Cool climb up the crags

Today was a crowded mountain morning as our group joined up with another hiking group on the same narrow trail up the crags to the Elephant's Eye cave in Silvermine Nature Reserve. There are varying paces to be catered for, and after it was established that we were going to take the harder high road up to the ridge, some hikers opted to do the easier jeep track. They got to the eventual destination way ahead of us, although we may have benefited from better views at times, and certainly from a little more effort, but it isn't a competition and is all about the pleasure of being out in the beauty so freely offered by our Cape Peninsula.
A cold wind kept us refreshed and I don't think anyone broke out into a sweat despite some fairly tough bits, and we stopped often to admire the summer fynbos and in particular the swathes of white everlastings and brightly coloured mountain dahlias. A Karoo prinia trilled nearby but wasn't visible, preferring to shelter in the lower branches on a windy morning, and no other birds were seen or heard.
Some clearing of the old burned pine trees near the waterfall on the way to the lookout point has taken place - by clearing I mean chainsawing of huge trunks and sundry undergrowth without discernment and leaving logs lying like pick-up sticks to probably rot away over the years to come. It all looks rather untidy and ravaged, and there might have been a better way to deal with it.
Walking in Silvermine allows us to feel secure in our environment and we eventually split up into three groups, all large enough to meet our 'safety requirements' and so it was a little disjointed in that people who we conversed with at the beginning of the hike had disappeared by the end. To those who I didn't get to chat with at all or finish a conversation, sorry! That is what happens when the path is narrow and the line long. It was lovely to be up there with all of you anyway!
A fire in the mountains near Grabouw meant that the view was not quite as awe-inspiring as it could have been, but it gives us an excuse to go again on another day.

Mountain morning

Blue skies and a gentle breeze greeted us this morning as we gathered under the pine trees at Constantia Nek for one of the easier hikes - along the jeep track with a detour up into Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge, descending through the lush greenery of Kirstenbosch to finish off.
The gentle breeze soon disappeared as we walked with our backs to it and our faces into the sunshine and it wasn't long before we actively sought the shadier parts of the track, reminding ourselves that this was still early summer and the fierce heat of February lay ahead. Panoramic views across the Peninsula allowed us to put these thoughts into the recesses of the memory and frequent water breaks took the heat off.
The slopes of Devil's Peak are covered in pale green - not sure what the vegetation is, but it makes for a wonderful sight in contrast with the rocky cliff faces, and the mountain slopes in general are looking healthy after fairly good winter rains. We walked part of this track last week, and of the three streams we crossed then, only the Skeleton Gorge watercourse is still running. A reminder that drought is never far away. The aristeas and watsonias are still in bloom and dense bracken appears to have a strong hold on the lower slopes where the occasional protea and pincushion still stand out above the undergrowth.
This is a popular hike, and we passed many other happy hikers of all ages enjoying a morning on our beautiful mountain. At one stage there must have been 30 of us congregated at Nursery Ravine - a lucky coincidence as the path is a single trail with a sheer drop and passing might have presented a problem.
As always, there were bits of uphill that none of us remembered (the memory is selective about these, otherwise it would remind us not to go again) but really a tremendously pleasant hike, with just a bit of care needed on the very slippery gravel descent into the upper reaches of Kirstenbosch. We were entertained by the song of the sombre greenbul, that elusive bird hiding from view in the canopy of an ancient and fantastically branched wild almond, a survivor of the original plantings in the 1600s. The gardens were busy, with throngs of visitors indicating that the tourist season has begun in Cape Town, with the weather being perfect for outdoor activity. There are signs everywhere of Capetonians winding down the year, with office parties and outings in full swing. Christmas holidays start early here!

 

A gorgeous day at Cape Point

What a joy it is to have Cape Point Nature Reserve so close by, where we can walk without having to look out for the criminal element and enjoy nature in the raw, so to speak, with untamed winds blowing across the Peninsula from distant continents, crisp and refreshing after a long journey over cold seas. A change of direction ahead of a cold front said to be bringing a little drizzle to Cape Town tomorrow made the walk from Gifkommetjie to Hoek van Bobbejaan even more pleasant than usual.
We took the easy way at first, trekking along the rocky ridge along the west side of the reserve, where the rocks are weather-beaten into fantastical shapes with holes and hollows where winter rains catch and provide natural pools for the wildlife to drink from. There was plenty of evidence of the presence of buck and baboons, but none were seen apart from a pretty klipspringer doing just that - jumping from rock to rock on delicately pointed hooves that seem impossible to do the job of giving surefootedness, but are perfectly suited!
A skittish group of ostriches ran off to a secure distance as we passed them on the beach - quite unusual behaviour from these birds that mostly view us with disdain. Our coffee break on the big log at the Hoek enabled us to enjoy a rest at the rusted remains of the Nolloth, with a flock of assorted terns wheeling and landing as entertainment.
The fynbos is particularly pretty at present, with mostly pink and yellow flowers colouring the landscape, and many walks through the seasons are recommended to see the broadest range of species. A number of birds called in the distance, but none deigned to put in an appearance although there was no wind.
The views were remarkable today, with the Slangkop lighthouse clearly visible in the far distance and Table Mountain a little faded in the background. A wonderful place to be on a gorgeous day.

Cecilia Waterfall - a place of beauty

In hiking, the only thing worse than a relentless uphill is a relentless downhill, and particularly if you haven't done any exercise for a month! The track up to Cecilia Waterfall is a familiar favourite with our group, and yet the memory of the steep climb fades after each walk, and it is like doing a new trail every time, while you mutter about not remembering it being quite so tough.
A fairly cool day for this time of year was made even more pleasant by the leafy shade of the trees in the ravines we passed through, with so much new growth in evidence after some good rains this last winter and the tinkling of the stream as it tumbled down its rocky bed. A dusky flycatcher peeped down at us, flitting from branch to branch in characteristic manner as if to make sure we were all alright before letting us pass. A delightful little bird that brings a sense of connection with nature.
The waterfall is still trickling down strongly (an odd description but it is not a gushing waterfall) and there should be an impressive number of disa uniflora adorning its cliff face in January/February - so another climb is probably on the cards. It's a tremendously peaceful and restorative place to spend a half hour drinking coffee and nibbling on a snack after the effort of getting there, and contemplating the further steep climb out of the ravine towards Kirstenbosch.
The flowers along the way vary according to the season, and currently we are being treated to splashes of pink and blue from the tall watsonia and aristea species that flourish on the slopes of the Table Mountain chain, interspersed with less flamboyant flowers closer to the ground requiring closer inspection to get maximum enjoyment of their delicate colours. The mountain dahlia is in full bloom with some really huge bushes nodding their orange heads - one of my favourite flowers.
The long descent down steps made for people with long legs seemed interminable and my calves are telling me about it this morning, but nonetheless a wonderful hike.

The Spaanschemat River Trail

We took a new route for our hike today (my first in nearly a month after gallivanting around various sections of the Kalahari) and it turned out to be quite delightful. Setting out from Pedlars on the bend, we crossed the road to take the river trail that parallels the M3 - very closely at times, but well fenced off and hidden from the traffic. It was such a pleasure to walk under the greenery of the trees, with lush grass on either side of the smooth sand trail and well-tended gardens visible through high fences leading up to some remarkably large houses in this upmarket suburb.
The trail wound back up from the highway towards Spaanschemat Road, quite a distance away, and on the way we stopped off at the Kramat - a most peaceful and beautiful place that few of us knew existed - and spent a pleasant half-hour in the shady rose garden with tinkling fountains, taking care to adhere to the rules of the shrine's access. These rules are what we would consider socially acceptable behaviour in every way, and it is very sad that it needs to be spelled out to visitors that they should be respectful, not litter, not leave the toilets in a filthy state (yes! the mind boggles).  It truly is worth a visit, no matter how brief.
We continued up the valley towards the local wine farms, Groot Constantia in particular, and walked through a meadow of tall grass reminiscent of the plains of Africa - one could imagine Livingstone cutting a swathe through it, or lions lurking! (I have obviously been too long in a game park.) Along the way are signposts detailing the birds, wildlife and flora to be seen along the way, and reed overgrowth was being cleared by municipal workers where it was clogging the stream, so it is clear that this trail is one of the more important, and amazing that we have taken so long to discover it. Perhaps it is its very residential nature that causes most to overlook the signposts along the roads, and perhaps it is best to be a well-kept secret!
We came to the lower vineyards of Groot Constantia after about 6km of trail, and after negotiating a rather interesting revolving gate (slimness an advantage), we strolled into the heart of this historic farm before taking the road down to the Sillery trail and back to the cars. A fairly slow but particularly pretty walk that must be done again.

A thirsty land

As I wipe the last dust of the Karoo from my suitcase and tip the red sands of the Kalahari from my scorpion-defence white leather shoes, I think back to the last three weeks of travelling through these thirsty lands and remember how much we take for granted in the big cities where life comes from the turn of a tap and sustenance from a supermarket shelf. It is no wonder that these vast tracts of arid plains and desert dunes remain practically pristine - dependence on springs and flowing rivers limits existence for Man and animals. Without fresh water, we cannot exist. And so nature maintains its balances with the dry seasons and the wet seasons (what we call climate change, but is simply the cycles of weather over millenia), allowing times of plenty and times of struggle, when sometimes the predator is king and other times the prey has the advantage.
The deep silence is addictive to ears that are under constant assault from the modern electronic world and it is easy to understand why some choose to abandon the hustle and bustle for a life of quiet contemplation (close to a potable water source!) and communion with nature. The need for possessions fades quickly and the evidence of human habitation over the last century or two reveals how little they made do with. But always the accessibility of water decides how long we can stay, and today this land can only provide water to the animals through boreholes powered by the sun or wind.
An extended drought will decimate the wildlife, as is currently being experienced, but a good rainy season can reverse this, and parched brown vegetation waits patiently, ready to burst into fresh greenery and bright flowers to continue the circle of life.