Why be content with a quick walk on Table Mountain when you can hike the 97km Hoerikwaggo walking trail?
Mother Nature likes her little jokes. Just take the blombos plant. To most people it’s a non-descript South African shrub. But as I strode out on a gloriously sunny morning, a 45-minute drive but a world away from Cape Town’s iconic Green Point football stadium, the plant started giving off quite a pong.
Its rich buttery odour of honey on toast wafted towards our group of hikers, which made me wish I hadn’t set out on an empty stomach, and pray that a break for elevenses might turn out to be “tenses” instead.
Hoerikwaggo walking trail
Now the hullaballoo from the 2010 World Cup has died down, it’s a good time to put on your hiking boots and look at Cape Town from a fresh angle. The Hoerikwaggo walking trail runs 97km from Cape Point to Table Mountain, which you can do in a five-day hike or in more manageable chunks. On the way you stay in extremely good value and comfortable tented camps run by the South African National Parks board while being provided with knowledgable guides. And, as a bonus, your baggage and food — you buy and cook the latter yourself, which keeps costs down — is taken ahead for you.
Starting out at Redhill, not far from the naval base at Simon’s Town and the sleepy bohemian suburb of Kalk Bay, with its brunch-laden cafés, antique shops and book stores with tabby cats curled up in the window.
This was not your normal kind of hike. When we took a break, Rosswill Bull, one of our guides, led us in a yoga-style meditation, where we sat in silence, eyes closed, legs crossed, to listen to the birds, feel the sun’s warmth on our skin and appreciate our good fortune. It was so much nicer than some walking holidays I’ve been on over the years, which almost have the air of an Army-style yomp to retake Port Stanley.
We set off again at a gentle pace to cover the rest of day one’s 12km as an orange-breasted sunbird flew overhead and our other guide, Thandi Ntsume, pointed out Helichrysum indicum (imphepho in Xhosa), which her family uses as an air freshener inside their home. A bit farther on, she pointed out another plant, buchu, which is used commercially in the cosmetics industry and made into a tea — good for the kidneys — while fishermen rub it on their hands to get rid of fishy smells. I don’t remember my school field trips being this interesting.
We stopped for the night at Slangkop, 100m from the beach and in the shadow of South Africa’s tallest lighthouse, erected after the SS Clan Monroe ran aground in 1905. We heard the Western leopard toad, which provided a deep, snoring chorus as we tucked into lasagne and a decent bottle of local red wine.
The camp itself, like all those on the trail, was of a high standard. There was a covered sitting area with an open fire for chilly evenings; a clean, well-equipped kitchen with pots, pans and a microwave; hot showers and basic but comfy tents. Maybe it was the sea air, or just the lullaby of the waves crashing on the beach, but I turned in early and was asleep within minutes.
We walked along the beach at Kommetjie the next day, sharing the sand with our shadows, a few horse riders, some surfers and even a lone penguin, but few humans. Then it was up, up and another scramble up Chapman’s Peak, with its fantastic views down to the town of Noordhoek and the cable car station on top of Table Mountain. “This walk gives me the chance to see my own back yard in a whole new perspective,” said Paul, who worked for the local coastguard. “It’s lovely to sit and look at the mountain. I think ‘wow, this is my home’.”
From Silvermine we came more into contact with civilisation. We passed a group of endurance racers doing something called the Old Fisherman’s Trail Challenge, which seemed rather unchallenging until we gingerly descended the craggy, rock-strewn, vertiginously steep path that these mad men and women had just sprinted up for the best part of 10km. Later we shared the trail with mountain bikers and dog walkers until we came down from the Vlakkenberg plateau and the fynbos shrubland gave way to fields of vines near the upmarket suburb of Constantia, full of glossy-mag houses, Mercedes and razor-wire security fencing.
There can’t be many better backdrops to end a hike than the 12 Apostle mountains reflecting the late afternoon sun. The good citizens of Cape Town have a lot for which to be thankful to Mother Nature, and honey on toast is just the start.
Need to know
Getting there Flights to South Africa – consider using Flightsite.co.za when searching for a competitive quote on a flight to South Africa.
To book the full five-day Hoerikwaggo trek (and shorter trails) contact the booking office (00 27 21 422 2816) or visit sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain/ht
When visiting Cape Town why be content with a quick stroll on Table Mountain when you can hike the Hoerikwaggo walking trail?
WillHide @thetimes