Ramp Cave
On our exploration hike a few months ago, we discovered 'The Ramp', a long, steep and grassy slope that rises up from above the Mzimude river and ends on the high ridge that overlooks Whytes Cave. Robs Gully also originates from this ridge and I feel that there may well be one or two more routes to explore in this area. Whilst negotiating The Ramp, we had noticed a cave midway which looked very promising, so we decided to do a three night caves traverse, and christen the new cave, 'Ramp Cave'
day one - garden castle office to secret cave
The weather was looking decidedly gloomy as we set off with a blustery cold wind and grey skies - this was not what was forecasted! We took a short cut into Hidden Valley by climbing up and over Sondonzima Ridge. We have done this route a number of times but noticed a cave in the rock band as we were descending. Upon investigation we found a very sheltered little cave, which could sleep 3 people comfortably - we thought 'Cubbyhole Cave" fitted it well! Soon we were down at the Mzimude River and making our way up towards Secret Valley. By now the sun had emerged with lots of blue sky and it was a beautiful day. I had forgotten how long and rough this last section was with next to no path so slow and steady progress was the order of the day. Secret Cave is as its name suggests - hidden behind some massive boulders with a narrow entrance. Behind this is a flat area for sleeping and a huge overhang ahead. It used to be a well kept secret but this is no longer the case. There was a family of 5 that had arrived before us and we were unsure as to what our reception would be. Although we had booked beforehand there must have been some mix up with Ezemvelo as this family had done the same. As it turned out we need not have worried, they were most kind and welcoming! It was so lovely to see this family with three teenage girls who all appeared to be loving the experience.
day two- secret cave to wave cave
We made an early start as we although we had a short distance to cover that day, we wanted to be at Wave cave before any rain arrived in the afternoon. This section was new to me and we took the lower route, first a bit of climbing and then traversing along the edge of a rock band, taking in the waterfall and then a bit later, a few tarns. We approached the infamous Mzimude North pass which brought back vivid memories and I noted that it looked a lot more eroded - no doubt due to the heavy rains experienced over the last year or two. I would think this pass is now too dangerous to attempt. After making our way down to the river, we headed downstream and after a bit of bundu bashing, climbed out a steep bank and across to the Wave Cave valley. After we had settled in the clouds gathered and we had some rain which cooled things down a bit - its always nice to be dry and cosy in a cave and watch the rain fall!
day three - wave cave to ramp cave
It was raining softly as we were packing up, but fortunately this cleared up as we started walking. We were amazed to literally 'see ' the end of a beautiful rainbow in the little valley leading into Wave cave - a special experience and not something I have seen before. We headed up the well worn smugglers path on to the higher plateau which is a whole lot easier than the route we used to take in the early days. From here we headed for the ridge that runs past the entrance to the Whytes Cave valley and continued to make our way past the top of Robs Gully towards the Ramp and Ramp Cave. I mentioned previously that I think there is another way down that runs alongside Robs Gully - another adventure for another day.... We had hoped to collect water from the little stream near the top of the Ramp, but it was almost dry. In fact, we had noticed that all the rivers were quite low everywhere - quite a marked change since our last visit a month or two ago. We saw a pool of water far below in one of the valleys so we had no choice but to go down and collect this as there would be no water at the cave given the conditions elsewhere. After making our way down the Ramp, we climbed down the grassy gully next to the cave and wondered what we would find. We had seen the cave previously from across the gully so were not sure whether it was actually suitable for staying in. Ramp Cave turned out to be a very large cave with several sleeping areas and the most fantastic view. Richard did some housekeeping and cleared an area to put our mattresses down. I explored the other end of the cave and was intrigued to find an animal highway -a well worn path that runs directly against the cliff face and goes for quite a distance. As darkness fell, there were rumblings of thunder and we were entertained for almost two hours by the most spectacular display of lightning and thunder. I have never seen anything like it and it was like watching a movie on a gigantic screen. Quite a unique experience!
day 4 - ramp cave to garden castle office
It was cloudy and overcast this morning so lovely walking weather. We decided to head directly down the gully in front of the cave although in hindsight we would have been better off taking the ridge to the left of the cave. These things are not always obvious at first! The going was rough and slow but we eventually made it down to more level ground. We had seen a beautiful tarn previously but not gone any closer, so we made up for this by visiting it on the way out. The reflections were magical and it would be a lovely place to tent as you are quite hidden from the path below. We walked out on the Giants Cup Trail and were back at the office by midday. 4 wonderful days spent in paradise!
Secret Cave
