Cairn Ravine

Route Description:

Start at Kloof Nek parking and follow the Pipe Track about 3/4 way to Blinkwater (1.8 to 1.9 km from the start of the Pipe Track). It might be a little hard to find the start of the route since there is no path. From Kloof Nek walk past the Waterworks and Diepsloot (deep ravine just after the waterworks). The route starts up the grassy slope as your round the next deep ravine.

You will find a few cairns at the start of the route but just follow the path of least resistance, aiming diagonally right for the rock band which blocks your view of the Cairn Ravine watercourse. There are build-up caves at the foot of the rock band just left of the waterway. If you continue further left along the rock base you'll find a break through the first band (marked with cairns).

After the pitch traverse right through some dense bush, negotiating ledges to gain the bed of the ravine just below a high precipice that's a waterfall in winter. The route continues in a bushy gully with trees to the right of the ravine bed. The gully has wet and soft ground and it might be easier to climb the crack immediately to the right.

Continue up the gully until you see a built-up cave, don't climb up to the cave but rather traverse out to the left (bushy) back into the ravine bed. Ascend more or less in the middle of the ravine for about 60 m until no easy climb is visible (at an elevation of about 580m). To the left of the ravine bed you will find a cairned 10m pitch (second image shown). This pitch might be wet in winter.

Follow the ravine bed to where the ravine forks (elevation of 675m), take the right hand branch which ends above a shoulder on Cairn Buttress. There are a few rock pitches to reach a ledge below the prominent overhang. Traverse left around the overhang to find a few rock steps on your right. Follow cairns to the right to reach the Cairn Buttress shoulder (805 m elevation). Follow the clearly marked path below Fountain Ledges (also used for the Grotto-Fountain-Cairn Traverse) to reach the top of Kloof Corner Ridge.

At one point there is an awkward step with vertical cracks, but this can be avoided by scrambling up further right around the corner then walking along a ledge to re-join the tramped track.

India-Venster is the preferred descent. An alternative is where the ravine meets the cliffs at the top to avoid the scramble diagonally left up to Fountain Ledge a traverse left under Kloof Corner ridge can be made to The Poort. Then descend from the Poort until a vague traverse line across to the India Venster path can be followed.