1st Waterfall Ravine

Route Description: 

It is VERY IMPORTANT to take the correct ravine, which is immediately to the left of Mowbray Ridge. There have been many accidents and fatalities when second Waterfall Ravine has been attempted by mistake.

Start at the King’s Blockhouse (beware of muggers; be vigilant and hike in a group, with no valuables).

Traverse left behind the Blockhouse along a pipeline path into the ravine. (Note: One cannot start off the main lower Contour Path because there is a waterfall - as shown in the image here.)

At the time of this update (November 2024), the path from King's Blockhouse into First Waterfall Ravine is very overgrown. It opens up as you approach First Waterfall Wall, a built-up fountain that used to supply water to King's Blockhouse. The remains of the wall and some water pipes can still be seen, with water from the fountain flowing all year. The area around the fountain is always wet and extremely slippery, so approach with great care.

A short way up the ravine, you are forced out to the left onto a steep slope which used to have some of the “Thousand Steps blocks”, which are mostly gone now.

At approximately the 550m level, traverse back into the ravine and keep mostly on the right-hand side where the steps used to be. At approximately the 600m level, there are large boulders that block the ravine and you need to carefully scramble up a moss-covered slab on the left. After that, keep mostly to the left and remain careful as it is very loose and DANGEROUS. If you insist on doing this route, keep the members of your hiking group close together, in case a rock is dislodged.

The ravine ends on a saddle, roughly at 790m high, next to Minor Peak where Knife Edge/Mowbray Ridge ends. From here, one can drop down via a zig-zag trail to join the 700m Traverse between Oppelskop Ridge and Mowbray Ridge, or descend even lower to reach the 580m Traverse. Another option would be to continue towards the Devil's Peak Direct Route, though this involves technical scrambling and exposure to heights, and is only recommended for experienced hikers who are familiar with the route.

More details about a First Waterfall Ravine ascent can be found at this link:  http://greathikes.blogspot.co.za/2009/12/devils-peak-via-first-waterfall-ravine.html