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Steep slog up slope ...
Marjean Pass
When the Johannesburg Hiking Club bought Foothold property in the late 1980s, the first priority became finding a route through the rock band to the top of the range. For some time the only route was the original gully, now little used due to fire damage and erosion. Only later was Jubilee Gap discovered, and later still a chain ladder erected up the rock face.
In the meantime Jean Paetzold and Marge Smith had begun to use a gap in the rocks on the mountain to the east of Foothold. This was used when leading slow hikes, particularly when the group included visitors who were nervous of the original gully and terrified of the chain ladder.
The gap also proved useful as a short-cut back to Foothold from the annual Breedt’s Nek to Foothold hike, which traditionally took place during a Foothold working party weekend during the winter months, when the lack of water and shade was not a problem.
