part of the world and we left the carpark just after 10.00am. It’s quite a trudge up the Ka-Zwelele Ridge and you pass close to the historical Gelib Tree, a landmark in this area.
The Gelib tree stands in the reserve as a reminder of an incident which occurred during the Second World War, near the Ethiopian settlement of Gelib. An officer of the 1st Royal Natal Carbineers named Captain Charles Eustice, who fought in what was then Italian Somaliland, collected a few seeds of an Acacia tree. The seed was planted by Eustice many years later on his farm which became part of the Lotheni Nature Reserve. The seed was planted in memory of thirteen carbineers who were ambushed during the campaign to capture Gelib, which was held by Italian forces at the time.
Once the top of the ridge is reached, it’s an easy but long 10km walk to the contour path on mostly flat terrain. We had filled up with water at the Bhodla River which you cross just before starting the ascent. In summer there is a small stream about half way up the ridge but this was dry at this time of year and there was no water on the ridge itself. We camped just below the contour path with the Buttress looming up above us and noted that the pass looked more vertical than it appeared from a distance, and also full of snow. There was not much water about but we managed to find a deepish pool down a nearby gully that had a trickle of running water.
Strong gusting winds arrived in the early hours of Sunday morning resulting in the snapping of a tent pole which then caused a tear in the flysheet. Not a good start to the day……..The wind did not let up and we headed South along the contour path and around the corner towards the Hlatimba passes in the teeth of a continuous icy blast. No one could feel their fingers or nose and we wondered what would be in store for us on top of the escarpment later. The area below the South and North passes is very beautiful and we could see the large waterfall that plunges over the edge of the Buttress completely iced over. We headed up the pass which is straight forward with a bit of boulder hopping and bundu bashing in the initial stages before heading up steep grassy slopes. There is a cave which is near the top of the pass - not much to write home about as its small and rock strewn and I should imagine very wet in summer.

Once on top we headed north, keeping to the escarpment edge and had a look at the Hlatimba North pass and the cave which is situated close to the top of the pass. This is a far more comfortable cave with a level floor and quite sheltered. The Redi ridge loomed above us while we continued to contour around the edge of the escarpment. The wind had abated somewhat and we wondered whether the cold front that had been forecast for later that afternoon had already blown itself out as the skies remained clear and sunny. There were still large patches of deep snow in drifts from the big snowfall two weeks earlier and we had a bit of fun bum sliding down some steep sections. After lunch we headed towards Buttress Pass, passing the top of the ice waterfall en route. A few of us walked to the top of the Buttress and admired the views below before starting the descent down the pass. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be tricky as the beginning section is extremely steep and eroded and not made any easier with the slippery snow. A little further down the gully becomes very narrow and this section was full of hip deep snow. Led by Tony we all slid down on our rears, ending up with extremely frozen posteriors! Where we could avoid the snow we climbed out on the side rock ledges and eventually got onto the grassy slopes that lead down to the contour path. We again managed to find a pool a little way below the path and set up tent for the night. As dusk fell we noted a huge bank of mist rising from Lotheni camp – was this the beginning of the cold front? We spent an uneventful but cold night, as temperatures were minus three degrees in the morning and there was a bit of frost on the tents. The day dawned grey, overcast and cold, and we descended via the Redi path back towards camp, completing the last half in thick mist.
Thanks guys for an enjoyable hike!
(Tony will be providing the statistical and navigational data a little later.)




Ka-Zwelele Ridge. The Hawk is prominent on the skyline




The Buttress (The Passage). The pass is the one on the right hand side




Our camp site for the night




Approaching Hlatimba South - Hlatimba North is on the right hand side




Top of Hlatimba South Pass




Top of Hlatimba North Pass




The cave in Hlatimba North pass is on the right hand side of the photo




One of the streams that forms the ice waterfalls with the Buttress in the background




Tony enjoying the view




Richard at the top of Buttress Pass

The Buttress





Tarn at the bottom of Redi Pass




Down into the mist

Thanks elinda, great write up.

Some anxious moments, but ultimately fun, descending a snow filled Buttress Pass gully.







I'll post write ups on both passes soon.

Excellent photos and report - thanks!