On Friday 30 March, the
second leg of the Table Mountain Tented Trail was officially
in Silvermine by Glenn Phillips, the South African National Parks
director of tourism. Part of the collection of Hoerikwaggo Trails,
this section starts from Slangkop Point, next to the lighthouse
in Kommetjie. Hikers then walk along Noordhoek Beach beside the
Atlantic Ocean before climbing a recently constructed path on
Chapman’s Peak, controlled access. After lunch, there is
another ascent towards Noordhoek Peak before joining the Amphitheatre
Path above Silvermine reservoir and the final stretch to the
tented camp.
The Silvermine leg, the second of four, will eventually form
part of the Hoerikwaggo Tented Classic trail, from Cape Point
to Cape Town. It was specifically designed for fit hikers and
offers a traditional, albeit pampered, hiking experience.
Like many Capetonians who regularly hike Table Mountain, I have
been unenthusiastic about paying to hike and sleep on my stomping
ground. When I was invited to join a two-day dummy run, overnighting
at the newly constructed Silvemine tented camp, I jumped at it,
while also taking advantage of the opportunity to hike the new
section of the trail on Chapman’s Peak.
Starting from Slangkop Point as the sun transformed the scenery,
sniffing coastal fynbos and sea spray, we realised that we were
not the only people up and about so early. Noorhoek Beach is
popular with horse-riders, surfers and dog walkers, not to mention
the many seabirds, including rare oyster catchers.
With Imhoff’s Gift and the wetlands reflected in a tidal
pan, we rested at the remains of the Kakapo, one of many shipwrecks
off the Cape of Storms, this one running aground in 1900.
Finally reaching the end of the 8km-long beach, we past through
a thicket of Sideroxylon inerme, Melkhout, to cross Chapman’s
Peak Drive. Seeing steep wooden steps I envied a Jackal buzzard
Afrikaanse, hanging in the sky above the peak of the same name,
593m above. The route was far better than I’d expected – high
above jagged cliffs with views of Hout Bay, before traversing
the spine and then following a line above the private estate
of Goede Hoop and the Serina Kaolin Mine. We marvelled at the
path-building skills of mainly women, carrying and positioning
enormous rocks. This section of the trail is closed to hikers,
although permits are available from the Tokai office.
Lunch and stunning wraparound views were enjoyed on Chapman’s
Peak, almost completely surrounded by two oceans, no wonder Table
Mountain National Park (TMNP) chose the word Hoerikwaggo, the
Khoi-San word meaning The Mountain in the Sea, for the collection
of trails.
From here we covered familiar territory before finally reaching
the Silvermine Reservoir, built in 1898, and dotted with two
swimmers. Silvermine has many activities including mountain biking,
rock climbing, hiking and picnicking.
At last we reached the tented camp, conjuring visions of khaki/brown
tents and ablution block, but thankfully, this is not the case.
The trail is not a new idea and was originally planned by the
Cape Town City Council 30 years ago, but progress was hampered
because of land access, until the National Parks Board took over
management in May 1998. Since Brett Myrdal became manager in
April 2003, it has been his dream to create job opportunities
for people from informal settlements surrounding TMNP. So far,
the park has employed more than 420 previously unemployed people,
teaching them skills like footpath building, stone masonry, carpentry,
bio-diversity conservation and mountain guiding.
The tented camps are constructed on previously disturbed sites
using alien vegetation, mainly sourced from within the park,
allowing for more job creation, fynbos restoration and project
cost-saving. For many years, the derelict remains of the house
in Silvermine, along with all the associated rubble, septic tank,
garbage etc, has been an ugly blot on this pristine area, in
fact 48 skips of trash and rubble were removed before building
could start.
Entering under a wooden arch and along a boardwalk, the camp
is a sensational celebration of wood in all of its beauty and
warmth - the variety of colours and grain in the oak, pine, poplar,
white Cyprus and red river gum. The meticulous way that curved
planks fit together, the carved wash basins, carefully crafted
handles, sliding door, handrails, benches and chairs, something
new and interesting to see wherever the eye leads. Who would
have thought that alien vegetation could look so good!
Each campsite has a theme and at Silvermine it is mountain fynbos,
evidenced by plants in the wooden and rock walls of the lapa.
High above the communal area are three ancient yellowwood trees,
while below is a rehabilitated wetland, dry at present but a
birders paradise after winter rain.
The tents are built on wooden decks with connecting boardwalks,
ensuring that scarring of the earth is minimised. This is part
of the principle of “touching the earth lightly”,
the idea of Howard Langley, the park’s previous manager.
The principle conveys the relationship between man and the earth,
an association based on respect, sensitivity and custodianship
resulting in making the least possible impact on the natural
landscape, both physically and visually. Energy-efficient solar
power is used wherever possible and there are signs requesting
hikers to be water-wise and to recycle, thereby hopefully taking
these principles home with them. The ‘touching the earth
lightly’ principle is not only used in the construction
of the camps, but also takes into consideration the impact of
many feet upon the paths.
When completed, the six-day, five night trail will have camps
at Smitswinkel Forest Station, Signal School above Simon’s
Town, Slangkop Point, Silvermine and Orange Kloof (now complete,
see the article on 17 April).
Table Mountain is a World Heritage Site and despite it looking
picturesque and easy from below, it is a wild place where the
weather changes without warning. We felt secure walking with
experienced guides, Zukile Matabese, Noluthando Mathe and Sonwabile
Mathala, knowing that we were a radio call away from help should
an emergency arise. They informed us about the botany including
medicinal uses, and history, as well as telling anecdotes of
their Xhosa cultures and traditions. What a pleasure to watch
the sun set, to enjoy meals produced from ingredients transported
for us to the luxurious camp, a hot shower and sleeping in a
comfortable, sheltered bed. Try it for yourself. This will become
one of the premier hiking trails in the world and I advice you
to make a booking soon, before it is full.
Karen Watkins (Author of Adventure Walks & Scrambles
in the Cape Peninsula)
|
