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A Table Mountain circuit

Ralph — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:51:13 +0000

Bakoven from Kasteelspoort

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..

Table Mountain cableway from the Pipe Track

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Platteklip Gorge (up) and Kasteelspoort (down) track profile

Peter at Woodhead reservoir

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The Boland Hiking Trail

Ralph — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:56:37 +0000

Aka The Return of Gaucho Pedro

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.

Day 1: Nuweberg to Landdroskop

We had an eventful start. I knew that the huts at Landdroskop had been closed since March for repairs after apparent vandalism (can you credit it?), but CapeNature reservations staff had been adamant that Shamrock hut was open again. The staff at Nuweberg, the responsible CapeNature station and start of the hike, however were equally adamant that it was not. After some ‘phone calls and animated discussions, we were on our way. Although the gradient is relentlessly uphill, the average slope is only 8.9% and the hiker is rewarded with fine views of the Groenland mountains and the Grabouw plateau.

Prone Pedro at Shamrock hut

Shamrock hut was in good condition, although the repair contractors had left a fine mess around the hut which we endeavoured to clean up as best we could. Evidently, not everybody is impressed with World Heritage Site status.

Boland Trail Day 1 Profile: Nuweberg to Landdroskop

Day 2: Landdroskop to Boesmanskloof

This is the longest day of the three at about 16.1 km (the maps say 17.6 km but my GPS was adamant). As the trail winds down from Landdroskop (“magistrate’s hill”) the Riviersonderend Gorge (“river without end”) opens up before you. Massive wildfires swept through these parts in 2009 but the veld is recovering beautifully, as you can see from the photos. All day the vistas are majestic. There are excellent swimming pools at regular intervals in the middle section from Boegoekloof to Noordekloof, where you can lie in the pools and drink the water simultaneously. The only potentially tiring bit is the climb up Noordekloof from about km 9 to Pofaddernek (“puff adder saddle”), which although not steep is steady and can be hot work in the afternoon sun.

Boegoekloof

The more adventurous can jump and swim down Suicide Gorge to exit near Nuweberg and we came across a group of young guys doing this as we skirted the top of the gorge. Be warned however: the jumps are very high and the water is cold.

From Pofaddernek the view east down Bobbejaankloof to Boesmanskloof is something to behold. Spend some time here. The stony path zig-zags down the hot aspect of a ridge where unfortunately some hikers have seen fit to cut short-cuts that have eroded badly with time. The zig-zag section is known as Tandseer (“toothache”), which seems to be quite apt although I’m not sure why.

Bobbejaanskloof and Boesmanskloof

The Boesmanskloof hut is in good nick and beautifully situated for views across the Theewaterskloof (“tea waters gorge” – so named after the colour of the water in the mountain streams) dam.

Theewaterskloof dam

Boland Trail Day 2 Profile: Landdroskop to Boesmanskloof

Day 3: Boesmanskloof to Nuweberg

As is its wont in these parts, the weather changes rapidly and we woke to a strong northerly wind and the imminent threat of rain. As we had prepared and watched the long-range forecasts carefully, we were ready to start early and make it back to Nuweberg before the front proper hit. Fortunately, the walk back was in the lee of the mountains and it only really began spitting as we trudged into Nuweberg. Back in Stellenbosch it was already bucketing down.

Rain's coming

Boland Trail Day 3 Profile: Boesmanskloof to Nuweberg

Note that the vertical scale of the Day 3 profile differs markedly from the other days’ profiles – it is in fact very level with a steep climb at the very end.

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Peter’s account and his photos.

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Jonkershoek Panorama Route

Ralph — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:02:43 +0000

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.

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All along the contour

Second Waterfall

Bergriviersnek in the mist

Approaching Boegoekloof - Kurktrekker junction

MCSA above Diepgat - Strand and False Bay below

More photos

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Cape Point’s east coast

Ralph — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:41:32 +0000

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.

A Google Earth track and photos follow …

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Or download the Google Earth track and view in Google Earth (the track also includes the west coast trail)

Da Gama monument

Classic kombi camper

Rooikrantz ("red cliff")

Pirate of the Cape

On the edge

Lighthouse

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Scherpenheuwel circuit, Franschhoek

Ralph — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:48:01 +0000

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.

Robertsvlei and Berg River Dam panorama

3D Google Earth track and more photos follow …

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Or download the kmz file to view in Google Earth

Swiss Farm Excelsior

Centre Peak from Keerwedernek

Assegaaiboschkloof

Roberstvlei and Berg River entering dam

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Straddling the Olifants: wilderness walking trails

Ralph — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:22:35 +0000

(another Kruger safari)

Olifants Wilderness Trail, Kruger National Park

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.

Over two days of bliss with trails rangers Aaron and Michael we walked two morning circuits into the bush south and west of the camp, covering 10.9 and 10.6 km respectively, and on the second evening strolled out to the Olifants and Letaba confluence, just before the new river becomes the Rio Elefantes that thunders into the gorge through the Lebombos. It was on the confluence walk that we witnessed the strange behaviour of a young elephant descending the far bank to the river – it was dragging its hind legs flat behind it while walking down on its forelegs, appearing to use the dragging legs as brakes down the steep slope. Maybe it’s not so unusual, but it was a first time for me.

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Or download the kmz file of the Olifants and Machampane Trails’ tracks

I have written elsewhere about the “wilderness trail experience”, so I won’t bore you again with what it means to us. However, three phenomena got me thinking about humans’ impacts on these wild places, whether the impacts are proximate and direct, or influenced by consumptive behaviour on the other side of the world. Firstly, Olifants is renowned for its concentrations of crocodiles where its banks would be “carpeted” with crocs, according to Aaron, but you are hard-pressed to spot one these days. In recent years there has been a massive die-off and although research has revealed no definitive cause, it is widely speculated that pollution from upstream industrial and agricultural activities is behind it.

Poached rhino's foot

Secondly, Aaron guided us to the site of a recent rhino poaching incident (see Google Earth track). Judging by the state of its teeth, it was an animal in the prime of its life. An ugly, jagged hole in its skull reveals how the horn was hacked out. One hundred and twenty-six rhino have been massacred in Kruger so far this year (333 in 2010) to fuel the demand from China, and lately Vietnam where rhino horn is being touted as a cure for cancer. Since the deployment of troops in Kruger (which I have always thought of as a brilliant idea, as is deploying our navy to protect our fisheries) the killing has gone from 40 in March, through 30 and 15 in April and May respectively, to 2 in June. Of course, the ultimate solution involves destroying Asian demand in some way, but protecting the remnants of the species with everything that we have is the least we can do in the interim.

Aaron claims that whereas he usually saw about 15 rhino on the trail in the course of a month, he might only see 1 in a week now. In one particularly tragic month, they lost 9 rhino. But at least we saw ample dung evidence of white and black rhino on the walks. Everybody is a suspect and it appears that syndicates pose as tourists these days – which may explain the increased security around unattended vehicles at the rest camps.

On an evening game drive we came across a stick of soldiers – “Recces” according to Aaron, but I am not so sure. The effect of military operations on the trail is that all movement by trailists east of the access road in the interesting folds of the Lebombo, has been suspended. Twenty poachers have been shot and killed in Kruger apparently and later at Machampane the talk around the campfire was about how many local Shangaan know someone who has been shot and are keenly aware of the dangers of poaching. This could just be bush legend of course…

At the confluence of the Olifants & Letaba

While the sources of the previously described impacts emanate from outside the park, the exciting and rare sighting of sable near Machampane Camp as we drove back to Kruger reminded me of the effects of management on the greater Kruger ecosystem. A recent report on the 50-50 TV show explained how artificial waterholes and dams have allowed water-dependent species like impala, wildebeest and zebra to become somewhat ubiquitous at the expense of rarer species such as roan and sable. Kruger is consequently gradually decommissioning artificial waterholes in order to recreate a more diverse mosaic of habitat. I suppose this partially explains why I saw sable near Machampane because Limpopo NP does not have dams and boreholes. In future we hope to see sable and roan more frequently on the Kruger side.

Machampane Wilderness Camp, Limpopo National Park, Mozambique

After Olifants we headed for Machampane, which is located only 25 km due north of Olifants trails camp on a tributary of the Rio dos Elefantes, but which requires a drive of some 80km and a border-crossing at Giriyondo. This was our third visit to Machampane which is a special place for us because of its remoteness, silence and location on a deep pool. Unfortunately, it seems to be often used as an overnight stop for 4×4 travellers on the way to and from the Mozambique coast. Unfortunate – because it is a great destination in and of itself and you have to spend a few days there to get a sense of the place. Whereas the Kruger trails are long enough for you to get that I-could-get-used-to-this feeling but short enough to ensure that you will be back (the “perfect product” in my book), Machampane allows you to determine the length of your own stay.

A previous visit is described here. If you compare the length of the trail tracks previously with those above, you will see that our walks were relatively short this time – unfortunately.

Or go to the photo album

Some sources and reading on rhino poaching:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2075283,00.html

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/23/south-africas-rhino-slaughter-rages-on/

http://mg.co.za/article/2011-07-21-soldiers-lie-in-wait-for-kruger-rhino-poachers

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Green machine prowls Gordon’s Bay

Ralph — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 18:06:47 +0000

The green machine

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.

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Or download solo kayak trails kmz file and view in Google Earth

Gordon's Bay from the green machine

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La Motte to Franschhoek Pass traverse

Ralph — Mon, 23 May 2011 19:37:18 +0000

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.

Hike profile. Note that the first 1.65km (and 240m to 394m elevation) of the hike is not included.

Our slow progress is largely explained by the fact that the first part of the hike, from La Motte up to Du Toitskop, features no paths to speak of. Any trails that exist occur in the Mont Rochelle reserve from the pass up to Du Toitskop and to the Wemmershoek lookout point – and these well-marked circular trails are what the weekend hiker should enjoy (permits are obtainable from the Franschhoek tourism office).

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The fynbos is fairly young here, about 3 to 5 year-old veld I would guess, but north of Suikerboskop, there is serious infestation by Hakea sericea, an invasive weed. To my untrained eye it looks as if a weevil is attacking the fruit – biological control. But there are a lot of young trees growing in this area. The suikerbos is waist high at the moment, so the hakea is accessible if you’re interested in alien hacking, but in a couple of seasons time they will be difficult to spot in the thick bush. The area of infestation is marked on the map.

Drakenstein, Table Mountain and Simonsberg

The lords of the mountains over the lords of the manors

We encountered two troops of baboons, one below Suikerboskop and the other on the way up to Du Toitskop. The latter troop unusually allowed us to thread our way up the slope between them, one group on the left comprising a male perched on a rock and another few in a lone pine; the other group on the right watching us silently from a rocky ridge only tens of metres away. No barks, no calls, just quizzical looks and stony silence.

Franschhoek panorama

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Franschhoek to Jonkershoek via Assegaaiboschkloof

Ralph — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:05:40 +0000

Assegaaiboschkloof looking east on a clear day

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 …

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3D map of Assegaaibosch route. Alternatively, download the kmz file and view in Google Earth.

Assegaaiboschkloof - view to Bergriviersnek

As we breasted Bergriviersnek, we spotted smoke beyond the next range, obviously on the Helderberg. Within minutes it became a massive, mushrooming cloud. Soon the fire alert pinged on our ‘phones, scrambling the VWS standby crew. That fire would raze a number of houses and a hotel on Helderberg’s slopes.

Approaching Bergriviersnek, the source of the Berg River

21.9 kms after starting out we trudged into the tearoom at Jonkershoek’s gate and sank a well-earned ale.

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Jonkershoek Panorama Route The Panorama Route is one of the Jonkershoek valley’s classic...

Paddling up the Steenbras

Ralph — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:26:50 +0000

Pausing off Steenbras mouth

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 …

Minnows in Steenbras - can someone identify them?	Visitors from the sea
Approaching the mouth	Steenbras

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