Best Hike in Cape Town




 On this past trip to Cape Town we took a break from scuba diving with fur seals and rare nudibranchs to get a little exercise and do some hiking. Cape Town has a plethora of hiking options with the most famous being a day hike up the picturesque Table Mountain. This national landmark makes the covers of all the calendars and post cards but what a lot of people don't know is that most of those pictures of Table Mountain are taken from on top another nearby mountain called Lion's Head.

Training for Hawaii, hiking Lion's Head in my locals
   Lion's Head has an easy access parking area on a windy turnoff past the more popular table mountain. The hiking trail can take anywhere from a couple hours for the very fit to a half day for a meandering group. The view on the trail is constantly changing since the path wraps around the mountain as it gains elevation. One moment you are looking out at the ocean, the next you are looking down upon the many buildings in Cape Town, then you are peering off at the infamous Robbin Island where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner, and finally Table Mountain and the 12 apostles range come into view.

Going vertical
  Another great thing about the Lion's Head hike is that some parts of the trail offer an almost bouldering/rock climbing experience. Wonderful handholds and footholds are secured into the rocks as your travel pretty vertically up the mountain. There is an easier, longer way around but for the adventurous looking for something to spice up their hike this is a can't miss. The pictures from this part of the trail really capture how vertical you have to go and the distance down.

Standing tall on Lion's Head
  The final push to the rocky summit is a fun challenge and you will no doubt have locals on their way down offering you luck for the final push. Once you reach the summit the views will take your breath away. From up here I can easily understand why Cape Town constantly makes the list of 'best cities to live in' from around the world. Both Heidi and I commented on how much we enjoy the city and how beautiful it is. After a short respite and photo session at the top we head back down to make our way out to Gansbaii for some great white shark cage diving!

Local hiker overlooking Cape Town
Heidi on her way down
www.daimarsphotos.com





Looking south along the Twelve Apostles Range
Colorful beach huts in Muizenberg

Comments

Post a Comment

Leaving a comment is a great way to provide feedback, ask further questions, and inspire more answers...so go for it.

Popular posts from this blog

Secret Maui Waterfall

Image
  No matter how quick a trip to Maui might be there will be hidden gems found and great times had. After a little snafu with my flight I made it standby to Maui, picked up my rental car, and rushed off to meet my friends on the road to Hana. We met at Frog Pond, one of our favorite swimming holes near the beginning of the road to Hana. After some rock hopping and cliff jumping here we decided to check out the hidden waterfalls at mile 11. I'm not sure what the name of these falls are but there are two of them, each with their own swimming holes. It is just off the highway but separated by lush jungle. A rope swing beckons the adventurous and rocks warmed by the sun give you more than enough reason to while away the afternoon.
Read more

Hidden Ulupalakua Lava Tube, Maui

Image
  High above the crowded beaches of South Maui lies a hidden secret adventure that only those in the know will ever experience. Hidden only a thousand yards or so off a well traveled road around 4,000ft in elevation sits a massive cave which angles slowly down the side of Haleakala volcano. The amazing formations inside and the cave itself were formed by lava, creating an underground tube to transport the lava farther down the slope of the volcano. The same thing can be seen actively happening on the Big Island currently. Luckily this lava tube is all dried up making it much safer to explore. However the loose rocks and obvious cave ins leave some cause for concern.   Part of this adventure is just finding the entrance. This included a dirt road, a jeep trail, jumping an old stone wall, then bushwhacking through dense brush for about tweny-five minutes before finding the lava tube entrance. It was surrounded by ferns, just like the famous Thurston Lava Tube in Volcanoes National
Read more

Search for Chameleons, Maui

Image
  You never know what might be hiding in your backyard. Here on Maui there have always been tales of people finding Jackson's chameleons in their bushes. The trick is to travel a few thousand feet up Haleakala volcano to Makawao, Pukalani and Kula towns where the temperature is a little cooler and it is a bit wetter, perfect conditions for chameleons.   There are no native reptiles on Hawaii. These beautiful chameleons were released or escaped from the pet trade. Luckily they have not become invasive like many other introduced species, however they have increased in population and seem to be doing quite well in the higher elevation areas. Heidi and I went on a search the other day at our friend's house in Kula and were shocked to find a dozen different chameleons in her side yard hedge. They were mostly at eye level, and were curled up asleep for the night. We found them easily enough with flashlights since they seem to sleep near the outer edge of the hedge at night.   W
Read more