Gray’s Pass

Just a heads up once again about Grays Pass if you are descending. Someone recently went down at night into the gulley and then missed the exit. The story had a good ending but please take note and exit the pass correctly. I did the same thing in 2016 also at night and that gulley is your worst nightmare. It was without a doubt the scariest night of my life in that bed of marbles. Take care as it's very easy to go down too far and it has claimed lives already. Have a great 2022 

Ah ok thanks Merv   Yes it seems the 10m high gulley wide boulder I found myself perched on is gone now. Andy Birkett had an article on his website (which no longer exists) and he also noted this boulder but then escaped sideways in the day time. We went back up. It sat about 170m vertical metres down. It seems like 400-500m down there is a big waterfall. The person noted all the rocks looks like they had recently fell down and super loose. Hopefully someone can get up there and maybe set up the chain again. The thoughts still haunt me 

I went down Gray's Pass at the very end of November 2021 and the chain with the sign to go right was there for sure. I didn't go pass the chain but there were lose rocks everywhere. Not as bad as Bugger's Gulley though. 

@Matroskinn

The "INTERESTING" sections on the Grays pass gully (i.e. if you missed the turnoff to the right about 30m down the pass itself and continued straight down) are further down. It's pretty much near vertical in sections. Different kettle of fish entirely when compared to Buggers Gulch, which is mainly steep with loose rocks and gravel. However, Buggers Gulch can definitely also be "interesting", depending on the weather conditions on the day. Iced up that thing is "INTERESTING"

As far as loose Drakensberg ground goes, I think different routes have a very different feel to them. Loose ground next to a big drop is different to loose ground in a gully. I've done Gray's and BT about 5 times each - so I would say I have a fair basis for a comparison between them (no comment on the bit after the turnoff on each as I have never missed the turnoff on either).

I find Buggers feels more likely to end badly - there are large drops that one could easily go over, even with very careful foot placement, the ground is exceptionally unstable in all but perfect conditions. I have watched surprisingly large rocks go down the Orange Peel side of Buggers after I dislodged them despite being very careful, and they go a long way (based on the noise). Gray's summit gully is loose, but one can pick a line that is mostly stable with careful planning and gentle foot placement. I usually hold to the edge of the gully as much as possible. Both sections are reasonably short, though. If I had to do one - I'd take Gray's over BT any day, from a purely safety perspective. Then again - I don't really like either pass (the views from both are notably exceptional, which is a mitigating factor).

Some other dangerously loose sections on passes:

1. Cathkin Mountain Pass (Ships Prow North Gully) has a very long sustained loose section. While slipping probably won't take you over a cliff, there's enough loose ground in that gully to get badly hurt if you or someone else nearby isn't careful.
2. Nguza Pass has a very long loose section which I actually found really fun.
3. Mponjwane Pass has a really dodgy section by the wormhole - as Papa Dragon discovered. I didn't enjoy this section either - we also had a lot of rocks raining down as each person went through.

Incidentally I recently climbed Mount Meru (4566m) in Tanzania. The top section is on volcanic scree - which is always tricky ground. It helps that the mountain gets climbed a lot, so the trail is heavily compacted, plus you go up at night while the ground is frozen. But coming down that in the early morning, you do slip and slide a lot. Although its tame compared to any of the passes mentioned above.
  

I generally find the Cape Mountains far less intimidating in this regard, I think extremely loose ground is a more common feature of volcanic mountains. On Mannetjiesberg in the Kammanassie Mountains, I used a massive scree field to avoid vegetation and the rock was surprisingly stable, especially considering it was mostly small rocks. This picture makes it look a lot less steep than it actually was.
 

wrote:

1. Mponjwane Pass has a really dodgy section by the wormhole - as Papa Dragon discovered. I didn't enjoy this section either - we also had a lot of rocks raining down as each person went through.

And more recently, Mzimude North Pass..   www.vertical-endeavour.com/forum/drakenberg-passes-garden-castle/56628-mzimude-pass-north.html#77339

You ski the scree coming down.  You need poles.  Plant your downhill pole, jump twisted one way, land sideways the other way, legs bent, slide in the scree, everything moves, that's good, less stress on you.  Plant the downhill pole, swing on it, get your feet in the air, and twist the other way, landing sideways the other way. 
It should look like your head tracks straight down, only below the waist are you twisting and shock absorbing.  Bam bam bam you're down in no time and it's easy.  Leather boots and gaiters essential.  Wear gloves in case you fall.

Yip, did that on Kilimanjaro back in 2000, Robbie copied me.  We waited hours for the others.

 

5 smugglers going down Gray's at 9.30am on Sunday morning 24 April 2022. We were heading up as a party of 2, and there was a party of 5 hikers a little behind us. Smugglers were friendly. It's funny, because we were anticipating lots of smuggler activity near Tlanyaku pass and the Didima gorge area, but didn't see any evidence at all in those areas - yet on the popular Gray's pass, they were just marching down in broad daylight and there was a lot of trash and left behind clothing (why does this happen?).

We were wondering where they might exit to South Africa. Straight towards the Champagne valley or would they head down Mhlwazini river at some stage.

My guess would be not down via Champagne valley to avoid the KZNEzemvelo gate and hotel bottleneck. I have not once seen any smugglers in the area between Hlatikulu neck and Blind mans corner down to MonksCowl gate and Champagne Hotel in 20 years. My guess would be down towards Bergview area unless they snug through Monks Cowl gate area at night somehow.