This is one of my favourite short hikes in the Silvermine area of the Table Mountain National Park, taking no more than 2 to 2.5 hours, and being suitable for those with below average to average fitness. It’s a great starter hike, too, and gives one unparalleled sweeping vistas of the Cape Flats, Constantiaberg, Table Mountain, False Bay and beyond to the mountains to the north.
As is the norm with all hikes in the Silvermine area, a camera is a must, as there’s just so much to see – the fynbos, with its vast variety of flowering plants, the wind and rain-sculptured sandstone rock formations, the many species of birds, as well as the views. A camera allows one to capture these images, and savour them many times over at a later stage, as I often do. As the song goes, “Memories are made of this”!
This one’s a great introduction to hiking in the mountains behind Cape Town, is easy, but nevertheless makes for a delightful morning or afternoon’s outing, with much more than expected in the way of views, flora and fauna. Your total walking time there and back won’t be much more than 2.5 – 3 hours along excellent tracks, but with all there is to see, it will take at least twice that long to do it justice. Before you go, download a free Kirstenbosch map from 
