Yesterday was a supreme example of a perfect late summer's day in Cape Town - clear skies, gentle breeze and not too hot to begin with. The trail from the East Fort at the beginning of Chapman's Peak is in the shadow of Vlakkenberg for the early part of the morning and so we were able to struggle up the loose, rocky and much steeper than we remembered path without too much discomfort until we reached the jeep track and the beginning of the zigzag to the manganese mine. It was clear that the southwesterly breeze was not going to be wafting up from the cold sea below, and so there was little relief once the sun peeped over the crags, and we stopped often to admire the view of the harbour and the comings and goings of the pleasure boats taking trippers to view the seal colony on the other side of Hangberg. A tunny boat was enjoying the calm sea, leaving a whirlpool in the centre of a circle of white wake, and kayakers paddled along the coastline in their colourful craft, perhaps seeking the company of the dolphins that play here.
The heat took its toll and we decided to only go to the lower manganese mineshaft, not the extra 100m or so (vertically) to reach the shaft on the upper ridge, and even so it was a strenuous morning on the mountain. We tend to forget what an important role the weather plays in hiking, and that a few extra degrees of heat can completely change our ability to do a hike that would be a walk in the park in winter.
As always, the views were spectacular and a very pleasant late breakfast down at the beach made for a perfect day.
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