15 of us set out from Theresa at 07h00 in warm windless conditions. As an experienced group we were soon at the Blind Gully ascent after an easy paced start up Diagonal. More than half the group chose the stream scramble as it was quite dry. We reached the beverage break spot in good time and even this early the alcove provided some necessary shade. After the break we continued traversing around Porcupine Buttress and scrambled up the ridge using the Porcupine Ravine path for only a short stretch. The traverse around and up Jubilee Buttress was spectacular as always and we savoured the views on the southern end. At the top of Jubilee we were treated to reasonable looks at a pair of Black Eagles (Verreaux’s) perched in the same spot we saw them a year ago on this hike. Our route unavoidably goes right past them and they relaxedly glided off towards Blinkwater. Atop Jubilee we spent a few moments checking the visible sections of the route we had completed. Then a careful meander down the chute was gracefully executed by all (or so it appeared from the front). At the top of KP two of the group chose to go down whilst the rest of us continued soon to be rewarded by a single booted eagle flying northwards overhead. We went through Rendezvous cave which was refreshingly cool and lunched around 13h00 under the yellowwoods in the cracks on Postern. After lunch and few zzzzzzz’s we traversed down the south side of Postern eastward to the Apostles path and then started descending Woody Ravine. We enjoyed a short shady break at the mandatory stop and reached the cars at 15h15.
