Cowl Pass

Does anybody know if it is possible to do Cathkin gully in two days staring at monks cowl campsite to Keith bush camp for the first night, then up Cathkin gully down cowl fork to blind mans corner and back to Monks cowl camp on the second day.

Yep

If you are MACHINE.

Otherwise 3 might be more comfy.

I've always referred to it as going over the Cowl Gap. But Cowl Pass would work better methinks - one of the few actual passes in the Berg!

Thanx for the replies, looks like this is going to be a testing one, after all it is going to be used for our GT shakedown.

I think Cowl pass would be an appropriate name:thumbsup:

Hi guys going up there this weekend, and was wondering if a +5 deg c sleeping bag will be sufficient for Keith bush camp ,or should i just pack in that ice breaker..?

+5 for KBC is just fine, just stay dry!

Agreed, i usually have to unzip my summer bag because i get to hot, even when i am on top in summer.

"Cowl gully" is a truley amazing trip and more than worth the effort, def one of my best. We effectively did it in two days, first afternoon to KBC, then champagne and back to KBC - 1 day, then over the neck to cowl fork - 1 day, then back to monks cowl nature office - half a morning.

However please be aware that the route is "dangerous" and there seem to have been a number of incidents. The nature office said they may close the route as it is too dangerous. A members of this forums partner was stuck up there for a night with a broken leg while he went for help.

From KBC to neck is easy rock hoping, 2.5 hours, from the neck down to cowl fork we did in 6 hours. The group was fit but mostly novices included.

Basically there is no path and the gully becomes a kloof, at this stage you are faced with a number of small "waterfalls", we scouted round these on steep grass slopes, but dont go to far round as you will meet the connecting gullys. (This is where the above incident occured. We stayed left almost the entire time.

My advise - take a 20m rope this should solve any issue encountered. I may leave some tat next time, not sure what the rules are on this in the berg?

We did most of it in thick mist and a thunderstorm at the end, all of which added to the fun.

I'm really puzzled by the Cathkin Gully complexity.
Admittedly some time ago now, we went down what I think is this gully (dropping down from Cowl Cave in the valley that leads to Injisuthi and linking left with the contour path and then back to the Cowl station - right?). We were with a bunch of first time berg hikers (whom we'd also taken up Cowl). Some of them were still at school. Anyway, I just can't remember anything difficult. We rattled down the slope, got out onto the ridge on the left and found the contour path. We were at the car by 2 or 3pm in winter. Rope stayed in bag and school girls kept up. Have I got the wrong gully or did we find an easy way down by chance? I've not done the route since.