I have been to Pholela Cave a number of times, but seem to have always bypassed Spectacle Cave, probably because it does not sleep that many comfortably, and even less so if there is wet weather. So while the trail runners ( Smurfatefrog and Michelle)were out doing a loop of Masubasuba and Amakehla passes, Papa Dragon, myself and Kirsty set out for Spectacle Cave. We were joined by two British Doctors who are working out here for a couple of months, Peggy and Arvind. This was to be their first night sleeping in a cave and they were pretty excited about it! We decided to take a different route and tackled the ridge that separates the Pholela and Lakes caves valleys, and rises up immediately after the junction of the two rivers, just past the Shelter. This looked pretty steep to start off with and it proved to present us with a series of seemingly never ending climbs as the morning went on. We never really found a path although there were animal paths here and there and we mostly found our own way. The views were amazingly beautiful the higher we climbed and we were rewarded with the serene sight of several tarns on the plateau. The highlight of my day! We stopped here to enjoy lunch before continuing onwards to the high point of 2357m where the path crosses over from the Pholela valley and descends down towards Lakes Cave. We descended down towards Pholelea Cave where the path disappeared again and we were left to find our own way down, and from here to Spectacle Cave. The best thing about this cave is the waterfall that cascades down right in front and there is very easy access to water. The runners arrived shortly afterwards after having had a successful day, but with a bit of bundu bashing to endure and we all settled down for an early night. The bottom section where we were sleeping got a bit wet during the night from a rain shower and Papa Dragon had to move. The rest of us were ok, but I found the bottom of my sleeping bag to be wet in the morning from drips from the overhang above. On our way out we explored the Gorge on the other side of the valley and had a look at Gorge Cave - this is tiny and sleeps two but is very sheltered. We had to walk through the water to access the tunnel but getting our feet wet was totally worth it - a really beautiful little gorge that is tucked away and not often visited. We walked out back to camp via the valley route and arrived back at midday. Our visitors thoroughly enjoyed themselves and said it was a wonderful introduction to the Berg. We wish them all the best during their time in South Africa and future travels in our mountains !
