A gorgeous stroll over Slangkop

I've lived in the shadow of Slangkop for 35 years now and am not at all ashamed to admit that I have neither climbed the vertiginous spiral staircase of the lighthouse, nor the zigzag path up to the old blockhouses on top of the mountain. The reasons are fairly simple: nobody has ever said, ''Let's go up the lighthouse!" or "I fancy a walk up to the blockhouse", and as has become clear by now, until recently I considered exercise to be a form of torture. This has now all changed.
Today our walk was from the Kom to the lighthouse, then up the SANParks Hoerikwagga Trail to the blockhouse, across the plateau and down past the Rubbi chapel. Those of you who are unfamiliar with Kommetjie and surrounds are missing out.
It was slightly weird walking along the path along the bay in full hiking gear (I usually stroll there at sunset with my little doggie, Cleo), but I didn't meet anyone who would have thought so, and we set off on a morning of absolute perfection, as only a September day in Kommetjie can present. The early spring flowers that carpet the area in a show to rival the West Coast displays have started to bloom and will probably peak in two weeks or so. A snake sighting, probably a mole snake, was a reminder that they are on the move as the weather warms up and will be hungry after winter, so more visible and hikers should be wary.

 

The Kakapo is almost refloated

 

The first part of the walk through ancient milkwoods near the lighthouse, up to the road, was fairly strenuous, but the main path up to the blockhouses is an easy zigzag with magnificent views and plentiful fynbos to admire on the way. Once out on the open plateau, the path becomes a sandy track and one could easily spend a day up there just admiring the view and photographing the flowers!