The Hoerikwaggo Trail

Day 3

Slangkop to Silvermine

Join Ridgway Ramblers for the full 5 day Hoerikwaggo trail hike or a shorter section if you don’t have the time for the full trail. We will organise your food, accommodation and arrange for your luggage to be transported from camp to camp.

Day 3 on the Table Mountain trail is the longest and hardest of the 5 day hike. On this day you cover a distance of 21km with a steep uphill right at the end of the day.

You begin with a 9km walk along Kommetjie and Noordhoek beach. This is a lovely way to start the day. The scenary is magnificent and the walking relatively easy. There is also the wreck of the Kapako to add interest to the hike here.

day 3: Hoerikwaggo trail

Hiking on Noordhoek Beach

This section of the day should take you about 2 hours. Take a break when you get to the far end of Noordhoek beach before heading up the hill to Chapmans Peak. This first climb of the day should take you about an hour and a half and is one of my favourite sections of the entire 5 days. After a short traverse you make your way up the peak overlooking the famous road by the same name. The path is clear with short steep scrambles in places.

 

Hiking up Chapmans Peak

Looking down onto Chapmans Peak drive

Eventually the path takes you around the back of the mountain and you emerge at the top to wonderful 360 degree views of the peninsula from Fish Hoek to Noordhoek beach, Hout Bay and Table Mountain.

 

Chapmans Peak

At the top of Chapmans Peak

From Chapmans Peak (547m) the path now takes you around the West side of Lower Chapmans Peak and to a nek at 320m. From here you begin to climb again. This time heading East and up into the Silvermine plateau. This climb takes you to a height of 660m and joins with the jeep track in the reserve just to the right of Noordhoek peak. If you are feeling energetic you can climb the final 100m to the top of Noordhoek Peak before heading down the jeep track to the tented camp.

You still have an hours hiking ahead of you once you join the jeep track. You can either stay on the jeep track as far as the reservoir, or follow a smaller path through the fynbos. At the reservoir you turn right down the Silvermine river and follow this path until it intersects with a much bigger path. You turn left onto the bigger path which takes you across the main road in the reserve and on to the camp.