Spilhaus Ridge (21/27)

Short and fun. Start Cecilia Forest parking at 6.45. Up to Spilhaus Ravine where it meets the Rooikat/Kirstenbosch path. Then off trail on a small beaconed path to the right and up the ridge, with some nice B scrambling. Emerge on the concrete Bridle Path for tea and breakfast. I was fascinated to watch more than 50 swifts (African Black Swift and Alpine Swift) providing a magnificent aerial display over the ridge and in the ravine.  Then down the Bridle Path first zig zag and off onto the trail back to where we started at Spilhaus Ravine. Then back to cars passing some huge bluegums of about 1.5 m diameter and ? height?  Thanks to Hikers Paradise hiking club and leader Anwar Adams.

 The nerines that I wanted to see today (Nerine sarniensis). Two were flowering right next to the path.

And a whole more looking great on a ledge that was just out of reach...

The upper ravine to the right of the ridge we had just ascended, with the Table in the distance.

We hiked for just less than 3 hours covering 4.8 km and 500 m climb.

Dark Gorge (20/26)

My two hiking companions this Saturday morning were sons Benjamin and Timothy. We set off from Newlands Forest station at 8.15 and headed up to the contour path.

Dark Gorge is just beyond the Newlands Ravine signpost and picnic deck.  There are two streams that cross the contour path at this point, only about 40 metres apart and I was at first uncertain which was the correct one. We started up the second one, which looked more significant, but after studying the map carefully, realized it was Papenboom Ravine. So we backtracked to the first one, and found ourselves behind a party of three and two dogs, on an indistinct but cairned path going up the right hand side, It was thickly forested in the lower reaches, until we came to the fork where Dark Gully (dangerous) splits off to the right.

Here the side walls become steep and tall and the bottom more open. Ben leading the way. For most of the ascent the footing was loose and steep, and you had to take care where you put your feet so as not to slip or dislodge stones.

Tim in the impressive gorge section

Near to the top one enters a small forest and the tree trunks, branches and roots become vital hand hold for pulling oneself up the final steep scramble.

And then you pop out onto the Saddle.

Ben and Tim with the sloping west side of Devil's Peak behind them.

Tea and sandwiches at the top of Newlands Ravine! It took us about 2h15 m to reach this point, and the total time from start to finish 3h45m. Distance 7.4 km with about 700 m of climb.

Hiddingh Ascension (19/25)

Today I did a spectacular route up the mountain with a MCSA party led by Torben Wiborg. We started soon after 7am from Newlands Forest station and took the direct route up to the contour path.  Then left past the first ravine (Ascension) to the next one (Hiddingh).  

Up Hidding ravine, sometimes along the stream bed and sometimes on a path on the side.

About half a km up the kloof we stopped for a break where it became quite narrow with a steep cliff on the left bank, at a point marked with two cairns side by side on a rock.

From there, the route traversed around to the right under some overhangs

It was a muggy day with cloud on the mountain. At this point we could still get a view down to Newlands Forest.

Continuing along the traverse...

And the up a corner on the side of a spur. It became rather steep and loose further up and we had to place our feet carefully to avoid dislodging rocks.

On top of the spur we rested before taking another traverse to the right followed by a lot of boulder work before we reached Ascension Ravine (below).

Up Ascencion Ravine with luxuriant green vegetation.

We reached an impressive promontory called The Pulpit, and first doubted it would be worth it to hike to the end as there would not be much of a view with the cloud still shrouding us. But it suddenly lifted and we went out to the front and were rewarded by stunning scenes.  The best views were back towards the mountain, starting with Devils Peak side and going anti clockwise..

And that is where we were standing - The Pulpit, from higher up once we had resumed our climb.

Looking down the wide green ravine we had come up.

An almost vertical scramble of about 15 metres took us to the top of a buttress.

Where we  had a good view of the cliff faces at the head of Ascension Ravine.  Carrel's Ledge starts at the top left and follows the green vegetation line horizontally to the right.

Starting out on Carrel's Ledge on a path between thick fynbos.

Beautiful Protea cynaroides.

Carrel's Ledge has overhangs both above and below it and narrows down to a metre or two in places, but it is so well vegetated that you are not always aware that there is a sheer drop to your right just past the line of restios!  There is only one real point of exposure where you need to hug a rock while going around it on a small ledge.

An unexpected late Red Disa growing in a crack.

Lunch stop half way along the Ledge.  There were eight in our group.

Looking down over the edge from our lunch stop - The Pulpit again quite far below, and Newlands much further down.

Where we had come from..

Superb King Proteas overhanging the edge of the ledge.

We came out quite close to Maclears Beacon, having done over 1000 metres of ascent from our start at Newlands Forest station.

Protea fynbos on the way down, with Fernwood Peak ahead. It is one of three summits over 1000 metres on the Peninsula, the others being Devils Peak and the Western Table (Maclears).

Besides the King Proteas, these were the other striking flowers of the day that we found all over - Cluster Disa (Disa ferruginea).

Apparently this huge rock formation that you pass (under) on the way down from Maclears to Skeleton Gorge is not named on the maps.  Some of the party suggested it resembled a chess piece - knight?

We had a good break at breakfast rock at the top of Skeleton and then walked down Skeleton Gorge to the contour path.  I headed off to Rycroft Gate for a lift home, while others continued back to Newlands Forest.