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Location: The huge ravine creating the divide between the main massif of the Western Table, and the range of the 12 Apostles buttresses. NB: Technically this route has been closed since a major rockfall in 1982 and the SANParks notices at the bottom and top alert against using the route.
Overview: Blinkwater Ravine (formerly known as Stinkwater!) is not officially maintained by SANParks and the chains on the top rock scramble were removed after a rockslide lower down in the ravine made the whole route unsafe at the time.
Route Description:
Start off the Pipe Track at a point right off the stream bed where currently (October 2024) SANParks has a warning sign against using the route. The first hundred meters or so is a lumbago alley through thick bush, then the path opens up under a tree canopy and moves further right to next to the cliff.
The route keeps right until some way above the seasonal waterfall where it is easy to traverse into the rocky stream bed. Higher up a large block bars progress. Here you move left around it then right to gain the stream bed again. NB: Several sections in the stream bed are loose, especially the part where the rockfall occurred in 1982. Move with great care, keeping to the left off the loose rock.
The watercourse narrows in places and some short tricky sections have to be surmounted, the most memorable being up to and around behind a prominent large tree. After negotiating Protea bushes obstructing the remains of the old steps, the ravine pinches out, and a 15m cliff on the left is climbed. The remains of the anchors for the old chains can still be seen. Follow a narrow ledge out left, to stone steps, which apart from one short rocky corner section, lead easily to the saddle above Echo Valley.
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