15 of us set out at 07h03 from Constantia Nek in ideal conditions, cool and breathless. This number included a member who very courteously joined us for a 30 minute meet and greet before having to leave. At the start of the Constantia Corner path we were treated to a pair of booted eagles appropriately circling above Eagles Nest. Traversing to the base of the Gully we had a pair of Southern Boubous duetting in the stillness. Everyone ascended using the Gully which was relatively dry and stable. Leaving the gully on its west side, we traversed to the first pitch stopping for the now usual geocaching discussion and the toilet demonstration. Everyone managed the pitches comfortably with some choosing to go round the chimneys. After the beverage break two initiates climbed the Camel enroute to Klaassen’s Kop.
At Lumbago Alley most chose the hard way shuffling in a range of methods with varying degrees of elegance. We had a short break there to enjoy the view of the back of the Apostles and to fulfil the mandatory requirement of deciding which is Intake and which Frustration Ravine. We then ascended to the lunch spot below the top of Klaassen’s Kop enjoying the scrambles on the way up. The awkward pitch was done by most of the group as was the Postbox slot mini excursion before lunching on the warmer northern side. After lunch seven of us shimmied up the chockstone route to the summit, descending across the tree. We then regrouped at the lunch spot before heading across the top in an easterly direction to the Constantia Corner/De Villiers Dam path. We followed the path for a short while then detoured directly to the concrete road at the top of Spilhaus Ridge. The advance group of four reached the cars around 14h20 with the merged principal fragment of 10 arriving at 14h40
