Like most of you I am filled with impotent rage. We gnash our teeth virtually on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, we express our outrage in social media threads and around the braai, but all this does little to change the situation. Rather, it almost amplifies our impotence.
Clearly, the longer term project is to diminish demand by changing attitudes and fighting superstition in the East, but the urgent things to do now are to protect the remaining animals, hunt the poachers and hit the syndicate bosses, distributors and their co-conspirators in the bloody chain. This requires money; it’s a funding race.
As few of us are able to do something practical besides sign online petitions, the best practical action that we can take is to DONATE to organisations that are in a position to do something. But when you go into it, you are overwhelmed by the number of NGOs and conservation agencies clamouring for your attention – and of course the inevitable scams.
So I decided to do a little research myself and I share some of it here in the hope that it helps you make an easier decision about where to donate so that your money has the maximum effect.
This was a little less mellow than last time – the wind pomped. Middle-aged windsurfers go to Kraalbaai in the West Coast National Park for some mellow cruising while the family plays in the sheltered shallows. Personally, I feel that this place is one of the most beautiful in the Cape. It is also blessed with almost guaranteed fresh southerlies during summer. This HD video shows what it’s like to race across the lagoon’s warm and clear water from the point of view of the sailor. Some call it boring – but to me it epitomises freedom. I’m still experimenting with the GoPro, video formats and editing. I must say that the open web media standard, WebM, is way more efficient than wmv or mp4.
In all the years of walking on the mountain I have never climbed Platteklip Gorge. At Peter’s suggestion we parked at Kloof Nek and tackled the 15.4 km circuit up Platteklip, through the valleys of Isolation and the Red Gods, to the reservoirs and down Kasteelspoort, and back along the Pipe Track. It was two days after Christmas and the mountain was topped by the table cloth (which made the steep Platteklip climb a whole lot easier). What struck me, however, was the high number of young people walking on the mountain and how representative they were of Cape Town’s cosmopolitan culture. Twenty years ago most hikers on any given day would have been members of the white middle-class; now there are kids from the townships, the Cape Flats, the suburbs, all obviously wanting to be on the mountain, all celebrating this wonderful place and all visibly enjoying a day out in nature. I can’t help but wonder whether the SA National Parks’ “people in parks” programme is actually working …
A Google Earth track of the walk and some photos follow..
This 3-day hike was like old times again – hiking with Peter Groves, my erstwhile hiking buddy who is out from the UK on holiday. Peter is also known as “Gaucho Pedro” after his escapades in Patagonia last year. The Hottentots Holland section of the Boland Trail is a circuit of some 40km through the heart of the rugged Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, which is a key component of the Cape Floral Region protected areas that now enjoy UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
The World Heritage Site citation is clear about what makes this place special:
“The Cape Floral Region has been recognised as one of the most special places for plants—in terms of diversity, density and number of endemic species—in the world. Covering less than 0.5% of the area of Africa but home to nearly 20% of the continent’s flora, this extraordinary assemblage of plant life and its associated fauna is represented by a series of eight protected areas covering an area of 553,000 ha. These protected areas also conserve the outstanding ecological, biological and evolutionary processes associated with the beautiful and distinctive Fynbos vegetation, unique to the Cape Floral Region.”
A Google Earth track, track profiles and photos follow.
Here is a short video of yesterday’s lazy paddle around Gordon’s Bay. Windless, hot and very beautiful. I shot it using the new GoPro Hero2 camera, tried to edit it a little but need to learn a lot and also get better video editing tools … Anyway enjoy a view of what the Cape has to offer.
The Panorama Route is one of the Jonkershoek valley’s classic day trails. From the bridge (Witbrug) at the apex of the circular road, where you climb the left side of the valley, to where you descend to the Swartboskloof parking area, you will walk about 17.1 km, climb through 1665 m (maximum elevation is 1267m) and descend through1703 m.
Take the best part of a day to walk it. Along the way you will be rewarded with a view down the spectacular Assegaaiboschkloof towards Franschhoek, panoramic views of the Jonkershoek valley as you traverse the edge of the Dwarsberg plateau, and finally a grandstand seat as the Helderberg bowl and False Bay unfold way down below. A Google Earth Track, the trail profile and some photos follow. Continue reading Jonkershoek Panorama Route
The 13 km walk down Cape Point’s east coast from the gate to the restaurant at the point is possibly the most scenically spectacular hike in the country. Besides the vistas across False Bay, the precipitous drops to the rocky coast below and the way the peninsula unfolds as one skirts Judas Peak or Die Boer, the weather can be very diverse too – wild and windy or tranquil and impossibly blue on any given day.
The Mountain Club’s plan was to head up to Perdekop in the hope that, it being midwinter, there would be snow on the peak. Instead an unseasonal black south-easter raged, clouding in all the peaks around Franschhoek. So, plan B was activated. It amounted to a very pleasant 13.5km circuit of Scherpenheuwel, which is one of small peaks in the valley. Scherpenheuwel separates the town from Assegaaiboschkloof and the new Berg River Dam and offers some unusual views of the Franschhoek valley. An easy and pleasant walk.
Young leopard near Orpen. It was stalking impala. The rams were snorting at it and mobbing it.
The African bush has been calling for a while, so we packed up and headed 2000 km north-east for Kruger and our favourite means of really experiencing the bush: wilderness walking trails. Our first trail was the Olifants Wilderness Trail, one of Kruger’s seven and one of two that we had not walked as yet. Olifants opened in November 1979, a little over a year after the first wilderness trail, Wolhuter - which is named after a legendary ranger – did.
Olifants trails camp is situated on a bluff on the southern bank of the Olifants River (see the Google Earth track below) a little over 8 kms from the Mozambique border and Limpopo National Park. The thatched huts – 4 for 8 guests – have recently been rebuilt and are a good deal larger than the originals, but the camp still commands great views of the river below and the Lebombo mountains to the east.
Last Sunday I took the new lime-green Skua out for its maiden paddle around Gordon’s Bay. We ducked into the old harbour, sheltered from a cloud burst under the NSRI station for a while, cruised over to Harbour Island and weaved through the marina, and then powered across gray glass to the seals at Seal Cove. The water was very quiet with little sea life evident. I was hoping to spot a whale or two, but there were none to be seen despite the excellent visibility.
The boat feels rock-solid, but lively. Total paddling distance was 14.5 km.
This Sunday, Deon and I each took our Skuas out to the seals (man, can those guys fart in their sleep!) and then around the point to Steenbras mouth. We were looking for whales again, but again there were none. The swell and the reflected waves made for lumpy seas, so we headed back instead of attempting the river entrance.
On the way back, just off the Gordon’s Bay reef I decided to ride some of the larger swells. I caught one easily but was then rolled (see Capsized! place mark on the Google Map below). The water was quite cold and after struggling to re-enter the kayak and having to be helped by Deon before we both got trashed on the reef, I realise that the solo re-entry skill is one I am going to have to practice. It would be very difficult in rough conditions, so a paddle float may be the safe option…
Once again the weather was very fine, windless, glass and azure skies. Total paddling distance was 16.5 km.
In typical MCSA Stellenbosch style: a couple of koppies (little hills) on this uitstappie (outing). The numbers tell the story:
12.25 km
maximum slope: 58.2%
minimum elevation: 240 m; maximum elevation: 1405 m
elevation gain: 1472 m; elevation loss: 1008 m
moving average speed: 2.2 km/h (this number is a clue that it was pretty tough going).
The party of 19 enjoyed really spectacular views though in a section of the mountains south of Wemmershoek that I have never been to. We hiked from near the La Motte wine estate, over Suikerboskop and Du Toitskop to Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve and the pass. Mont Rochelle is familiar however, as the VWS fought a fire there a couple of months ago (the chopper LZ’s are shown on the Google Earth map) and it was good to see that the fireline we fought so hard to secure, held.
The mountain club’s plan was to walk from Franschhoek to Jonkershoek along the watershed via Emerald Dome and Victoria Peak. We would ascend Fortsnek and cross Noordkloofpiek, the scene of last year’s firefighting. It promised to be a long, hard, but spectacular, day. But an unseasonal south-easter raged through the night and clouded in the peaks, so we decided to follow the upper Berg River above the dam, up Assegaaiboschkloof to Bergriviersnek. The path has been recently maintained and is in excellent condition, except for the lower section which scramblers have obviously been using. A Google Earth track and photos follow …
The latest fire that swept through the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve last week was nothing short of disastrous. Young veld burnt again and all the eleven-year old veld has been destroyed, so that, in the words of a nature conservation official, “everything between Kleinmond and Paarl” is uniformly less than 3 years old. For biodiversity in Kogelberg, which is not known as “the jewel of the Cape Floral Kingdom” for nothing, this is potentially disastrous as the floral mosaic that ensures diversity has gone, and it means that recently fires have been occurring too frequently. Most of these fires are caused by humans, deliberately or otherwise.
On Saturday I was part of a Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) Jonkershoek crew that responded to the fire call-out. We were deployed to Kleinmond and waited there until 4:30 pm before being airlifted, along with the local CapeNature firefighting team, to the peak above Heuningklip. The fire, which had orginally started near Kleinmond and swept north-west through Kogelberg to reach the coast between Rooiels and Kogel Bay, was backing up down to Kleinmond again as the wind clocked around. See the Google Earth track of our fire-fight and photos below.
There isn’t actually much of the Steenbras River to paddle up, even on a kayak – only about 300 metres. Rather it’s the 13 km round-trip paddle from Gordon’s Bay harbour and the usually benign, but spectacular, rivermouth entrance that is most of the fun. On this last Sunday morning, the paddle was breathtaking. Schools of harders rippled the glass, clouds of jellyfish swayed in the currents and the seals at Seal Cove were particularly laid back, unconcerned by our presence. But best of all was the presence of millions of minnows in the Steenbras, larger ones in the deeper water, clearly visible against the river’s “new” sandy bottom, and tiny ones in the shallows. I assume that this proves that healthy rivers are fecund nurseries of fish. Photos and a Google Earth track follow …
The route to Slanghoek Peak curves south and east up the Witte River valley.
Slanghoek from Slanghoek Peak
A fairly level and scenic walk from the car park at Eerste Tol on Bainskloof Pass of 12.5 km to a saddle below Slanghoek on Mountain Club property, known as Springstygbeugel1, almost traverses the Limietberg range from west to east. The MCSA party of which I was part camped on the saddle on Saturday night. We tackled the ascent early the next morning in cool but sunny conditions, and later returned to the car park after a round trip of 29.7km (including a few detours). The hike goes through an elevation of about 1100m and rewards you with cool pools and stunning vistas. A Google Earth track of the hike and photos follow.
Last Sunday I hosted some of the Patagons and other hiking buddies at Jonkershoek for a day hike – “not too long, too high and too hard” was the request.
So I thought it would be nice to follow the eastern watershed from north of Twin Peaks to Botmaskop – not too high nor too far. I did, however, add a disclaimer: I had not walked all of that route before. The evening before I even decided to shorten it and take the jeep track up to Saaltjie instead of up Nerina Kloof. Just as well. The walk came in at 12.7 km. In fact, beyond Saaltjie it ceased to be a “walk” and a bit of a bundu bash as there’s no footpath along the ridge. Luckily the veld had burnt 18 months ago, or else the going would have been an order of magnitude tougher. And the veld was beautiful with colourful new growth. So were the views of the Drakenstein Valley to the east and Jonkerhoek to our west.
Well worth it, I thought. But that’s just me …. Photos, a Google Earth track and a profile follow…
5 days, 52.2 km (55.1 km according to my GPS recording), 18 hrs 27 min moving time at a moving average speed of 3 km/h
Yet another tunnel
We all agreed afterwards that Oorlogskloof is probably the best hike in South Africa – mainly because of the care and attention-to-detail that went into designing the route to ensure a variety of experiences in a diversity of landscapes. “We” were Kelson and Elena, Scarborough-based South Americans with extensive trekking experience both in Africa and in South America, Paul (Trailmaster Watty) who has hiked widely in South Africa especially in the Drakensberg, and myself. Between us we have done our fair share of trails and we came to this conclusion after thoughtful discussion. Continue reading Hiking Oorlogskloof’s Rock Pigeon Trail
We took the Old Mule Trail up to Blockhouse Gap where two old blockhouses, apparently built at the beginning of World War I to guard the eastern approach through the nek to the naval ammunitions magazines that scar the high valley above Simonstown, slowly weather away. From there a breathtaking walk along the Swartkop Ridges, up to Swartkop peak (678 m) and south to the spur north of Smitswinkel Bay afforded stunning vistas of the Cape Peninsula as well as across False Bay to Hangklip and beyond to Gansbaai. We left a second vehicle near the Cape Point gate and reached it about six hours and 11.4 km later. Photos and a Google Earth track follow …
At the beginning of the week that I finally became a member of the Mountain Club of SA, some of the Patagonian trekkers and I headed for Victoria Peak, the highest peak in the Jonkershoek mountains. It was a warm day with high cloud and haze and no wind. Pretty perfect. Our route followed the eastern contour path to Bergriviersnek, across Dwarsberg plateau to the peak (where we saw three klipspringers warily tracking our progress), up to the peak, and then continued along the Panorama route and down Die Kurktrekker (the Corkscrew). 18.6 km through 1200m elevation up and down, 8 hours – the sort of hike that you feel in your legs for the next two days at least.
Patrick Shone, the reserve manager, subsequently told me about an endemic protea that occurs only on the shale, grassed dome that is Victoria Peak. I believe that we saw some – survivors of last year’s devastating fires.
A Google Earth track and some more photos follow below…
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