PEAK HIGH Mountaineering

The Mountaineering and Rock Climbing in South Africa Blog

Mario Todeschini, South Africa

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Travelling in the mountains with Gavin is a very safe and reliable place to be. The fact that he is the author of the definitive Drakensberg climbing and mountaineering guidebook makes for a very re-assuring feeling. Couple this with the fact that he is the head of the Drakensberg search and rescue organisation and feelings of doubt in his experience completely disappear. Gavin’s bold but safety conscious guiding style really allow one to appreciate the beauty of technical climbing and the aesthetics of the high mountains without the constant interruption of more immature and chatty mountain guides, something which I really appreciate. Gavin’s guiding style is very subtle and one sometimes almost forgets he is there until one begins to do the wrong thing and he snaps to the forefront and corrects what ever danger he has observed beginning to unfold. Having spent many days in the high mountains with him and completed many objectively dangerous and challenging technical climbs I would highly recommend Gavin as a mature, responsible and confidence inspiring mountain guide.

 

Simon Laker, United Kingdom

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I have climbed with Gavin on three occasions each time for multiple days. The first was to his backyard of the Drakensberg, a place I have wanted to climb for years. We had a superb time including an early ascent of a new route on the Sentinel. Gavin knows the area so well that we were able to adjust to weather and situations very easily, visited various crags and enjoyed the best climbs on each. Gavin is very safe and organised whilst at the same time prepared to weigh up your abilities. As such he was comfortable with me leading both sport and trad.

This latter became the norm as we climbed together again the following year in the Spitzkop Nambia then again a year later in the Cape area.

The Spitzkop was an idea suggested by Gavin and it turned out to be inspired. I loved the area as much as the climbing. We had the place to ourselves with perhaps the highlight being a route on the Horn. High up , technical climbing and with desert all around it was a magical experience.

A highlight of any trip with Gavin is his expertise with a briar and I have many fond memories of warm starlit nights whilst the food slowly spits and cooks whilst sampling the ubiquitous glass of red.

I look forward to many more trips with Gavin and know that each one will be superbly organised, very flexible with good food and some great climbing on some of the best rock in the world.

Bell Twins Traverse, Dr Peter Robinson. January 2018

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We recently completed the Bell-Twins Traverse via Cathedral Peak in the South African Drakensberg mountains (January 2018).

Gavin was our guide.

We were a group of 5 (4 of us are from New Zealand, and the 5th Is a South African) all around 50 with previous multi-day hiking experience.

I grew up hiking in the Drakensberg but had never done the Bell Traverse so it was exciting to do this hike in my 50th year.

We decided to hire a group of porters so that we could travel with only a day pack and enjoy the scenery. Gavin organised the porters, all of whom have been trained by Peak High.

Apart from the luxury of not carrying a crippling, heavy pack, the porters were a great bunch of guys who also functioned as an unofficial security team, which can be very valuable in South Africa.

Our hike was a 4 day/ 3 night round trip from Cathedral Peak Hotel. This hotel is a great place to start and finish the trip. It was founded by the Van der Riet family in 1939. My grandparents were friendly with the owners around that time and it has remained a well run establishment to this day. The accommodation is very good and the food is great. The hotel has a relaxed, safe, family feel. One can leave gear in the hotel lock room if one is returning after doing the hike. I would strongly recommend this, because apart from the convenience of leaving ones car and gear at the hotel, there is nothing like an ice cold beer or glass of bubbles, followed by a hot shower and hearty dinner after the hike.

We did the Bell Traverse in reverse,which makes it more enjoyable (in my opinion).

We started walking late morning so elected to have a first night in Ribbon falls cave. This is a great way to break the steep climb up to the Drakensberg escarpment. The “shower” at this cave will certainly refresh you back to life!

Don’t forget the wet wipes for your other cave nights as water can be limited later.

Day 2 involved a fantastic, steep hike up the Camel and Windy Gap pass. The route is exposed in places but absolutely fine if one is careful and way easier if carrying a day pack.

The second night involves staying in a spectacular Cave, which is reached by a hugely exposed traverse. Gavin kindly fixed a hand rail for security on this traverse. Thankfully there is another option for those that don’t like the traverse- a great little cave about 800m to the West, however, sleeping more than 2 in this cave would be a tight squeeze.

Day 3 involved a spectacular but easy hike to the summit of Cleft Peak (3277m). The views from the summit are amazing. We traversed the escarpment and eventually dropped down to Twins Cave. This is a large, well sheltered cave with beautiful views down over Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Our final day was the prize of the hike: magnificent views of the inner and outer horns, the Mitre, the Bell and Cathedral Peak. There were a few short sections of exposed scrambling and areas where the narrow path felt very exposed. However, with the light packs, the “warm up” on the previous 3 days and a bit of focus and concentration it was fine.

There is the option of also climbing Cathedral Peak (3004m) at this point. However, if doing the traverse over 4 days, one needs to get to the top of the escarpment on day one, to allow time to climb this peak on the final day. However, two of us had previously climbed this peak (as a day trip from Cathedral Peak Hotel) and we were out of time, so we enjoyed the views and cruised on down to the hotel.

I will never forget the feeling of peace and satisfaction of sipping a glass of champagne and looking up at the Bell Traverse and knowing that we had finally done it.

Overall, this was definitely one of the best hikes I have done- and I have hiked extensively around the world. Gavin is a fantastic guide and not only did he make the hike possible, but he also enhanced our trip with great stories and knowledgeable anecdotes along the way.

Gavin is a superior guide with extensive experience and skill. He is also an ambassador of his passion for the mountains, being a past president of the Kwa-Zulu Natal section of the mountain club, overseeing mountain search and rescue in the area, and involved in maintaining climbing standards and instruction.

In summary, the Bell Traverse is an exceptional hike and Gavin an exceptional guide for it! Challenges and rewards await each day.

However, (and a special note here for fellow foodies); be aware that back-country fare is very simple (light to carry and quick to prepare), it is after all, a high mountain hiking trip, not a gastronomy tour. We were very glad that we took a good stash of biltong, droewors and dried fruit with us to share …and at trail’s end, an extraordinary culinary reward awaited our return to the valley at the hotel!

And a further note, I would recommend Gavins’ book : ”Drakensberg Select” , by Blue Mountain Publishers, if you are seriously interested in some of the epic climbs and hikes in the Berg.

You can also check out the Peak High website: http://peakhigh.co.za