Day 1 – Cobham to Spectacle Cave
We always like to take advantage of the 4 days on offer over the Easter weekend and this year was no different. KZN had suffered horrific flooding after torrential rain a few days prior and the rain still looked to be hanging around according to the weatherman. We consulted the forecasts every day in the week leading up to the hike and it kept chopping and changing. In the end we had to draw a line in the sand and we decided we would go anyway and take what the Berg would throw at us. Old hiking friends Christine and Stephan joined us, and we set off from Cobham on a sunny morning – no signs as yet of the clouds that were set to appear late afternoon with rain. We would be at Spectacle Cave by then, our first stop for the night. Aside from me running out of energy after our lunch break, all went well and we set up in the cave mid afternoon. Space is scant in the top half of the cave and it would have been a tight squeeze for the 4 of us, so Stephan and Christine put up their tent in the flat area below the cave. Sure enough it became very overcast and then out of the blue or grey I should say, huge hailstones the size of golf balls fell. It was over as soon as it started, but was followed by a cold mist that crept in everywhere. It was too cold to sit outside so after our dinner, so we retired to the roar of the waterfall nearby.
Day 2 – Spectacle Cave up Masubasuba Pass
It must have rained overnight as everything was very wet when we set off the following morning. The skies were heavy and grey with the mist coming and going and we knew we would get wet at some stage! We had initially planned on taking the river valley route up to Masubasuba Pass, but after one look at the overgrown banks and heavily flowing river, we elected to take the route up past Fingalls rock to the Hub and then follow the contour into the Pass. This entails a stiff climb up, particularly the last half and we were pleased to find the path and then head towards Masubasuba. This pass goes up between Hodgsons North and Hodgsons South peaks – none of us had done it before so it was new ground. A slight drizzle persisted and every now and then the mist would clear and we would get the views. After lunch just before the final gully we started the climb up. Towards the top the terrain became very eroded with lots of loose scree and boulders that could topple down at the slightest movement, so we had to be careful. This pass does receive heavy use, and this coupled with the massive amounts of rain that have fallen over the past weeks have undoubtedly contributed to the pass becoming quite dangerous in more than a few places. We topped out later than we had hoped and we still had a 4km walk to our campsite. We noticed snow on top of the surrounding peaks so it had definitely snowed the night before. There was a chilly wind blowing as we made our way round Hodgsons South and down into the Pitsaneng Valley and rain was threatening. The entire escarpment was running with water and we had to make our way through and over marshy muddy ground, little streams and rivers. It started drizzling and we still had to find a dryish spot to tent – it was now well after 4.00pm and everyone had had enough of the day - so when we found the first suitable area, there was no debate, up the tents went. Its never fun putting a tent up in the rain and worse having to find a place to store wet soggy gear. After a change into dry clothes and a hot drink we began to feel more human again.
Day 3 – Down Stones North Pass to Lakes Cave
It rained on and off during the night and we woke to frigid conditions. Putting on wet socks and boots was not delightful and it felt like my feet were encased in ice blocks. My hands too suffered the same fate as my gloves from the day before were alas waterproof no longer. Fortunately after walking to the top of Stones Pass North, some warmth returned to the extremities. Once we started down the pass, we were more sheltered and out of the wind and it was not long before we were peeling off the layers. Stones North surprised me as it is an easy pass as Berg passes go. There is a short steep section to negotiate and then a long ridge to follow down to the river. From here we had a long traverse below the Sea Serpent and around to Lakes Cave. Unfortunately the paths along this section have grown over long ago to lack of use, maintenance and a very wet summer, so this made for a long and tiring afternoon with a lot of steep hills and bundu bashing to negotiate. To make matters more difficult, the mist was coming down making landmark sightings hard to see. It started raining heavily about 2kms before Lakes Cave and we hastily decided to put up tents on a small ridge next to some tarns. Despite rain gear we all got very wet. The rain continued all night and miraculously eased the following morning revealing very sullen and overcast skies.
Day 4 – Lakes Cave back to camp
The sun made an appearance in the distance and we were able to take a few photos – it really was spectacular and made up for the trials of the day before. We packed up and were soon making our way down the Lakes Cave ridge and past the Policeman and the Titty. It remained overcast and cloudy with the sun making an effort to appear now and again. The descent down from Siphongweni was tricky as there was water flowing everywhere and the path difficult to find in places but we were soon on the trail back to camp.
This hike was a challenge in difficult conditions but I ultimately enjoyed it despite the setbacks- it was good to get two new passes under my belt too.
I was not able to make use of my camera much due to the weather so a big thanks to Stephan for the use of his photographs - some great action shots!
