Table Mountain Pimple Traverse and Victoria Ravine (28/36)

This project is getting seriously behind schedule now! I had a weekend of Orienteering coaching, and another weekend with no hiking (bit of an excuse that my ankle has been stubbornly hurting). But it has been a super year of hiking so far and I'm not giving it up. There will be some catching up I hope (Hex classic traverse scheduled for 13 June), but possibly also falling behind (Kruger Park and SA Orienteering champs in Sep/Oct).

But today was my birthday and although the weather was wet I had to get out onto the mountain.  I joined the HPHC meet and was welcomed warmly with birthday greetings (Facebook the tattle tale) at the car park at Suikerbossie.

Our group today (plus Anwar the photographer).

We took the trail up Hout Bay corner and round to the foot of Llandudno Ravine. Then contoured further on a faint path, occasional cairns keeping us on track.

Himalayan Thars - a female with youngster, not too concerned by our passing.  Despite the extermination efforts some years ago, it seems the population is increasing.  We saw about eight in total on this hike.

This is The Pimple. Lion's Head in the distance.

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Our breakfast stop overhang looking out at the Pimple.

Breakfast time.

It was good that we fortified ourselves because the most challenging section lay ahead. Anwar looking resolute as we approach Grove Gulley with rock obstacles. dense palmiet and thick wet vegetation.

Our party under the light water falls at Grove Gulley.

Descending towards the next corner.

We came around that corner ledge with the tree. The sea below white with rough.

Not much later we came to wide open Victoria Ravine which we ascended as the rain came down and we donned the rain jackets. No real path, but no problem.

Top of Victoria Ravine.

Some of our group with the cliffs of Separation Buttress behind.

We took the right fork of Victoria Ravine and reached a spur.

A little higher we emerged on the summit and found the Apostle's Path, heading towards Judas Peak.

Three of us went ahead of the rest of the party at a good pace. The spectacular view of Llandudno and beyond as we came over the top, before descending to Llandudno Ravine and back to our start.

Three Rocky Peaks (27/33)

Three Rocky Peaks is a well known interesting scramble route up the north side of Vlakkenberg from Constantia Nek. Bridget and I joined a MCSA meet let by Martyn Trainor on this Saturday morning at 8.30 am. A small corner of the Constantiaberg and Silvermine mountains not burned in the recent big fire.

It's the three summits from the right of the photo, ending on the one in the middle (380m, 433m, 569m)

That is peak 2 looking back, Orange Kloof on the left in the distance.

Ascending peak 3 became interesting.

A moment to regroup before the final section.

Scramble up the gulleyl

From here it we were into the jumble of rocks at the top. Through a few cracks, round some corners and over a few more big boulders and we were at the beacon.  In a cold wind.

As is often the case, the beacon is not always the highest point but the most visible point nearest the edge.  Here Martin is telling a navy story in the small saddle beyond the beacon and before the high point where we stopped for our lunch.

The clouds were thinner here and we basked in the sunshine overlooking upper Hout Bay while we enjoyed tea and lunch.

Magnificent scene looking towards Constantiaberg. Fire damage visible in the distance.

After taking an interesting way down the south side of the 3rd peak we joined the Vlakkenberg path (part of Hoerigkwagga trail) and followed it down to Constantianek.

Peak 2 on the right and Peak 3 in the distance.

Bare gum trees at the top of Silvermist estate next to the zipline operation.

Western Cape Orienteering Champs (26/32)

The project stalls again, but for good reasons..

I mapped, planned and organised the South African National Sprint Orienteering Championship event held at University of the Western Cape on Friday 1 May.  It went very well.

Then on Saturday and Sunday I competed in the Western Cape Middle Orienteering Championship middle distance and long distance events and enjoyed them thoroughly, but could get no hikes in!
Messed up the middle distance event on Saturday, with a DSQ (missed control, but also a huge mistake on on one of the legs), but came home with the M50 trophy for the long distance on Sunday (although not a perfect run).