There are 2 pitons almost hidden in the rock/grass protecting the worst of it. They didn’t seem too solid but better than nothing. Took 2 Caribs and safety rope. Took back pack off and did the airy traverse on free solo to set up the ropes on each end and that makes it a hand rope rail for the rest of the group and me when trying to do the moves with a back pack on. Leaving - just reverse the procedure. Get everyone safely out and then go back for the rope and caribs without a bag. You could be more cautious and use harnesses, set up a belay from the first peg to last. And then everyone else traverses on a Prusik hitch between the pegs. That way both pegs would have to fail for a climber to fall all the way down. Some redundancy at least. Leaving - again reverse procedure to get everything back.
But it’s not really not that bad. If your not afraid of heights and have some climbing experience then you won’t need a rope. It’s easy when dry, BUT the next day when you leave the trail/scramble might not be dry. Doing that in the wet without ropes is rather risky. I prefer to whip out the ropes when something is even close to risky for practice and helps me problem solve later in life when it’s really needed and time is not on your side.
Ryan Peel thanks for the quick response! I would also only do it if I had a rope set up. What's holding me back (asides from not having rope...) is the initial free solo when setting it up; so we might try sleep at upper Ndumeni cave 2 provided that can accommodate 4 people.
Don’t do it. Go for Roland’s!! 4 people tight but what an experience waking up to the Roland’s view. Buy a 30m 8mm dynamic hiking safety rope from mountain mail order and learn how (with a friend) to belay off a Munter hitch using a large carib.
Top video
Awesome video! What did you clip your caribiner to when leaving the cave? Did you have a harness?
There are 2 pitons almost hidden in the rock/grass protecting the worst of it. They didn’t seem too solid but better than nothing. Took 2 Caribs and safety rope. Took back pack off and did the airy traverse on free solo to set up the ropes on each end and that makes it a hand rope rail for the rest of the group and me when trying to do the moves with a back pack on.
Leaving - just reverse the procedure. Get everyone safely out and then go back for the rope and caribs without a bag.
You could be more cautious and use harnesses, set up a belay from the first peg to last. And then everyone else traverses on a Prusik hitch between the pegs. That way both pegs would have to fail for a climber to fall all the way down. Some redundancy at least. Leaving - again reverse procedure to get everything back.
But it’s not really not that bad. If your not afraid of heights and have some climbing experience then you won’t need a rope. It’s easy when dry, BUT the next day when you leave the trail/scramble might not be dry. Doing that in the wet without ropes is rather risky.
I prefer to whip out the ropes when something is even close to risky for practice and helps me problem solve later in life when it’s really needed and time is not on your side.
Ryan Peel thanks for the quick response! I would also only do it if I had a rope set up. What's holding me back (asides from not having rope...) is the initial free solo when setting it up; so we might try sleep at upper Ndumeni cave 2 provided that can accommodate 4 people.
Don’t do it. Go for Roland’s!! 4 people tight but what an experience waking up to the Roland’s view. Buy a 30m 8mm dynamic hiking safety rope from mountain mail order and learn how (with a friend) to belay off a Munter hitch using a large carib.
Then you won’t have to free solo. Belay from the first peg