This was Take 2 after our Traverse of the Gods hike scheduled for 8 September had to be postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions. This time around, the weather was absolutely perfect. As our group of excited hikers started the adventure from Tafelberg Road, one couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful signs of spring all around. We kept up a brisk pace and reached the trig beacon on the contour path in good time. We had a quick stop here, then started our traverse south below the imposing rock bands of Kloof Buttress, navigating the usual loose rocks, dodging a few blister bushes, and carefully traversing along some exposed sections.
After about 1.5 hours, the nexus of the route reveals itself. The infamous dassie crawl is a spectacular connection that links the different sections of the route and is a focal point due to its challenging and exposed nature. Steer clear of this if you suffer from claustrophobia or have a slightly bigger build. You have to remove your backpack and preferably put on an old shirt to “leopard crawl” through. We measured it on the day; it’s 10 meters long and only 26 cm from top to bottom at the other end. Getting to the start of the dassie crawl involves a tricky step down, across, and up (Grade -C), with some exposure. The crawl is flanked by a massive drop, with limited space to manoeuvre and wriggle yourself forward. It is, however, quite exciting, an experience that you will not easily forget!.
It takes a while to get a large group safely through the dassie traverse, so it’s a good opportunity to have a snack and share some pictures. On the other side is a geo-cache, so you can enter your name in the “Visitors Book”. The view from here is beautiful, one silently thanks Jeff Goy and Ralph Roseman for opening this route (1995) and starts a mental list of friends who need to also experience this beauty.
After the dassie crawl, we scrambled up most of the steep slope towards Kloof Corner Ridge and then continued along a section of the Grotto-Fountain-Cairn Traverse route. Once we’d passed Cairn Ravine, we scrambled up higher to reach the last section of Kloof Corner Ridge, right before it connects with Fountain Ledges. Some of the members opted for an India Venster descent, while the rest continued and took the cable car down. A lovely day out, definitely worth waiting two weeks for better weather.
Co-lead: Johan “Fomo Sapien” Fourie
Co-lead: Ruth Knoblich
Pictures by: Christo Steyn, Dyan Belonje, Esme Beamish, Gawie Gabriel le Roux, Guy Pitman, Johan Fourie, Keryn Duncan-Smith, Peter Labouchere, Ruth Knoblich, Trevor Rennison
