Contour path to Kirstenbosch

Back hiking after the December/January layoff, which I missed greatly, especially while cruising the Indian Ocean! That will be the subject of another blog, but for now, the hike from Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch must rank as a hiking highlight, particularly as we received some welcome rain showers on the way!
We set off under pleasant cloud cover, a thermos mug of coffee from the coffee truck stashed away in the rucksack for later, and were soon on the uphill climb. The gravel road winds quite far up and some canny hikers take their cars right up till it levels out. However, that is cheating if you are trying to get a bit of cardio (the fitbit reveals 2 hours for me and 11 hours of fat burn!) and we do enjoy a bit of a whinge.
The track winds along the upper reaches of the Newlands mountain and eventually narrows to a pathway only wide enough for one person, with a very steep drop on the right, fortunately with thick vegetation to catch the unwary. At one stage I did turn my ankle on a stone and had to catch myself from falling, which proves that mountains can be dangerous and should always be treated with respect. On the subject of safety, with the current spate of horrendous crime on our beautiful Peninsula, most people are seeking safety in numbers and we passed 3 groups of more than 15 hikers, although at no time did we feel the area was likely to harbour criminals. A mass charge would result in someone falling straight down the mountain and we would probably not be able to make sure only the undesirables plunged through the undergrowth.
The view over the Constantia valley became darker and soon disappeared behind a curtain of rain and before we could scrabble around for our rain gear, it was upon us and we thoroughly enjoyed a bit of a soaking, particularly after yesterday's punishing heat. The jacket was like wearing a portable sauna and I soon shed it to enjoy the last few drops. Rain dripped from the end of my hair and down my neck and a little light shampoo would not have been amiss. With the drought and reduced water pressure, water from any source will do!
The whole hike was an absolute delight, with the uphill sections making for a decent workout without being strenuous, and refreshments in the basin at the foot of the Skeleton Gorge waterfall, currently just a seep, enabled us to enjoy unparalleled peace in the mountains.