Hiking Cape Town and Hiking Trails of South Africa – se7en

This guide accommodates 35 hikes from all around the Cape Peninsula and even a handfull from additional a subject. There is an efficient introduction on mountain security and a great deal of suggestions and methods to creating your day trip adventuring one. Each hike has a superb and properly annotated map, in addition to a field of important info for a fast overview. The info field inludes the beginning and finish GPS location, how lengthy the hike is and the way lengthy it’ll take you, the issue grade in addition to the terrain, and different helpful info, for instance if the route is canine pleasant or not.

For each hike there’s a detailed dialogue on the route, interspersed with snippets of data and particular particulars. The guide is richly illustrated, with full color pictures on each web page. It is an absolute gem of a handbook, and it’s sufficiently small (A5), to pop into your day pack and go away there as your personal-pocket-guide, till you attain a shady relaxation cease, the place you possibly can take it out and evaluation your hike and revel in that little bit additional that you simply get whenever you go mountain climbing along with your very personal knowledgeable.

35 Hikes You Will Find within the Book…

Most guests to Cape Town ask to go up Table Mountain, sadly nearly all of them are advised to move for Platteklip, which is a reasonably strenuous and tricksy climb straight up the mountain after which it’s a pretty lengthy trek throughout the highest of the mountain to get to Maclear’s Beacon… technically the highest of the mountain.

This guide is a transparent demonstration that not solely does Cape Town have all types of climate in at some point, however we now have quite a lot of hikes out there to our guests. From tiring and technical, to shady ambles, there actually is one thing for everybody on Table Mountain, it’s a good spot to stretch out your legs and see town because the locals see it.

In the City Bowl:
1. Lion’s Head Circuit: This is a stunning route and whereas we now have climbed up Lion’s Head a number of instances, the circuit round it was an absolute gem. An straightforward stroll and I can see precise why so many path runners get pleasure from it.
2. Deer Park to Contour Path Circuit
3. Saddle Path to Kirstenbosch
4. Table Mountain to Kirstenbosch by way of the Aqueduct: If you’ve gotten by no means hiked previous the aqueduct on Table Mountain, then this hike is ideal for you. The aqueduct is essentially the most wonderful shady spot for a break on a sizzling summer time day.
Along the Atlantic SeaBoard:
5. Kasteelspoort: This is my favorite option to get to the highest of Table Mountain, I like this hike, particularly within the early morning earlier than the solar comes up.
6. Diagonal Route
7. Corridor Ravine
8. Llandudno Ravine to Constantia Nek
The Southern Suburbs:
9. Woodcutter’s Path
10. Kirstenbosch Contour Path
11. Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine: This is unquestionably one in all my favorite childhood reminiscence hikes, my dad and I used to move up and over the mountain this fashion on a regular basis.
Constantia Nek
12. Constantia Nek Circuit
13. Camel Rock by way of De Villiers Reservoir
Hout Bay:
14. Blackburn Ravine
15. Myburgh’s Ravine and Myburgh’s Waterfall Ravine
16. Chapman’s Peak
Silvermine:
Another one in all Cape Town’s finest saved mountain climbing secrets and techniques, and locations to discover with views for miles.
17. Amphitheatre Circuit
18. Skyline Path and Noordhoek Peak
19. Old Wagon Road and River Walk: This Silvermine River Walk is a stunning household stroll, regardless of the season… we wish to hike up it and meet our family and friends who don’t really feel like mountain climbing up on the dam for a publish hike swim and a picnic.
20. Constantiaberg
21. Higher Steenberg Peak
False Bay:
22. Echo Valley and Spes Bona
23. Bailey’s Kloof
24. Elsie’s Peak: And that is our house turf, the mountain that my children have grown up on…
Cape Point:
This is de facto our again yard, my children spent most of their childhood mountain climbing the paths of Cape Point. I feel it might be one of the underrated mountain climbing areas of the Cape… when most individuals hike up Table Mountain and the identical routes repeatedly… Cape Point is a treasure trove of an amazing number of routes, wildlife and naturally fynbos.
25. Gifkommetjie to Cape of Good Hope
26. Kanonkop Circuit
27. Shipwreck and Sirkelsvlei Circuit
Kommetjie:
28. Scarborough to Kommetjie
Further Afield:
29. Vine Trail, Zevenwacht Wine Estate
30. Uitkyk Trail, Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve
31. Leopard Loop, Helderberg Nature Reserve
32. Gantauw Pass, Hottentots Holland Mountains
33. Houw Hoek Circuit, Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
34. Leopard’s Kloof Trail, Harold Porter National Botanical Garden
35. Palmiet River Trail, Kogelberg Nature Reserve

And the Book Launch, with Interview Questions:

I used to be fortunate sufficient to be on the guide launch for this guide, it has been greater than a minute since books had in-person launches. Wonderful to be again on the earth of books, surrounded by those that get pleasure from them a lot. A guide launch is at all times a good way to fulfill the writer, and he clearly has a big group of people who hike with him, and a really enthusiastic fan membership… all in attendance.
What has modified over final 20 years?
More and extra persons are on the mountain now, extra entry to the mountain means having fun with your time on the mountain. Covid pushed people onto the mountain, increasingly folks have found the advantages of nature. People have found the mountain, together with extra folks there’s much more litter and music, however folks have turn out to be extra conscious of the worth of nature. As a toddler he remembered climbing cathedral peak, with one fruit pastel within the morning and one within the afternoon, after which nonetheless went on strolling. Does he have a favorite hike within the guide?
The shipwreck path in Cape Point, with the hike to Sirkelsvlei. In the warmth of summer time, from Rhodes Memorial alongside the contour path to Kirstenbosch. Most walks within the guide are flat… besides when they’re steep. Any Technical Tips for Hikers?

1. Read and analysis the place you’re going earlier than you set out. More folks die on the slopes of Table Mountain than on Everest. It’s not a hill in our yard… we have to respect the mountain.
2. Always take a raincoat, and a charged cellphone with you.
3. Be observant to your environment, so that you simply recognise the place you might be and might return.
4. Join a Hiking Group, by no means hike alone.
5. Hike for the love of it, to not obtain something, by no means thoughts racing to the highest. Take alongside a information like John Manning’s Guide to Fynbos… slowing down the stroll.

Any Special Gear that you’d Recommend?

1. Happy boots equals a cheerful hike.
2. Rain gear in Cape Town, at all times.
3. Food… Always take one thing to eat.
4. Carry Rehydrate/Rennies for cramps.
5. Check the Fire Index earlier than you permit, you can not out run a fireplace.
6. Use a map to navigate a route, a Slingsby map or an app.
7. Take alongside a information… both a guide or a human.

Hiking Trails of South Africa by Willie Olivier

Since we’re speaking about mountain climbing and very giftable books, there’s a re-creation of Hiking South Africa and if you’re eager on mountain climbing then you definately definitley need to have a look inside. I’ve reviewed a earlier version of this guide right here… and all of the upgrades for the fifth version makes this one worthy of a better look. This is actually the mountain climbing encyclopaedia of South Africa.

There is a good introduction with every thing that you must know for an in a single day hike and even a few days of mountain climbing. Thereafter, the guide is split up into areas of South Africa after which features a collection of hikes for every space, inside the area. Hike upon hike, from excessive hikes to everday rambles this guide is filled with hikes.

Each hike has an info block, with pertinent particulars for the hike, for instance if you happen to want a allow and extra importantly, the place to get one, in addition to the kind of services out there alongside the hike. This is a good guide for plotting your adventures, particularly if you will be touring across the nation… there are a whole lot of hikes on this guide and all of them are properly researched.

There is a stunning little function on the finish of the guide, a few pages left prepared for the guide proprietor so as to add of their favorite hikes and observations… this guide is clearly going to turn out to be a household favorite as we plot and plan future adventures collectively.



These books got to us for evaluation functions by Penguin Random House South Africa and Struik Nature. This isn’t a sponsored publish and opinions expressed are totally our personal.