The Cape Peninsula offers what must be the most varied and interesting concentration of

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1 The Cape Peninsula offers what must be the most varied and interesting concentration of hiking trails in the world. You will find craggy cliffs, forests, waterfalls, caves, beautiful beaches, historical landmarks and spectacular indigenous flora and wildlife all within a few kilometres drive from Cape Town itself. And what better way to experience the beauty of the Cape first-hand, than on foot with a group of friends and a spirit of adventure. Peninsula Ramblers The Peninsula Ramblers owes its inception to Lloyd Hart, a keen hiker and climber, who saw the need to formalise the casual hiking group he and his friends had formed. The first meeting was held in February 1947 and at a subsequent meeting an executive committee was appointed. The first Annual General Meeting took place in With motor cars and fuel being hard to come by in the early years, members were forced to use public transport and hikes were largely confined to the Cape Peninsula. So it was not surprising that the club was named "Peninsula Ramblers" on Even today most of the hikes take place in the Peninsula and Table Mountain itself offers endless variety for outdoor enthusiasts. Fondly known as 'the Ramblers' by members and visitors alike, the Club has gone from strength to strength and is still one of the better-known and more popular hiking organisations in South Africa. For years it was customary for the Club to alternate a Saturday afternoon hike with a fullday Sunday hike, but the enthusiasm of our members has lately resulted in two and sometimes even three hikes being organised per weekend. Check out our Hiking Programme to see what's coming up in the near future. If you're interested in doing a permit hike book early as the numbers are limited to 12 and the hikes are very popular. Our monthly evening socials are enjoyed by all and we generally manage to find a really interesting speaker.

2 Meridian Hiking Club Established in 1989 by a group of friends wanting to hike regularly in safety, Meridian has grown to a membership of between 120 and 200 people, ranging in age from twenty to seventy. We offer a range of day hikes, weekends away, weekend trails, longer trails and conservation activities. We also organise regular social events. Programmes Ramblers programme Date Trail / Walk Time Leader Contact Number Saturday 17 April Sunday 18 April Saturday 24 April Sunday 25 April Saturday 1 Sunday 2 Saturday 8 Sunday 9 Front Table Contour path Afternoon - easy. Lovely views of the harbour. Del Vera Stellenbosch Full day - easy. Tea and cake at the wine farm restaurant afterwards. River Trail conservation Afternoon. Bring gardening gloves and secateurs. Please phone the leader to confirm your attendance. Oyster Trail - Grotto Bay Full day. Try something different for a change. Bring your binoculars if you enjoy birdwatching. Yellowwood Trail Afternoon - easy. Bring R25 for entry into Kirstenbosch. Paardekop Franschhoek Full day - strenuous. Don't forget all-weather gear. Seaside Walk Afternoon - easy. Walk the boardwalk in False Bay. Tea at one of the Kalk Bay coffee shops. Spilhaus Ridge & Klaassens Traverse Full day - strenuous with B-C grade rock scrambling and exposure to heights. Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 2 13h00 Bob Elvy h00 Denise Hopkins 13h30 Colin Kidwell a/h h00 Urs Huber a/h 13h00 Urs Huber a/h 08h00 Annabel Kyriazis Colin Cohen 14h00 Gill Gimberg after 19h a/h 08h00 Urs Huber a/h

3 Date Trail / Walk Time Leader Contact Number Saturday 15 Sunday 16 Saturday 29 Sunday 30 Saturday 5 Cecilia Buttress Afternoon - moderate. Minor rock scrambling. Panorama Trail Jonkershoek Full day - strenuous. Booking essential. River Trail conservation Afternoon. Bring gardening gloves and secateurs. Please phone the leader to confirm your attendance. Chapman's Peak Phone the leader for details. Cecilia Waterfall Afternoon - easy. 13h00 Robin Sherry 08h00 Roger Johnson 13h30 Colin Kidwell 08h00 Barbara Walls 13h00 Lynda Mitchell a/h a/h Sunday 6 Blind Gully Full day - strenuous. Minor rock scrambling. 08h00 Derek Cleale Saturday 12 Elephant's Eye Afternoon - moderate to strenuous. 13h00 Caroline Caietta Sunday 13 Saturday 19 Sunday 20 Saturday 26 Sunday 27 Vogelgat Hermanus Full day - moderate. Booking essential. Silvermine Afternoon - easy. Reserve Peak Full day - strenuous. Minor rock scrambling. River Trail conservation Afternoon. Bring gardening gloves and secateurs. Please phone to let Colin know if you're coming. Judas Peak Full day - strenuous. Some exposure. 08h00 Roger Johnson 13h30 Mary Wolfe Barbara Walls a/h a/h 08h30 Jo Smith h30 Colin Kidwell 08h00 Caroline Caietta Colin Cohen Number of events 21 Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 3

4 Meridian programme Date Leader Contact Number Trail / Walk Cost Meeting Details 17 Apr Sun 18 Apr Sun 18 Apr Sat 24 Apr Sun 25 Apr Tue 27 Apr Fri 30 Apr Wendy Sachs (h) Sam Greyvenstein & Dave Malen Sam: Dave Tim Jenkin (h) Victor Barnard (h) Peter Phillips & Sandy MacDonald Peter (h) Sandy (w) Denise Young (h) Janet Fitt (h) Greyton to McGregor April. Well-known weekend trail between two pretty towns Fish Hoek to Muizenberg For breakfast and back. Bring your swimming costume. The last one was so great, this is going to become a monthly item! Atlantic Traverse Ascend one of the routes from Camps Bay and traverse around GROOTKOP, amazing views Kalk Bay Caves Fantastic views caves optional if you would rather chill out and wait outside, if not torch and old clothes Nuweberg Forest Reserve Hottentots Holland Mountains. An option of two routes through this beautiful area. Cecilia Ridge To Reserve Peak for lunch. Easy ascent, lovely walk along the ridge with fantastic views. Supper Club The Africa Café. Come and join us for a real African Feast. This fantastic restaurant offers up to 16 different dishes, originating from countries such as Mocambique, Morocco, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Egypt + SA. R40 for accommodation and R50 for permit. Booking open, book now! Visitors R10. Meet Fish Hoek Beach Parking 09h00 Visitors R10. Meet 08h30 Theresa Ave, Rontree, Camps Bay Visitors R10 Meet 12h00 Kalk Bay end of Boyes Drive at dead end Visitors R10 Phone either Sandy or Peter for details and to arrange lifts. Visitors R10 Meet 09h30 Cecilia Forest Parking, Rhodes Drive 19h30, 108 Shortmarket Street [on Heritage Square]. Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 4

5 Date Leader Contact Number Trail / Walk Cost Meeting Details Fri 14 Lois Wagner Botterboom Trail Friday 14 - Sun 16. Botterboom Trail - De Doorns / Hex River Pass. Overnight in tents. Carry day pack. Train Trolley trips optional alternative. R50 plus camping or B&B costs on Friday night. Booking opens 1 April 7pm Popular walks Cobra Camp - Kommetjie Time: 2 hour Distance: 5 km Route: Return Dogs allowed An easy walk along a sandy jeep track to an abandoned World War II radar station. You will walk through some absolutely classic fynbos and be further rewarded with a stunning view, which unexpectedly presents itself, looking down onto Kommetjie and the Slangkop Lighthouse. Return via the same route after exploring the three old blockhouses, each with a different vista. The place has an aura of both history and mystery about it. Travelling along Kommetjie Road between Sun Valley and Kommetjie, just after Ocean View township, there is a turn-off to the left marked "Cape Point/Scarborough". Take it and travel 2,0 km to the crest of the hill, where you will find a gate on either side of the road. The start of your walk is behind the gate on the right-hand (Kommetjie) side. Take the sandy jeep track behind the gate. This area was heavily infested with a dense thicket of Port Jackson willow (Acacia saligna) until 1996, when it was cleared by the Kommetjie Environmental Action Group. It is most encouraging to see the return of the fynbos at the start of the walk. The newly exposed graves on the left are those of the people who worked this ground when it used to be a farm. Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 5

6 The sandy jeep track climbs gently for about 20 minutes before reaching a high point where you are surrounded by classic fynbos. All three components are there -ericas, the reed-like restios and many members of the protea family. Spring is the best time to appreciate the area's 550 species of flowering plants. Bird-spotters are bound to see the fynbos specials - orange-breasted sunbird, greyback cisticola, rock martin, grassbird and others. Perhaps more common here than most places is the ground woodpecker. Look out for him perching on a prominent rock. After about 45 minutes of following the jeep track, you will come to Cobra Camp. The derelict brick building in the foreground presumably provided accommodation for those manning the three concrete blockhouses nearby. For the easiest path to the first blockhouse, aim for the chimney on the barracks almost straight ahead. Go past the left of the building and keep to the same level, skirting around to the left. Suddenly you are presented with a wonderful view of Kommetjie village right below you. Also the Slangkop Lighthouse and an unusual aspect of Hout Bay present a pretty picture. I always enjoy views the most that come up on you all of a sudden. This is one of them. A glance at the coastline gives away the origin of Kommetjie's name - the "little basin" which can clearly be seen. The rocky peninsula a few metres to the north of it is rather oddly called "The Island" and is a place where all our four species of marine cormorant are found. Also at different times of the year it is home to some really long-distance visitors - the arctic tern and the antarctic tern. After exploring the cliff-hanging observation posts, return to your car via the same route. Tartarus Cave Time: 3 1/2 hours Water: None available in summer Remember to bring a torch plus matches and candle Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 6

7 Even if you don't like caves, this walk is a must between September and November. You don't have to go into the 50 m long Tartarus Cave to be simply overwhelmed by the variety of things to see on this hike. It's a walk with a bit of everything, even including whales and extremely rare and beautiful flowers. Your route up Mimetes Valley during springtime is ablaze in a symphony of colour. The bright red of the Mimetes trees in full bloom is in perfect harmony with the yellow pincushions. From the top of KaIk Bay Mountain you can look down on whales frolicking in the bay. And the circular route back to your car takes you down Spes Born Valley and through a dense indigenous forest of milkwoods and yellowwoods. Oh, and there's also a fascinating cave to explore! The walk starts and ends at No. 110 Boyes Drive, almost above St. James railway station and tidal pool. With apologies to the occupants of No. 110, theirs is the nearest house to the kink in the mad, from which this walk begins. Park your car well away from the bend and walk back to the start on the corner under some trees. You will immediately cross over a stream (dry in summer) and a mere 30 m further on leave the main path (your return route) and climb up some steep stone steps to the right. It will take you about 35 minutes of upward climb to reach your first destination at the top of Bailey's Kloof and beginning of Mimetes Valley. A few metres up the stone steps however, you will be tempted by minor paths off to the right. They only lead back to the river and should be ignored. After about 8 minutes of climbing, the path, having swung over to the right, takes you below a rock overhang cave and cliff face. Look back at the Riviera-like coastline of St. James to Simon's Town and notice the colourful bathing boxes below at the tidal pool. The path levels out a couple of times before zig-zagging its way up again, eventually coming to an important fork. This is almost opposite the thatched roof of Rhodes Cottage on the main road below. At this point take the upward fork to the left. This will take you around the corner into Bailey's Kloof. Ten minutes later will bring you to near the top and another fork. Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 7

8 This time keep right and aim for a fence pole at the top. The paths here are a mish-mash coming and going seemingly from all sides. Avoid confusion by sticking to the right hand-side of the valley ahead, just above and to the right of a stream (dry in summer). The gently sloping valley which begins to open up ahead of you is Mimetes Valley, named after the bright red flowering trees which find themselves so at home here. They are a member of the Protea family, as is the equally showy and abundant yellow pincushion. Half-an-hour's walk up Mimetes Valley will lead you to a 3-way gravel road. Take the centre option and after about 5 minutes or 300 m you will come to a cut stone beacon built on the left side of the road. It marks the spot at which you turn left and follow the sandy path up a rocky valley to reach Kalk Bay Mountain and Tartarus Cave. Fifteen minutes after leaving the gravel road you will reach a view site at a huge rock where the sandy path forks just before it. The left fork takes you to superb views just a few metres on, with shade and shelter under the rock. It's a good spot for a break. The right fork will take you on and up 10 minutes later to the cave. You can't miss it. It is literally a black hole in the ground right next to the path. For those interested in exploring Tartarus Cave, make sure you have at least two torches in the party. Dropping and breaking the only torch in the group in a black abyss, is not funny. It would give new meaning to the name Tartarus - a place in Greek mythology close to Hades. The horizontal entrance slopes down into a large chamber. The main passageway leads off the far left corner of it. Follow this passage for a couple of metres before it swings to the right. The passageway becomes narrower and continues for about 25 m before dropping 2 m. Ten metres after the drop a chasm is reached. It falls 5 m below the passage and rises 5 m above it, and is about 3 m in diameter. This is no doubt the awesome pit after which the cave was named. Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 8

9 Leave the cave and continue along the path which turns left just before the second trig beacon, five minutes later. It soon descends down the south slope of Kalk Bay Mountain to a four- path junction at the top of Spes Bona Valley. Take the left option down into Spes Bona Valley. On a clear day Hangklip on the far side of False Bay is beautifully framed in the kloof. Very special at this point for most of the year -especially spring - is a vibrant community of yellow legumes (sweet-pea family) called Aspalathus carnosa. The path now dives down into a superb indigenous forest, the main components of which are milkwoods and yellowwoods. Wind your way through it, noticing a great many interesting plants composed only of two large leaves lying flat on the ground. Called April Fool (Haemanthus coccineus), they, not surprisingly, flower in March, by which time they have shed their leaves and have only a single large red flower poking above the surface, on a long speckled stem. The multiroute path through the forest eventually emerges from under the canopy and ten minutes later will deposit you onto a gravel road. Turn right here and follow the road down hill for about another ten minutes, before it runs out. At the point it ends, take a sharp turn left onto a clear path which some 25 minutes later will lead you back to your car. Pinelands High School The Pinelands High School Outdoor Club has done a number of walks. Below is a picture of the group on their first walk in 2004 up Lions head. The leader of the group, Mr Kerbelker, Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 9

10 is just visible at the bottom of the picture. The walks cater for all genders, ages and abilities. References Details of Meridian from Details of Peninsula Ramblers from Details of walks from Dr Miller, 0412outdoorP.doc and 2847 words 10