The shuttle arrangements worked out smoothly, and 15 of us arrived on time at Kloof Nek for our journey south to Ruyteplaats in Hout Bay. Even the sunrise was on time.
After a gentle wake-up along the Pipe Track, we made our way up Diagonal to the start of the Twelve Apostles path in the Valley of the Red Gods. A lookout rock formation just below the top of Valken provided the perfect spot for second breakfast.
The meander along the Apostles ridge was a delight. Many of the routes up this side of the mountain end up at the Twelve Apostles path, so we passed them and other old favourites along the way. The second half, south of Grootkop, is less well known and was a new experience for several of the participants. The weather was ideal. Just when the icy breeze became too persistent, the sun would break through again and warm our backs.
We were blessed with no less than three sightings of klipspringer between St Paul and Grootkop, and another on the ridge south of Judas Peak. The flowers were out in full force.
A steady pace was maintained throughout. An exception had to be made for a particularly arrogant posse of upstarts in Pam’s Pine Patch. Others jumped in to help, and short work was made of them.
After lunch on Judas Peak, it was time for the descent down Llandudno Ravine and the lower part of Hout Bay Corner.
If you joined us, you could have picked up snippets of conversation on
- the nuanced differences between being retired and being on extended sabbatical;
- a personal account of being airlifted off the mountain;
- iceman – mnemonic – memory (it’s all related, trust me);
- a fascinating deep-sea rescue performed by a 16-year old from St Helena;
- good vibes with in-laws; and
- herb teas.
We were at our destination after just under eight hours.
Picture credits: Julie Dyer, Karen Whyte, Margaret Möller, Samara Totaram, Christo Steyn.
