Agatha's Gully
An interesting deviation from the usual Constantia Corner route
with views over Orange Kloof, some narrowish bits for excitement
and a bit of mild scrambling.
Looking for a different way to get up to the back table and have
done the cement road and Constantia Corner paths before? Here's
your opportunity.
I have provided many additional waypoints (perhaps too many,
but geocachers like information), which make make the route
seem complicated, but it is not really. There are many cairns along
the way. The reception was not of the best, so it is important not
to follow the coords blindly, but look out for cairns and signs of
a path. This is a slightly more "adventurous" route so if you are
not comfortable with that sort of thing rather accompany someone
who has been before. The gully might be tricky after rain, but I
had no problems at the time I placed the cache, which was in the
middle of winter.
Park at Constantia Nek (A1 S34 00.695 E18 24.335) and make your
way up the jeep track/cement road or the steeper short cuts and on
to (A2 S34 00.393 E18 24.273) where you can go left to Eagle's Nest
(stunning view, a must do if you have not done it before, and there
is a
cache there) but today your route goes to the right and up the
hill. At around (A3 S34 00.301 E18 24.265) you leave the main
Constantia Corner route and head down and left to aim for the base
of a rock band (A4 S34 00.270 E18 24.219) about 100m away . The
path is initially quite vague and bushy but becomes clearer later
on. Due to the bush there might well be several paths but they all
seem to converge as your get closer to the rock band. Proceed
on the same level around the next rock band where the path gets
quite narrow as it rounds the corner to enter the gully bed.
About midway on this narrow section (at a bush) you need to
drop down about 1.5m before proceeding (still narrow) to the gully
itself (A5 S34 00.198 E18 24.193) - [Pic1].
Pic1
This is what I think is called Agatha's Gully, but there seems
to be some uncertainty. My custom GPS map calls this Turret
Gully with the ridge on the left Turret Ridge, but in the hiking
fraternity they seem to talk of Agatha's Gully.
Pic2
The gully is steep and quite eroded with lots of loose stones
[Pic2] so proceed carefully so as not to dislodge stones on your
companions until you reach a rockband with a bit of a
cave at a tree (100m) - [Pic3].
Pic3
Go left below this rockband and past the "cave". This is where I
hid the cache, quite far back in a horizontal cleft about a hand
width high and quite wide, about 20m from the gully bed. GPS
reception was not too good, but it should be around (A6 S34.159 E18
24.230) - [Pic4].
Pic4
Proceed over the neck (with Turret ridge on your left) [Pic5]
for a short distance to the vicinity of A7 S34 00.147 E18 24.212
you scramble up to the next level [Pic6].
Pic5
Pic6
It was somewhere here that we previously did quite an exciting
scramble, but I did not recognize the spot this time. The route we
followed this time was easier. Remember to keep a lookout for
cairns and signs of the path and do not follow the GPS coords
blindly. Go left again, below another rock band [Pic7]
towards (A8 S34 00.139 E18 24.205) where you scramble up towards
(A9 S34 00.139 E18 24.239) where we stopped for tea and admired the
view [Pic8].
Pic7
Pic8
As you look up the sloping bushy hill there is another rock band
up and to the left (about 300m away). Circumnavigate to the left
below this band through bush, towards (B1 S34 00.098 E18 24.238)
where you head up yet another gully and meet the main Constantia
Corner route at (B2 S34 00.103 E18 24.332)
A popular and exciting combination is to proceed along the
Constantia Corner path, past Camel Rock (there is a cache there)
and go behind De Villiers dam to join up with
GC21WDA Defending the Caveman route. Alternatively carry on
with the main path behind the dam to Tafelberg Road.
Enjoy!
Added 20100706:
By popular demand I have included the pics in the body of the
text.
Zip file containing the track log of Agatha's Gully and
Caveman's Overhang as I did it:
20100703agathaandcaveman
Now you are spoilt for choice!