A less strenuous walk on Table Mountain
There are so many walks you could do on Table Mountain if you are looking for a gentle mornings ramble. My favourite is the Elephants Eye cave and Noordhoek lookout point in Silvermine Nature Reserve. From the car park at the Silvermine reservoir the hike to the Elephants Eye cave should take you around an hour. (2 hour return) You can then extend this hike to include the lookout point which should add an extra hour. So in all a total of +/- 3 hours walking. You will also need to allow for at least a 15 minute at both the cave and at the lookout point so lets say 3.5 to 4 hours for the entire walk. Although there are some uphills it is not a very strenuous hike. From the parking area you climb initially 200m to the cave. Then drop down 30m back to the jeep track. From here it a further gentle 50m climb to the lookout point. For your efforts you can enjoy views of both oceans, see a magnificent cave, and enjoy some of the best fynbos in the cape.
The parking area at the Silvemine dam you head NW and follw the jeeptrack towards the Constantiaberg. After about a km you reach a junction and take a left turn up the hill. After 200m take a steep shortcut that cuts out a long loop on the road. At the top of the shortcut you rejoin the jeeptrack for 10m before taking a path to the right that will take you to the lookout hut. The path is relatively flat for 15 minutes and then climbs for a short distance to the lookout hut which is at a height of 550m. The views from this spot are wonderful. You can see the entire Southern suburbs, and over the Muizenberg mountains towards Simons Town.
The view from Elephants Eye cave. The lookout hut is in the foreground
From here you follow the path a further 50m uphill to the cave. The cave is a magical place that stretches back some 20m with a high roof lined with ferns and greenery. It doesn’t stretch the imagination too far to think of Merlin making a home there in centuries past.
Inside the cave
After a break in the cave you retrace your steps back to just below the lookout hut and take the upper track back towards the main jeeptrack. Don’t get back onto the path you took to get here unless you are going directly back to your car.
The upper track rejoins the main jeep track after a km. Turn right at the junction and continue for small way up the hill. (beware of speeding cyclists on this section of the road. Most are considerate and cycle slowly but keep your eyes open) After 15 minutes the road takes a sweeping curve to the left. You join a small path that keeps straight ahead. 20 minutes on this path brings you to the lookout point. Here there is a deck and benches so you can relax and soak it up. Below you is Hout Bay and Chapmans Peak.
To return you retrace your steps to the jeeptrack and follow it back to your car.
