Jonkershoek hiking
Five k’s from my home in Stellenbosch is the rugged Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. The area boasts the highest rainfall in the Western Cape, and two major rivers rise at the valley head: the Berg and the Eerste rivers.
The Panorama route (or half of it) climbs the eastern slopes of the valley, traverses the ridge and descends Kurktrekkernek (“corkscrew saddle”) via first and second waterfalls . It’s a 5-6 hour leisurely hike, but fairly strenuous. I have done it many times, but the views and solitude are always worth it.
Towards Franschoek from Bergriviersnek
The Google Earth GPS tracks above show the routes up to Bergriviersnek, Swartboskloof and Botmaskop. At the top of Swartboskloof you will find wonderful vistas of the Helderberg Bowl and the Kogelberg coast. Some of these views are shown in the slideshow below.
If the track doesn’t appear in the window above or you don’t want to install the plugin in your browser, then download the Google Earth Rim of Africa file and view it in Google Earth (download Google Earth)
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I now serve on the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve Protected Area’s Advisory Committee, but this committee has yet to meet after a couple of months. The person from Cape Nature who is supposed to arrange it seems to be particularly unable to get things done… Here are committed people who would like to make a contribution but the opportunity is being fumbled.