Hike to a cave on Table

Mountain

Explore some of the less well known hikes on Table Mountain with Ridgway Ramblers

Muizenberg Cave is found on the slopes of Kalk Bay Peak which overlooks False Bay. There are several ways to reach the cave but one of the most spectacular routes begins and ends on Boyes Drive, the spectacular road that runs above Muizenberg and Kalk Bay with magnificent views of False Bay for the entire distance.

There are several paths leading off Boyes Drive into the mountain. You need to take Bailys Kloof which is which is above Baileys cottage which overlooks surfers corner beach.

 The path is a series of steep stone steps which slog uphill for about 10 minutes. At a junction keep straight ahead and up into the mimetes valley. Here the path begins a slower and more gentle climb up the valley. From the junction it is about half an hours climb until you reach the Silvermine gravel road. Take the right hand fork and keep a look out for a path leading off to the right. (if you reach Nellies Pool you have gone about 5m past the path!)

Follow the path for about 5 minutes and you will arrive at Muizenberg cave. It has a large gaping entrance with 2 smaller entrances to the right. You can walk into the larger of these for about 6m, but beware of slipping as the rocks are often wet and slippy.

To return to Boyes drive return along the path for a short distance and take the small path to the right. (do not return all the way to the gravel road) This path will lead you to the top of Kalk Bay Peak with some fantastic views.

 The top is marked by a cairn. Once past the cairn keep going straight to a junction. Left will take you accross the top of Farmer Pecks valley for about 20 minutes. Turn right where you come to a junction and a further 5 minutes will bring you to a 4 way junction. Straight ahead will take you to the top of Muizenberg Peak. The way down is via Pecks Valley on a steep path of seemingly endless stone steps.

After about an hour you will be back on Boyes drive about 500m from your car.

Afromotane Forest of Table

Mountain

Table Mountain is more well known for beautiful views than for forest hikes. However on the Kirstenbosch side of the mountain there are some beautiful patches of Afromotane forest particularly concentrated in the river gorges. These then are the trees that line Skeleton and Nursery gorges as well as Orange Kloof.

Whilst there are several types of tree in the forest 2 that I find the most impressive are the Rooiels and the Keurboom.

The Rooiels or blossom tree (Virgilia divaricata) is a beautifully scented tree with pea shaped pink flowers. Whilst in blossom walking under a tree is a wonderful experience.

The Rooiels or butterspoon tree (Cunonia capensis) is easily recognisable by the stipule at the tip of its stems which is shaped like a butterspoon.

The flower of the rooiels is also easily recognisable as it is shaped like an erect bottle brush.

 Both these trees are found throughout the forests and river gorges on Table Mountain in all shapes and sizes.

An easy walk in the Cape Peninsula

The cement path from Muizenberg to St James is an easy and relaxing stroll along the False Bay coastline. Certainly not a walk to test your stamina or endurance this is a stroll for a lazy Sunday, or for when the weather is too bad for a hike on Table Mountain. Often when it is pouring with rain in the Southern suburbs and on the mountain the weather is a lot better further down the peninsula.

I always prefer to start this walk at Muizenberg though of course you can start at either end. Park at Muizenberg surfers corner beach and start walking along the beach there. Here you will see the brightly coloured bathing huts of the Victorian era. The beach here is usually busy as it is one of the most popular surfing beaches in the area.

At the end of the beach go up the stone steps which lead you onto the pathway. It is well marked and leads between the railway line and the coast for around 2km to St James.

 On your left you can observe the surfers and waves, whilst on your right (on the other side of the railway line) there are numerous interesting and historic houses. For example the South African police museum and the Het Posthuis which dates back to the 1700′s and is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa.

The walkway ends at St James and should take you less than 20 minutes one way.

The most scenic marathon in the

world

Saturday 23rd April (Easter Saturday) is the day of the Two Oceans Marathon. Reputed to be the most beautiful marathon in the world the route takes runners 56kms along Main Rd from Newlands to Fishhoek. Then across to the Atlantic side and return via Chapmans Peak, Hout Bay, Constantia Nek and Rhodes drive.  For slightly less ambitious runners there is a 21km half marathon and a trail run available.

This is an incredibly popular run so there are many road closures making access to the mountain in the morning difficult. (most roads have reopened by 1pm) Therefore anyone planning a hike on Saturday should plan ahead with refernce to access and parking.

Main Rd to Fishhoek and Ou Kaapse Weg are closed in the early morning. These roads reopen by 9.30 so a late start to walks in Silvermine or the Kalk Bay mountains is possible. Chapmans Peak is closed until 1pm. The good news is that although Rhodes drive is closed until 1pm, access to Kirstenbosch Gardens is permitted. As there will only be one lane open I would expect stop/go/slow traffic, but you can still get there.

Access to Table Mountain from the city or Camps Bay are of course totally unaffected.

Good luck to all the runners

A scramble route on the 12

Apostles of Table Mountain

Diagonal Path is one of my favourite routes up Table Mountain on the Camps Bay side. It is a bit of a scramble but has no real exposure so most people should manage it. It is especially nice as you rarely see anyone else on this path. I often take this route on the weekend when Kasteelspoort might be quite busy.

The path itself is well signed off the Pipe Track. It is beteween Kasteelspoort and the city so you can start from either the top of Kloof Nek or from Theresa avenue.  The route takes you up quite steeply to begin with until levelling out and taking you around Porcupine buttress.

It then climbs up Porcupine ravine following the river bed. This is the most difficult scrambling of the route as it is very steep. Those with hiking sticks will have to pack them away for a while here as you need both hands free.

 Be carefull not to miss the path as it leads away from the river to the right. The path is clear but the river continues up so if you are not looking for the path you can pass it without realising it is there.

The path leads around jubilee buttress until the final up hill takes you straight into valley of the Red Gods on the 12 Apostles path. Turn left and return to your car via Kasteelspoort or right and head through the Valley of Isolation to Echo Valley and the main table.

Circular Table Mountain hikes

Enjoy the best Table Mountain hikes on a guided walk with Ridgway Ramblers

One of my favourite circular hikes on Table Mountain begins and ends at the car park at the top of Kloof Nek. This route offers you the choice of descending by the cable car or via Platteklip Gorge. If you choose the cableway you can expect a walk of 4 to 5 hours. Hiking down Platteklip will add on around 2 hours.

From the car park at the top of Kllof Nek, cross the road and follow the path that leads around the side of Table Mountain above Camps Bay. Almost immediately you are met with some amazing views. This path follows the original pipeline that was layed down in  the early 1900′s in order to transport water from the reservoirs on top of the mountain to Cape Town. The first hour of your hike along this route is relatively flat and serves as a good warm up.

The Kasteelspoort path up the mountain is well marked. It is a great path which should take you to the top of the backtable in about 1 to 1.5 hours. It starts off with a gentle incline which takes you on a diagonal route around Kasteels buttress. In places you need to use your hands to climb up and over some rocky areas, but in general this is a very straight forward route. After about 40 mins you come to a wide slab. A small rusty hook marks the place where the old winch was used to haul things up this route during the dam construction. This is a perfect place for a rest and to enjoy the view.

After a break the path leads straight up the side of the gorge. The sheer cliffs of the mountain on your right are impressive. This second half of the gorge, although steeper are easier and after another 40 mins the path takes a right hand turn to cross a small wooden bridge. This is the top of the gorge. A further 5 minutes takes you to a junction with the 12 Apostles path.

Turn left here and follow the path. It leads gradually up. After 20 minutes the path veers to the right and begins a steeper climb. This takes you and over into the valley of isolation. Before dropping into the valley look at the view behind you. You can see almost the entire 12 Apostles path leading to Grootkop. Once you drop into the valley peace and quiet envelope you. Here you really cannot believe you are in the middle of a large cosmopolitan  city. I often see the shy klipspringer here. But only for a second before they bound off over the rocks.

Through the valley the path leads you up again. Behind you the views just get better. Hout Bay and False Bay both come into view. At last at the top you can see the cable way station. However now you need to drop 200m into Echo valley before the final climb up. The last climb is broken by a series of ladders, with amazing views down Blinkwater ravine to Camps Bay.

At last the path takes a right hand turn and before you know it you are at the top of Platteklip Gorge. Now is decision time……. The gorge or the cable car.

Hiking on Table Mountain -

Newlands Ravine

Explore Table Mountain on a guided hike with Ridgway Ramblers

Newlands ravine is the gorge that leads from the Southern Suburbs up to the saddle that lies between Devils Peak and Table Mountain. There are other routes from the Southern suburbs but this is the only non technical hiking route that takes you onto the saddle from this side of the mountain.

 The top of the gorge is at a height of 680 metres so although steep it is a relatively short gorge. To get there you park at the Newlands Forest station and head up the road towards towards the mountain. At the T junction turn left. After 2 minutes you cross a small stream, turn right into the forest here. Follow the path up to where it joins with another forest road, Turn right and at the next junction (almost immediately) take the path that leads straight up through the forest. Continue along this path for 20 minutes and then bear left. At the next forest trail continue up the hill until reaching a path that is signed “contour path” head up here.

You reach the contour path about an hour after leaving your car. Turn right and follow the path until reaching a circular wooden picnic spot. This marks the start of the ravine.

The first part of the ravine follows some rocky steps through the forest.

After 20 minutes you leave the trees behind you and begin to zig zag up towards the saddle. The path is quite clear although in summer it can be dry and dusty. Another 20 minutes and you reach the saddle.

Once at the top you have a number of choices. You can cross the saddle and drop down onto Tafelberg Road, summit Devils Peak or follow the middle traverse path that will lead you around Devils Peak to Rhodes memorial. All are wonderful walks offering a variety of views.

Hike from Constantia Nek to Table

Mountain cableway

The hike from Constantia Nek to the cableway is one of the longer routes on the mountain so is definitely a full day hike. There are a number of different routes you could take but in general the distance is +/- 16km. The advantage of this route is that Constantia Nek offers the easiest route up the mountain, and of course you can take the cable car down.

The start of the hike is at the top of Constantia Nek. There is a large parking area at the circle at the top of the pass, you park here. (This is not a circular route so you need to organise a lift back from Tafelberg Rd to Constantia Nek.) Then simply follow the jeep track. After 5 minutes you pass a gate and a sign on your left. Take the small path leading to the left here. It is steep, but is much better than following the jeep track on a huge switchback here. The path is quite eroded but clear. It should take you about 20 minutes until you rejoin the jeep track. Here you can choose between continuing on the jeep track or taking another small path on the left. Although the path is a little quicker, the jeep track is a little easier especially if you are worried about your fitness.

If you choose the path it rejoins the jeep track after about 40 minutes walking. Both routes then continue up the final bend. Eventually, about an hour after you left your car you will pass a small bridge. Here the road levels out slightly. It continues to lead you North past the De Villers dam and the Overseers cottage. Here it takes a sweeping turn to the left and leads you West past the Victoria and Alexandria dams. Here the road is good and the incline very slight so you can move quite quickly.

An hour after passing the De Villers Dam you arrive at the Woodhead dam. Here take a left turn to cross the dam wall. Below the dam wall is Orange Kloof the only restricted part of Table Mountain. It is filled with indigenous trees and the view from the dam wall is fantastic.

Once on the other side of the dam follow the path until it comes to a junction. (There is a tap here if you need to refill your water) Turn right back onto the jeep track and follow it for 5 minutes. You need to look for a small path leading off to your left. This path leads you gradually up and around the side of St Michaels peak. As you climb, the views down on the dams and over the rest of the peninsula are terrific. After an hour you reach the top of this path and look down into Echo Valley. You can clearly see your route from here. You need to drop down 60m to the valley and then climb steeply up the other side to the central table. (The highest point on your walk)

Once on the Central Table you will notice the path becoming wider. You are now about 20 minutes from the cable car so in the main tourist area. Turn left and follow the path. It leads you down to the top of Platteklip Gorge then a final short up onto the Western Table. From here 5 more minutes will take you to the restuarant and cable car.

Plants to look out for on your

Table Mountain walk.

 With over 2000 different plant species packed into the Cape Peninsula, (which is more species than are found in the whole of the British isles) the area is a choice destination for plant lovers from all over the world. The peninsula is part of the smallest plant kingdom in the world. The Fynbos plant kingdom.

The Ericas are the largest genus in this kingdom with over 600 different species being found in the area. They have distinct needle like leaves which are found in whorls around the stem usually in threes or fours. The petals are joined together to form a corolla tube which may be long and narrow or open and cup shaped.

Ericas are perrrenial shrubs with the size of the flower varying from very long tubular flowers of up to 45mm long down to minute flowers with flowers less than 0.7mm long. Much of the size, shape and colour of the flower is linked to pollination. Long tubed species often being pollinated by sunbirds whilst smaller cup shaped species are pollinated by a variety of insects.

When next walking on Table Mountain take the time to look at the variety of plants on either side of the path. In a tiny area you will find an amazing variety of plants including in most places several different Ericas.

Walking on Table Mountain

Enjoy the best of Table Mountain on a guided hike with Ridgway Ramblers

The cliff edge path runs along the Northern edge of the Eastern Table and has the most fantastic views of the city and Table Bay. As the name suggests it is a path that has a steep drop on one side and is thus not recommended in strong winds or wet weather. Don’t let the name put you off though. It is a wide path with plenty of space between you and the drop so as long as conditions are favourable it is suitable for all (except young children)

To get there from the cableway station you head away from the restuarant and towards Platteklip Gorge. As you get to the gorge you have a steep drop  with a chain handrail to assist you. This is the hardest part of the day. This takes you into a small sheltered area at the top of Platteklip. Keep straight ahead and after a small climb onto the Eastern Plateau take the left turn signed as the “alternative route to Maclears Beacon” The recommended route is straight ahead. (on a windy or wet day stick to the recommended route)

The path leads you right to the other side of the mountain where it veers right and takes you along the cliffs overlooking the city. Regular stops to enjoy the views are a must.

Don’t forget to look behind you to see the cable car, Lions Head and Signal hill.

After about half an hours walking the path begins to lead away from the edge. Here the fynbos is particularly low and hardy as this part of the mountain is the most exposed to the winter storms. Much of the path for the next half hour is a wooden boardwalk protecting the delicate plantlife below.

You reach Maclears Beacon around an hour after leaving the cable car. This is the highest point on Table Mountain, and offers wonderful 360 degree views of the city, Back Table, Southern Suburbs and False Bay.

 

From Maclears Beacon you can head back to the cable car along the more Southern side of the Eastern Table. The path is not clear in places so you need to keep your eye out for yellow footprints that will lead you back. Along this path the views to your left are over the back table which surpises many people by its size.