PROPERTIES — NORTH WEST
Lower Tonquani (Access from North)
"If you think you’ve peaked, find a new mountain."
Venue Information
| Venue Overview | Lower Tonquani is a beautiful, long kloof with crystal clear pools, shady spots and classic climbs congregated around the lower section of the kloof near the Cedarberg Kloof, Tonquani kloof and Boulder Kloof junction. Note Upper and Lower Tonquani are both the same property, which houses both Boulder and Cederberg Kloofs. |
| Permit / Permission info | Land owned by the MCSA is open to MCSA members, permits are required for non-members and members' guests. Contact MCSA Jhb for permits. |
| Approx travel time from Jhb | The Northern access takes about 90 minutes via Breedtsnek (the road is in very bad condition - 4×4 vehicle is strongly recommended), or 120 minutes via Buffelspoort Dam. |
| Parking info | Safe Parking is available at Calabash and Utopia Nature Estate for a fee. |
| Walk-in | There are various ways to walk into Lower Tonquani, including:
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| Accommodation | Wild camping is available at the top end of Cedarberg Kloof at the top of Grey Gully as well as at Tweedlee Dee to the East – no facilities available apart from a cage to store food. There’s no water available here, so you need to get water from within the kloof. |
| Availability of drinking water | Water is available year-round in the kloof and is safe to drink. |
| Climbing route guide | The MCSA has published a route guide, Rock Climbing Routes in the Tonquani Complex. |
| Climbing info | This is a long section of the kloof with over 120 trad routes on excellent rock. The climbs are mostly multi-pitch with a range of grades from 7 to 26, including a number of classic climbs of all grades. Some 90 metre and longer climbs, with superb views, can be found in the area where Cedarberg Kloof intersects Tonquani. |
| Child-friendly | Yes, if 12 years and up as the walk in is long, and can be tricky – with steep sections, pools to boulder hop and wade and boulders to navigate. |
| Swimming | Yes. |
| Camp fires | Strictly no fires permitted. |
| Other attractions | Crystal clear pools to swim in, a wide variety of birds, animals and plants and beautiful scenery to inspire photographers and artists. Kloofing from Upper to Lower Tonquani is a great way to explore the kloof – but be very careful when negotiating the traverse above the Help-Help Pool as the rock is extremely slippery. |
| Dangers | The access from Upper to Lower Tonquani using the traverse above the Help-Help Pool is over-polished rock and hazardous to inexperienced parties. |
| Contact details | MCSA Jhb Section - admin@jhb.mcsa.org.za |
Disclaimer
Mountaineering (climbing and hiking) is de facto an activity which carries certain inherent risks. Neither the MCSA, nor any of its members or representatives accept responsibility for any deaths, injury or illness sustained or suffered by any person or for any theft, loss or damage to any property that result from participation in MCSA activities, no matter in what manner caused and whether allegedly due to negligence or not.