Gray’s Pass

@Ghaz The zig zag that Stijn is talking about is at S29 04.393 E29 19.625 and the scramble up a little bit of bare rock,(I think may be the result of a slip and erosion of the original path at some stage) doesn't look like the right way to go when there is a clear contour path leading off towards the gully !! But it is much easier than the scrambling trust me I have done it, twice.....

Enjoy the hike.

@brio yep that looks like a familiar place !!!

Interestingly enough we did an early descent one morning of the pass, we were waiting at the top of the pass for enough light to find our way down. Another group that had been camping near us had left earlier and started off down the pass in the dark, when we met up with them later in the day we found out they had missed the path out of the gully and continued most of the way down the gully before they found a place to climb out. That must have been pretty hectic.

ghaznavid wrote: The blue line would be the lower path is very exposed if I have this right?

Yes the blue is roughly where the trail variation is that I was talking about. Both trials have equal exposure which actually isnt't all that bad.

ASL wrote: NB. There is also an exposed section right at the top of the pass where the wind can really whip through from the Lesotho side. A person got blown off an exposed section there just before my party came through and they had a very bad fall down the face.

Did this by any chance happen in the early 1990's? I've been wanting to find out more about that incident. If you wouldn't mind sharing all the details you have?

ghaznavid wrote: If I am correct, when you stand at the top of the pass with the pass behind you, you would have Dragon's Back (3063m) to your right, Mlwazini (3305m) to your left and in front of you would be Nkososana (3318m).

Roughly speaking yes. Though Nkosazana is more accurately at about 11 o'clock from that position, rather than dead ahead...if you walk straight you get to another interesting looking peak that looks over into Vultures Retreat. And beware of the slog up to Mhlwazini, even though its just "on your left".

ghaznavid wrote: I'm trying to figure out how Mlwazini and Cowl View both qualify as khulus, with less than 500m between them (looks like about a 700m walk).

It can easily be argued that they are too close, and that Cowl View is just an extension of Champagne Castle.

diverian wrote: Interestingly enough we did an early descent one morning of the pass, we were waiting at the top of the pass for enough light to find our way down. Another group that had been camping near us had left earlier and started off down the pass in the dark, when we met up with them later in the day we found out they had missed the path out of the gully and continued most of the way down the gully before they found a place to climb out. That must have been pretty hectic.

That has happened to several groups of hikers that I've heard of, and is a critical thing to remember when descending the pass. Its kind of a similar thing with the false Tsteketseke Pass...it catches people out time and again.