Shunga-la-she Shunga-la-she is a straightforward climb with enough changing scenery to make it an interesting and worthwhile trip late in the season. From the Bluerock parking lot, Gert, Vic, Dinah and I headed west on an old road. After about 30 minutes (2 km) we dropped down on the left side and crossed the Sheep River where a river bend comes close to the road (581074). (Some parties have hiked over a kilometre and crossed at a bridge.) At a gully, we followed a ridge on the right side and made our way up to some huge but inaccessible caves. Above the caves we headed right, up a treed slope until we popped out of the trees. After several minutes of climbing, we emerged onto a scree slope. When we reached a cliff band, we skirted left to a weakness and scrambled up to the ridge. Once on the ridge, the way became clear, mostly a hike to the top. If we hadn't run out of daylight, we would have continued on to the higher unnamed peak at 569043. |
Our approximate route
Shunga-la-she from the trail. The caves are at the bottom.
Fording the Sheep River
Making our way up the gully
Climbing to the caves, Dinah, Vic and Gert exaggerate the exposure.
Dinah stands above one of the caves
On the scree above the treeline
Across Sheep River is the east ridge of Mount Burns (mouse over for a close-up)
Negotiating a cliff band. Gibraltar Mountain behind us (mouse over).
On the ridge
The false summit is
in the centre. A sheep trail
heads
toward the unnamed peak
569043.
Vic jumps on the summit
82 J/10 Mount
Rae
