Hiking trails near Stellenbosch
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve which is found near the town of Stellenbosch (+/- 1 hours drive from Cape Town) has some of the greatest walking in the Western Cape. Two of the best are the Panorama Trail and the Swartboskloof Trail. Both are about 17km in length and take a good to 6 to 8 hours to complete.
They both lead off the dirt road that circles the reserve beginning only 500 metres apart. However they lead up opposite slopes of the mountains through pristine fynbos. The Panorama trail has magnificent views of the entire reserve which includes the smaller Assegaaibos reserve on the other the side of the mountains. The Swartboskloof trail leads to a viewpoint of the entire Helderberg Valley, from where you can see Gordons Bay and the Strand as well as Cape Town in the distance.
Jonkershoek valley from The Panorama Trail
Both trails meet again for the steep descent back to the dirt road from where they began. The descent down a kloof called Kurktrekkersnek is steep and unrelenting. Anyone with bad knees be warned this is a tough way down!!
Overlooking Gordons Bay and The Strand
For several years the highlight of a walk in Jonkershoek was the pristine and beautiful vegetation. However following the devastationg fires of 2009, the reserve was closed to hikers for 8 months in order to allow the fynbos to regenerate. Fire is a natural part of the ecology of fynbos but lots of stamping boots (no matter how carefull the hiker) does not assist regeneration. The new growth is now developed enough to allow the trails to open again and what a treat to be able to see the recovery of the fynbos over the next year.
The steep Kurktrekkersnek descent
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