Hike – Kogelberg Nature Reserve – 21 May 2016

On Saturday, 21st of May 2016, together with the Mountain Club of South Africa (Paarl/Wellington Section), I hiked the longest route in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve.  The reserve is on the left as you drive from Betty’s Bay to Kleimond.  The entrance to the reserve is on the left just before you cross the Palmiet river.  From Cape Town, it is about one and a half hour drive to get there.

I met up with 13 other hikers from the club and at 8:30am we started our hike.  Below is a map of the route we took and when we finish back at where we started at about 4pm, Runkeeper showed a distance of 23.27km covered with an elevation from 53m at the start and finish and 523m at the highest point – se elevation map below the route map.


Kogelberg elevation

It is a fairly easy hike with steady uphill to the highest point and then a quicker decent down the ravine and forrest.  But since it is so long, almost 24km, it take its toll and is not for the fainthearted and although there are lots of streams with fresh flowing drinking water, ensure you carry enough water also. The veld is mostly fynbos and open areas as can be seen from the photo gallery below. The mountain vistas is just amazing and we were even lucky to see a King Protea in bloom, rare for this time of the year.

Photo Gallery:

 

DTP #13: Roadtrip – Cape Town to Hermanus and back

As I am still on holiday, my son and I decided to explore some of the Western Cape’s beauty. It was an overcast day and a perfect day for a road trip. We decided to explore the area up to Hermanus.  We drove through the Strand and Gordonsbay.

After Gordonsbay, it was onto Rooiels, PringleBay, Bettysbay and Kleinmond. At Kleimond we stopped and grabbed some cooldrinks and strolled through the town.  Then it was onto Hermanus, past Arrabella Golf Estate and Onrus onto Hermanus.

We again stopped in Hermanus and strolled through the town.  It was packed and we battled to get parking.  This must be one of the restaurants that is the closest I have ever seen to the water edge.

For all you Harley lovers,

This was one of about 15 Harleys and all of them exactly the same.

On the way back from Hermanus we took the N2 and turned off at Grabou.  Just before Velliersdorp we took the Franschoek turnoff and got this view of Franschoek.

Now tell me that we do not have some of the most beautyful countryside here in the Cape.  This view is just amazing.

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