Sixteen of us set out from Theresa at 07h00 in bright but blustery conditions. As an experienced group we were soon at the Blind Gully ascent after an easy paced start up Diagonal. Three quarters of the group enjoyed the stream scramble which was unusually dry and patently a lot of fun. Those of us who stuck with the path experienced some pareidolia episodes when we saw a llama which later became the elephant’s trunk when we got higher. We reached the beverage break spot using the traditional route with relative ease. After the break we traversed Porcupine Buttress with its succulents and then into Porcupine Ravine path for a short upwards stretch. The traverse around and up Jubilee Buttress was spectacular as always and we savoured the views to the south. We took time to check the position of Barrier Buttress which is lower and to the west of the top of Jubilee. Disappointingly we never saw the Black Eagles (Verreaux’s) this year having been spoilt by excellent sightings the past two years. Although still breezy from the south west we spent a few minutes checking the visible sections of the route we had completed below. The chute was remarkably dry and seemingly executed with some elegance by the team. We climbed up to the Valken Labyrinth and after checking the views had a relaxing lunch break, the venue offering windbreaks, shade and sun according to individual preference. One of the party shared some delicious kourabiedes which he’d personally crafted. The group stuck together on the path down KP with not one participant interested in accelerating the descent. We reached the cars at 14h30 after a short stop for a pic with the pincushions.
