Possibilities.
There are never ending possibilities for hiking in Cape Town and around it. It's just a matter of time and your fitness level.
At least two hikes while you are in Cape Town is a must, we will add an extra one.
Table Mountain.
A must.
Table mountain is a symbol of Cape Town, you can see it from anywhere and if you’re even a bit fond of hiking, this one will always be on your mind. If you are healthy and fit, don't take cable car, hike it!
Get up early, pack some snacks, sun protection and lots of water. Drive to the same place as the cable car station on Tafelberg road, just leave crowds behind, and drive further until you see information board with Platteklip Gorge and stone stairs. The earlier you start, the more shadow you'll get. A steep but straight-forward 700 m. ascent & you are at the top, it takes around an hour and a half with rest stops. Of course it depends on your abilities, some people are so used to the trail and are that fit that they just jog to the top.
The tip.
Visit the tip of the mountain, walk around, maybe grab an ice cold drink at the bar and move forth. Now you have so many options where to end your day, there are countless trails on the mountain. We wanted to come back to the car in the evening, so we were trying to find loop trail without stepping on the same path. It turned into a very spectacular hike, all alone, meeting just a couple of people along the way.
The crossroads.
From Platteklip Gorge we headed to Echo valley, following Ark Valley and Valley Of The Red Gods. In the latter - the path splits into two, left to Woodhead water reservoir or stright to the Old Cable Car. We turned to the Old Cable Car, but just before reaching it road splits again, so we turned right to Kasteelspoort which is going down to Camps Bay. If your destination is Camps Bay continue straight down, if you going back where you start, look for junction with a pipeline & turn right along the pipe itself. It's a straight walk on this path overlooking Camps Bay on your left, and Lions Head in the front. Further along, you will reach a fenced off territory, walk right towards gate, but then just before it turn and walk along the fence (hold on to it because you can slip down as it is quite steep) until you reach another gate and a road. This road leading to this strange fenced territory will merge with Tafelberg road, where we started.
To sum it up.
It took us 8 hours, but we didn't rush, we took every moment to appreciate the views, enjoy loneliness in the nature. Lanscape during this trek changes from flats to valleys, from stones to tiny mountain rivers, small waterfalls, blooming meadows, pine trees shadows...
Lion's Head.
The quintessential hike.
Lion's Head opens up wonderful views of the city and Table mountain. Especially it's beautiful during sunset and sunrise. We chose sunrise.
You can find a lot of confusing information about how unsafe it is, but we felt completely safe walking in the dark. There are a few trails to start and after a bit they merge into one leading to the top.
No matter which one you choose they are all equally good. If you starting in the dark, choose the shortest one, as you will not be able to see much anyway.
Early bird gets the worm.
Park you car (or jump out of a taxi/uber) on Signal hill road in the first parking lot. Don't repeat our mistake, we drove to the end of the road, walked the small path leading to the hill at the dark thinking this is the right way, but after sunrise we understood we just walked a long flat line till same point everybody else just start the hike. So we wasted half an hour each way...
Try to come as early as possible so you find a good spot for your car and avoid traffic along the trail, as in some places towards the top there is only one way to climb and you have to wait till it is free to climb. So better come earlier (don't forget a headtorch) walk the empty trail, reach top before everyone else, choose the best spot, unpack your breakfast and wait for the show to begin.
To sum it up.
The trail is quite obvious it's difficult to loose track of it, it's not steep in the begging, just in the very last part you will climb rocks supporting your self with chains, and climb ladders, nothing scary though. There are plenty of places along the way to stop and enjoy aerial views of the twinkling lights of civilisation. But keep going as the cherry is at the top!
Hike duration is about 3 hours roundtrip.
Little Lion.
The lesser known head.
Mount Rhodes or better known as Little's Lion Head (it looks like a smaller version of Lion's Head) is an awesome short hike with a little bit of rock climbing in the end but nothing too difficult. And the best part is that you can enjoy in alone, it is completely empty, we hiked basically alone.
Private.
Beginning of this hike is located at the top of Valley View Drive, Mount Rhodes, in private territory. Once at the top of Valley View Drive, you’ll see two gates one in front of you and another to the right. You need to go to the one on the right, buzz the security at the gate and wait for them to open the gate. It took a while for them to open for us. (There are strict opening hours and security will only let you in during these times: Summer Times: 6am – 8pm, Winter Times: 8am – 6:30pm)
A hike less taken.
Walk up the asphalt road till the end then turn left, you will see a quite obvious path of loose rock, walk till you’ll come to a little rock. Climb to the top of it and look for another not so obvious path, I think we did loose it several times, but there is not that many possibilities to go wrong, so you will come back on track very quick. Head up the path until you find a large rock. Fun part begins! Now it is just rock climbing, just look up and try to find your steps. It's little bit tricky to find right rock following right rock so you can go up all the time, but I think this is best part of hike. When you reach the top, you can enjoy a 360 degree view of Hout Bay, Sandy Bay, Llandudno and beyond! Best thing you will probably enjoy it all alone. Highly recommended.
Hike duration is about 2 hours with a long rest at the top.
