Gray's Pass - Ships Prow Pass Loop

Hi Guys

Has anybody done this recently? I am planing to head down to the Berg on Wednesday morning with a group of fit and strong hikers who have all done multiple hikes with me before. I would like to do this route over 3 days with the first day being a travel day too. Day 1 would get us to Keith's Bush Camp. Day 2 onto the escarpment and Day 3 down Ships Prow and back to Monks Cowl for a braai and a good nights sleep before returning to Joburg.

Is this itinerary realistically possible?
How tough is the route between the top of Grays and the start of Ships?
What's the best area to camp in at the top?

Can't wait to be back in the mountains again! Bored of being at work!

Mike

Looks good to me.
Gary’s to ships top is a doddle. At the top of ships, turn you back squarely to the pass and at about 1 o'clock is the start of a river, you may have to walk down it for a while to get to water and a flat spot but not too far. To your left would be the Leslies valley (For want of a better name) but its steeper and the water is further away.
In any case you want to sleep as close to ships as possible because the next day is going to be a long day. If you do run into any problems going down ships or on the contour path you could sleep at the camp at Blindmans corner. (And forfeit you braai).


Anyone in you group good with a GPS, you can down load both passes form the VE data base, and I can cobble up the track in between if you like.

Enjoy, it's a great time to be in the berg, just dress warmly.

Hi Chappies,
We've done a similar route - the difference being that we started and finished in Injisuthi. This is how the trip went:
day 1: late start 5pm from Injisuthi - camped at top of van Heynengen's Pass (only 1 hour of walking)
day 2: walked through to Keith Bush - arrived around noon - easy day, tempted to go up Grays on this day as well but decided against it
day 3: early start, up Gray's (2.5 hours), had a good look around on top (3-4 hours), started descent of Ship's Prow at 3pm. Camped at bottom of Ship's Prow at 7pm. Easy first half of day, hard last part because the bottom part of Ship's Prow is tough going.
Day 4: from camp spot at base of Ships back to Injisuthi - back by noon. Easy day.

Your day 3 (down Ships and back to Monks) would be the long and hard one.

I did that route in reverse in October in a big group (@Sabine and some others were also on it).
It took us 16 hours from Monk's Cowl to the top of Ship's Prow. It was a big group, and the rivers were high (which made crossings slower), and these contributed to the time it took. The group Sabine was in did it in a few hours less but it was still a long day.

Going down Ship's Prow will most likely be easier and quicker, but there's a lot of bundu bashing and a few crossings.

I'm not sure how good an idea it is to do Ship's Prow from Monk's Cowl (in any direction) in a single day - I know I won't attempt the complete ascent in a single day again.

Another idea might be to sleep on the top of Gray's Pass on the first night, and sleep at the base of Ship's Prow the second night.

It didn't take us long to get from our campsite near the top of Ship's Prow to Keith Bush Camp

The lay of the land below Ships Prow means that you hike (well, bundu bash....) away from Monk's Cowl and actually aims towards Injisuthi Camp.

So I have to agree with the others that 1) it is easier to end at Injisuthu or 2) (as you guys seem to plan) it is a hard day descending Ship's Prow South fork, bundu bashing through the approach and ending back at Monk's Cowl.

It is certainly doable though but be prepared for a long third day, but as you say, the guys are fit so have a go!

(PS. As you may know, please do avoid Ships Prow North Fork, especially descending (here I speak from hearsay, only have personal experience of South fork)).

Thanks for all the responses! @Josh - We are travelling in on the first day so there is no ways we will make it to the top of Grays on the first day unfortunately. 16 hours is a heck of a long day! We will have to push hard through the bundu! There is only five of us and we are all of the same sort of fitness level so I hope we will be able to go a bit quicker.

@Highlands - Will avoid north fork like the plague! Certainly don't want the extra weight of ropes and gear with me. I have heard that it is a little on the unsafe side.

@Geordie - I guess the braai could be forfeited but I think the boys would rather push to the limit and klap that rump steak in the evening. I have a Garmin 62s. I have the GT route loaded and all the passes in the area but if you have a track of the route joining Grays and Ships that would be very welcomed! I have only gone from Grays up to the Organ Pipes never the way we are going this time. Always good to explore some new territory!

I think we will give it a go and report back on our findings when we are back

Let me know if you don't come right with a GPS track, I may be able to get one from one of the members on our October trip.

The day was actually 17 hours long, we walked for another hour after getting to the top of Ship's, to get to the campsite (there are others closer to the top of the pass). We left Monk's Cowl at 7am and got to the campsite at 10pm.

My track would also be a joining of pass and GT data so would look much the same as yours. Some of the October (long day) Ships group may have a track which you can reverse.
Do you have mapsource (or bacecamp) to eliminate all the bumph and join tracks and all that. I can do that if not.
all the best
G

Anything to make life easier up there Thanks! I am using mapsource.