Twelve of us set out on schedule in near ideal conditions up the Trappieskop steps from Boyes Drive. The four volunteers in the advance party were joined by the remaining eight at the turnoff to the lower terrace of caves. This easy path which is steep in places, was comfortably managed at a slow pace.
After a short traverse below some spectacular rock faces we all went through Lower Aladdin cave as an introduction to dark and confined spaces. A few metres after exiting at the other end of Lower Aladdin, we left our packs to take up the challenge of the drop and squeeze through the Dragon’s Mouth. No problems here and it was already clear that this group enjoyed squeezing, bending and twisting. Once out of the Mouth, we donned packs for only a short while before they came off again to enable the crawl through Clovelly cave.
We then had the scenic scramble up the Staircase to the upper level where a short break afforded spectacular views from East to West. The clear, windless air was a treat especially appreciated by those who have often experienced strong southeasters up there. After traversing westwards we skirted the top of the Devil’s Pit and enjoyed our mid-morning break under the yellowwoods near the bottom of Devil’s Pit. During the break, the group divided in two so as not to crowd the clamber down into the Free Drinks Saloon via Creepy Corridor.
With the bevy break and the Free Drinks over, we headed back east towards the last cave for the day. We all went through Boomslang from south to north trying not to disturb the Natal (previously Schreiber’s) long-fingered bats that were roosting in numbers. While most of the group enjoyed the quiet and dark of the Alcove, some hardy souls dragged and contorted their bodies through the narrow tunnel loop. All that remained now was the tunnel to exit on the north side which was accomplished using individual methods with varying degrees of inelegance.
We sunned and dusted ourselves off for a few minutes and then headed down to Echo Valley for the climb up to the Amphitheatre. A short climb out of the Amphitheatre took us across the top in time to descend into Spes Bona forest for lunch.
The descent back was in bright sunshine and the day had warmed up a lot. All the rock-etchings were spotted and we were back at the cars around 14h15. The warm weather and brilliant views of it from the path down, had four of the party visiting Dalebrook for a very refreshing swim.
Dennis Cope
