SANTIE GOUWS MOUNTAIN GUIDE

This must be THE BEST late summer hike in Cape Town! We start out via our first gorge, the magnificent, shaded forest jungle called Skeleton Gorge. Our journey then leads us through a second tucked away little gorge on the Back Table, called Backwater Ravine, with a little mountain stream, waterfall and rock pools galore, a real Garden of Eden. Our third gorgeous gorge, Nursery Ravine, leads us back down the mountain via the road less travelled.

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The gorgeous gorges hike get the lungs and legs working as we start out from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and follow Skeleton Gorge’s steep rocky footpath through the forest. After climbing further up via timber ladders, we cross the stream and continue further up and along Skeleton Gorge’s dry stream-bed. Leaving the stream-bed the path zig-zags to the top where we are greeted by an unexpectedly striking view across the historic Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir. Our route then takes us through the lesser-known, but quite spectacular little Backwater Ravine, where we can take a dip in the rock pools during our tea-break. From here we loop back via the historic Aqueduct, all the time looking out for some summer-flowering disas occurring here. We reach the Smuts track and follow it to the top of Nursery Ravine. We hike back down the mountain via the steep rock steps of Nursery Ravine, passing some magnificent king proteas which are currently in starting to flower and some more Afro-montane forest and waterfalls further down, the hike ending back at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. 

• DISTANCE - 9.5 km 

• ELEVATION GAIN - 710 m

• DIFFICULTY LEVEL - 2B - Strenuous on-trail hike, some use of hands for climbing ladders

• STANDARD-PACED HIKE - Up to 6 hours is the standard duration for this hike

• SLOW-PACED HIKE - Guests preferring a slower pace, can book a 7 hour hike

• LOCATION - Cape Town, South Africa

• START/END - Circular hike, starts and ends at gate 2 of the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. 

CLICK HERE FOR PRIVATE GUIDED HIKE TARIFFS 

Coffee/tea included. Other drinks/snacks and transport are excluded and can be arranged at an additional fee. Entrance fees to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens excluded.

WHATSAPP Santie to book for this special hike.