Suikerbossie Path (Longkloof Valley)
towards Constantia Corner; Converted farmhouse, Longkloof Valley. |
|
With my holiday in South
Africa, the first in four years, rapidly drawing to a close and my
return to the UK imminent, I needed to get another Table Mountain
hike under the belt. Consequently, I headed for
Hout Bay via Constantia Nek and
parked my car at the entrance to Ruyteplaats housing estate, making
it worth the resident security guard's while, should he keep an eye
on my vehicle. I set off on the path that runs between the estate and the Suikerbossie Restaurant,
as indicated by the "public footpath" sign, crossing a dirt road,
once the Old Victoria Road, or Thomas Bain’s Road, built in 1887
with convict labour.
Continuing east along a route to the rear
of the estate through a short section pine forest, a path eventually
leads off to the left and out of the forest. Suikerbossie ('sugar
bush') contour path meanders up Longkloof Valley
towards the Nek. I was amazed as to how the fynbos had grown,
compared to when last I had walked there. despite not having a map in
my possession, I remembered to cross the first forested ravine one
encounters, followed by the gulley of some fair size that had
subsequently a short footbridge constructed over it, before reaching
a second forested ravine. This is Myburgh Waterfall Ravine, where
the climb commences. |
|
|
View across Longkloof Valley from
Suikerbossie Path. |
|
|
Fynbos in abundance along
Suikerbossie Path (Longkloof Valley) towards Constantia Corner. |
|
|
Occasionally the path isn't
always clearly visible save for the piles of stones that have been
left at regular intervals; nonetheless, one is required to clamour over large
boulders. Having said that, there's only one way and that is up! A
lower waterfall is reached, which provides an opportunity for some
interesting photos of the foliage carpeting a vertical expanse of rock, before
continuing left of the stream. This is where Disa plants can be seen
flowering at certain times of the year. Further up the trail crosses
the riverbed and continues up the right bank for a while. The upper
section of the gorge narrows, with rock walls extending upwards on
both sides. Sunlight streams down from the top of the gorge. Save
for the sound of trickling water, a lone birdsong could be heard,
sounding its call repeatedly, as if in the hope of soliciting some
distant response. I was pleased in a way that I was walking on my
own. In one respect it is perhaps not the wisest thing to do, having
broken a cardinal rule of hiking, yet it is at times like these that
one finds oneself exerting some measure of control over one's own
destiny.
There is nothing challenging
about the route until one reaches the waterfall near the top of
Myburgh Ravine. The most likely route is up the waterfall itself,
though a steep, sandy track can also be seen where the fynbos has
gradually been eroded over time, which would undoubtedly result in
further damage, particularly during the rainy season. Though the
rock is wet and slippery, one is able to find sufficient space to
gain a foothold and forge a route however caution should be
exercised during the ascent. As one emerges from the shelter of the
ravine, one has no choice but to scramble up the worn, sandy path
until it eases to a gentle slope at the head of the valley.
|
|
|
The lower waterfall up Myburgh
Ravine. |
|
|
Approaching the top of Myburgh
Ravine as it narrows, walled on either side. |
|
|
* *
* |
Hout Bay (Afrikaans:
Houtbaai, from Afrikaans for "Wood Bay") is the name of a coastal
suburb of Cape Town, with a mix of neighbourhoods from the very rich
to the very poor. It lies in a valley on the Atlantic Seaboard of
the Cape Peninsula and is twenty kilometres south of the Central
Business District of Cape Town. The name Hout Bay can refer to the
town, or the bay on which it is situated, or the whole valley.
When the Dutch established a
colony in Table Bay in 1652, they required a great quantity of good
timber for building and other purposes. There were no large forests
in the immediate vicinity of the settlement, mainly because the
rainfall was not high enough. It was soon apparent that the
colonists would be able to get the wood they needed in the wetter
valley that lay on the other side of a low pass (called Constantia
Nek) between the southern end of Table Mountain and Constantiaberg.
The area was originally made up of two farms, which were slowly
subdivided to make way for urban expansion. While still maintaining
its rural feel the area now has more than 12 000 residences
inhabited by a population of about 42 000 people.
Hout Bay is surrounded by
mountain to the North, East and West and the Southern Atlantic Ocean
to the South. In the North it is bordered by Table Mountain National
Park comprising the Orangekloof Nature reserve and the bottom slopes
of Table Mountain beyond that. To the North-West it is bordered by
the backside of the Twelve Apostles, known as the Oranjekloof. To
the West it is bordered by Little Lion's Head (Klein Leeukop),
Karbonkelberg, Kaptein's Peak and the Sentinel. To the East it is
bordered by the Vlakkenberg, Skoorsteenskopberg and Constantiaberg.
The world famous Chapman's Peak Drive is carved out of the
mountainside and leads towards Noordhoek and onwards to Cape Point.
There are three roads leading to
and from Hout Bay, all over mountain passes. One goes to Llandudno
and Camps Bay through the pass between Judas Peak (part of the
Twelve Apostles) and Little Lion's Head. This pass is known as "Suikerbossie"
(known as the toughest hill on the Cape Argus Cycle Race). Between
Hout Bay and Noordhoek there is Chapman's Peak Drive, which was
closed for many years and finally reopened in early 2004 with a
controversial toll booth. Lastly a road leads to Constantia over the
Constantia Nek pass between Vlakkenberg and the back slopes of Table
Mountain.
The Hout Bay bay has a whitesand
beach, a popular attraction for tourists and locals (and their dogs)
alike. Hout Bay has one of the busiest harbours in the Western Cape
with an established tuna, snoek and crayfish industry. The harbour
is home to the Hout Bay Yacht Club and several restaurants. Hout
Bay, also known as "Dungeons" to the surfing community, is one of
the sixteen recognised big wave spots around the globe. The annual
Red Bull Big Wave Africa competition, an annual event, was
last held here in 2008. The harbour is a worthwhile
visit, as there are spectacular views of the bay and boat rides to
Duiker Island and around the Sentinel. |
Text and photo courtesy of
Wikipedia. |
* *
* |
Ferns on the upper section of
Myburgh Ravine. |
|
|
Blue skies above Myburgh Ravine. |
|
|
View from the head of the valley,
looking down Myburgh Ravine towards Longkloof Valley. |
|
|
* *
* |
|