It was a group of 21 that started from Theresa Avenue shortly after 9am. Heavy rains during the night before had led to rising water levels in Blinkwater Ravine, adding a lot of beauty and fun to the route. The temperatures were very pleasant and we were looking at a beautiful and sunny day while we were making our way up.
During a teabreak in the area above the old chains, we had full views onto the section between Blinkwater Ravine and Blinkwater Needle. We discussed the potential lines of the old Jackson Traverse, remaining as an old faint path, and figured out some anchor points providing orientation once we were in the field. The group started moving again, and only 100m further up we turned right into an obvious path indicated by a cairn. The biggest part of the group started hiking further down, traversing below the second rockface. A path was visible in some places; we found three cairns; in other places this route was proper bushwhacking. Two participants had kept themselves further up, traversing below the upper rockface. They found the true old Jackson Traverse – much easier to walk through and indicated by many cairns along the way. It took these two only 20 minutes to reach Blinkwater Needle, while the big party finally made it after roughly 50 minutes, supported by the two who were waving from the Needle side. It had been a true adventure and the whole group, independent from the choice of the route, enjoyed the exploration through a spectacularly beautiful area of the mountain.
During an extensive lunchbreak, some of us climbed Blinkwater Needle. The whole group then made its way further up onto the top of the mountain, enjoying the B-pitches of the upper Blind Gully section and the views from Blinkwater Peak. On the way down via Kasteelsport we already said goodbye so that everyone could decide upon his/her own pace on the way down. After a bit more than 7 hours the whole party was back at the cars.
Thank you everyone for a very special hike and yet another memorable day on the mountain. Thanks all for keeping up best humor and enthusiasm in the watercourse of Blinkwater Ravine and on the traverse. Thank you for your patience and support.
Photos: Alexis Zenios, Arie van Wijk, Devon Magan, Elodye Davids, Johan Fourie, Mark Steinbuch, Trevor Rennison, Ruth Knoblich
