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.