We took a direct line up the north ridge of Constantiaberg which involved about 1.5 hours of off-path ascending. The views and minor rock scrambles through the rock bands provided a pleasant distraction from the uneven terrain. Tea was ‘served’ at 9:45 while we admired the distant views. Just below the beacon we discovered a very interesting tunnel system that continued for about 50 metres with subsidiary tunnels moving off into the bowels of the mountain. We explored one of the tunnels but turned back before the end as we were not geared for caving! The perfect hiking weather provided rewarding 360 degree views from the summit. We then descended towards Blackburn Ravine that was our intended descent route whereafter we branched off onto Alfie’s track. Along the way we stopped for lunch in a shady spot. Casting aside thoughts of a well deserved siesta we then had to ascend to the manganese mines above East Fort and make our way back to the start in Baviaanskloof. The 12 of us reached our cars at just before 3pm.
Photos by Don Jepson
