Blowing away on the mountain tops

The southeaster nearly blew us off the mountain today! While not unusual at this time of year, by now we are all rather tired of the Cape Doctor after a long summer, even though it does blow away the cobwebs, and somehow the constant buffeting tires one out a little more. It did keep us cool on an otherwise warm day.
The hike from Glencairn up onto the plateau stretching southwards is a particularly lovely one, with low fynbos stretching as far as the eye can see, and undulating hills with enticing trails etched in weathered quartz sand. This would be a paradise for nature lovers if it weren't for the odd criminal element that spoils our civilisation, but if more people were up there, the opportunities would perhaps be too few and that problem could be eliminated. Today there was no sign of ill intent and we were able to revel in a 6 or so kilometre hike to the top of Rooikranz, overlooking the western side of the Fish Hoek/Noordhoek valley.
Long Beach lay pristine before us, marred only by the wrecked remains of the Kakapo, trapped forever on a dune between a lake and the sea. A heavy swell from the South Atlantic made itself visible in the breakers sending up huge sprays of foam over the rocky outcrops that dot the coastline. The wind direction ensured that the noise from the traffic and industry below us was completely muted, and we could pretend we were far from the madding crowd.
Many beautiful flowers dotted the ground, with the gladioli of particular prettiness - four different markings being observed over a very small area - and quite a variety of ericas, mostly new to me. The wind kept the birds close to the ground and none were seen at all, but there will be plenty of opportunity to see something new and exciting next time.

Barely visible

Dassies in the sun

Happy hikers!