This is a 5-star hike for
hiking children with a cave, lots of nooks and crannies and some
easy rock scrambling. On top of Klein Tuin Buttress is an area
known as Stonehenge, where the kids can spend hours climbing
through holes and exploring, while parents enjoy views of False
Bay.
Start from the parking area at Silvermine on the southern side
at the top of Ou Kaapse Weg. Take the dirt road that runs between
Wolfkop, 449m and Ou Kaapse Weg. Notice the waterfall to the
right and below the road.
There are two roads going off to the left, but keep right until
the road comes to an end and then continues as a sandy path with
Kluin Tuin looming above, 30 min.
The path winds around Kluin
Tuin Kop, 484m, with Ou Kaapse Weg below and to the right; it
then ascends on steps. This clear path eventually leads to Echo
Valley with the Amphitheatre at the top on the left. However
our route goes off to the left.
Silvermine
‘Silvermine’ is a misnomer. Shafts were sunk between
1675 and 1685, but not one ounce of silver was discovered.
There are 67 caves in the area, including Boomslang, Aladdin,
Tartarus, Robin Hood, Spookgrot, Musical Drops, Devil’s
Pit and Oread Hall. It is wise to explore these caves with
the Spaelogical Society or someone who knows them well. Please
respect the bats that live in some of the caves.
From the bottom of Klein Tuin Kloof aim for what looks like
a saddle. There is a small overhang at the base of the rock face.
Approximately half-way up the kloof, 30 min, there are some rock
steps and an area of large boulders. On reaching the largest
of these boulders, turn left, following cairns (a pile of three
large rocks to mark the way) and aim for a small overhang at
the base of the rock face. If you pass next to the overhang you
are on the right level.
Continue walking along the base of the rock, eventually passing
through trees, Maurocenia frangularia, Hottentot Cherry. The
wood of these trees is yellow, hard and tough and was used to
make musical instruments; the berry is edible.
On the corner there is a short, easy pitch leading to a traverse
of nooks, crannies and chimneys on the front of Kluin Tuin, above
Ou Kaapse Weg. Take care not to trample the succulents.
On the opposite side of the peak is a cave, Ystervarkgrot. Someone
has painted an upside down red cross at the entrance, next to
the name.
Immediately around the corner scramble up the rocks for 50m and
traverse to the right to the corner, going through a hole or
over the top.
On the spine of the peak, scramble up to a higher traverse,
go to the right and then proceed up onto the top of the peak,
above the point where you left the main Kluin Tuin Kloof path.
The top of the peak is marked by a pile of rocks.
When you come to the peak, continue along the ridge on a good
path for 10 min.
‘STONEHENGE’
Stonehenge is on the next ridge and is tricky to find. Look for
a cairn on top of the ridge which marks the turn-off point,
to turn left, off the main path. Stonehenge is a rock formation
of chimneys and windows, a fun place for children and those
with young and imaginative minds!
Return to the main path and continue for a short distance to
a large flat area. Follow the vague path going off to the left,
descending to a large boulder to the right of the path. Go around
this boulder onto a traverse where there is a large overhang
known as Bertie’s Balcony, 10 min.
Continue on this level and join the main path. The Amphitheatre
is to the right, but descend to the dirt road, 10 min.
Just below the junction is a sandy path on the opposite side.
Follow this to the main dirt road and the weir above the waterfall,
45 min.
Notice the huge area of Restios with their brown spikes blowing
in the wind like a tidal wave. Restios are one of the most striking
characteristic plants of the Peninsula landscape, taking the
place of grasses, and occurring nowhere else except for Australia.
Silvermine is one of the best areas to see a large variety of
restio species.
From the weir, it is a further 20 min along the road to the
cars.
Route designed by Peter Paterson, mid 1990’s
Route finding: challenging
Fitness: moderate
Time: 5 hours
Karen Watkins is the author of Adventure Walks & Scrambles
in the Cape Peninsula. This article was published in Buite Burger
on July 17, 2007.
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