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All-In-One

Hoerikwaggo™ Trails - Table Mountain National Park

All-in-One

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Walk in the footsteps of your ancestors and discover the beauty of an ancient mountain chain...

Hoerikwaggo is the original Khoisan word for mountain in the sea, the Khoisan’s name for Table Mountain.

The Hoerikwaggo Trail

The Hoerikwaggo Trail is a spectacular four-night, five-day 97km trail from Cape Town to Cape Point, rivaling the legendary Inca Trail in Machu Picchu. Hikers can book three, day two-day, or one-night hikes as sections of the overall trail. The full +- 97km trail, which can be linked with four overnight stops, will be ready by August 2010.

History

Hoerikwaggo is the indigenous Khoekhoen word for Table Mountain, meaning “mountains in the sea”. The dramatic mountains indeed rise out of the sea on three sides, and on the fourth side the mountains tower majestically over the growing urban sprawl of metropolitan Cape Town.

The Cape Peninsula is rich in the first peoples’ history of the past 100 000 years when the nomadic Khoekhoen and San hunted and gathered on these mountains and beaches, then herded in a subsistence lifestyle that touched the earth lightly. The mountains oversaw the arrival of the Nguni people 3 000 years ago, and then the Europeans 300 years ago. Today Table Mountain protects the resulting mixture of cosmopolitan citizens in a custodian role known as “Umlindiwengizimu” – the watcher of the south – placed by Qamata – our creator – looking after all of Africa.

The Trail

The proposed four-night, five-day Hoerikwaggo Trail will allow access to hiking from Cape Point to Table Mountain, through the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). The construction of this trail by hundreds of previously unemployed path-builders, and the change of land ownership from private to public, allows you to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors who traversed these “mountains in the sea”.

Three of the four overnight, self-catering tented camps are:

• Orange Kloof above Hout Bay, adjacent to Constantia Nek.
• Silvermine below Noordhoek Peak, off Ou Kappse Weg
• Slangkop Point, next to the Kommetjie Lighthouse
• Smitswinkel, 300m from the Cape of Good Hope entrance gate.

Tented Camps

The beautiful, rustic but luxurious camps, cater for both local and international visitors, and are built from timber felled and milled in the TMNP. Following the principle of touching the earth lightly, only previously damaged sites were selected, and the design ensures minimum environmental impact. Hot water, open fires, and fully equipped kitchens.

What you need

Food and overnight gear will be ferried from your departure point to your tented camp. You need good walking boots, daypack with lunch, snacks and two litres of water and weatherproof gear for sun, wind and rain.

The Smitswinkel section

Enjoy walking in the Cape of Good Hope section of the TMNP. The camp is set in the shadows of a weathered Flowering Gum plantation. Guests overnight at the Smitswinkel Tented Camp which is situated about 300m outside, from the entrance gate to the CoGH along Plateau Road. Min 2 Max 12 persons.

Day 1: Easy - 15km – Cape Point to Smitswinkel: The hike starts at Cape Point Lighthouse within the Cape of Good Hope section of the TMNP. Walk along the False Bay Coast to the old Smitswinkel Bay Forest station and this walk is approximately 15km long. Enjoy the vast tracts of fragrant fynbos where buck and other mammals roam such as the Chacma baboons, reptiles and birds.

Day 2: Easy – Smitswinkel to Redhill: Hikers must be shuttled from the Smitswinkel tented camp to the starting point along Redhill Road i.e. Klein Plaas Dam signboard. Redhill to Kommetjie: The hike meanders between the summit of Redhill, past Ocean View and down over Slangkop to Kommetjie. Along the way are breathtaking views of Table Mountain and Cape Point.

Meeting Point: You must arrange your trail guide by contacting 021 465 8752 / 021 462 7861 or 021 483 2960. The Guide will advise you where the best point would be to meet.

The site guide will meet you on arrival at the tented camp.

The Slangkop section

Starts from the Big Tree along Red Hill road, close to Signal School above Simons Town and traverses the Peninsula from east to west, ending at the Kommetjie Lighthouse 12 km away. Guests overnight in the Slangkop tented camp, 100m from the sea at Kommetjie.

Day 1: Easy - 12km - Redhill to Kommetjie: The hike meanders between the summit of Red Hill, past Ocean View and down over Slangkop to Kommetjie. Along the way are breathtaking views of Table Mountain and Cape Point.

Day 2: Tough - 21km - Kommetjie to Silvermine: This is the longest day of the whole Hoerikwaggo Trail. From Slangkop tented camp along Noordhoek and Long Beach beach. Look out for Oyster Catchers, Cape Clawless otters and, sometimes, whales and dolphins. Climb the tough Chapman’s Peak then Noordhoek Peak with magnificent views of the sea and the mountain range.

Meeting Points: Hikers meet the Trail Guide (to be arranged by the client on tel: 021 462 7861/021 465 8752 or 021 483 2960) at the big tree along Red Hill Road and the trail ends at the end of day two at the Silvermine dam car park. Hikers will meet the camp site guide at the camp on arrival at the camp when sleeping over at any of the tented camps.

* The Hoerikwaggo trail can also be hiked without making use of the overnight facilities available on the trail.*

Vehicles: Hikers may arrange with the booking officer to park their vehicle/s at the Silvermine mountain bike parking area. Hikers must make their own arrangement to collect their vehicles at the end of the trail.

Alternative: If you simply want the experience of spending a night in a tented camp next to the sea, then book the accommodation and use it as a base from where you can enjoy all the Silvermine outdoor activities. A guide is mandatory.

The Silvermine section

This spectacular one-night, two-day hike traverses Long Beach past the coastal wetlands, climbs over Chapman’s and Noordhoek peaks to overnight at the Silvermine tented camp in the upland mountain wetlands near the Silvermine Dam. The next day takes you to Constantia Nek.

Day 1: Tough - 21km: Starts at the Slangkop tented camp near the Slangkop Lighthouse in Kommetjie along Noordhoek and Long Beach beach. Look out for Oyster Catchers, Cape Clawless otters and, sometimes, whales and dolphins. Climb the tough Chapman’s Peak then Noordhoek Peak with magnificent views of the sea and the mountain range.

Day 2: Tough - 15km: Walk down Blackburn ravine and traverse northwards above Hout Bay then climb indigenous fynbos mountain side over Vlakkenberg to Constantia Nek where your two-day getaway comes to an end.

Meeting points: Hikers meet the trail guide (to be arranged by the client by tel: 021 465 8752/021 462 7861 or 021 483 2960) at the Slangkop Lighthouse parking area and the trail ends at Constantia Nek. Hikers will meet the camp site guide at the camp on arrival at the camp when sleeping over at any of the tented camps.

* The Hoerikwaggo trail can also be hiked without making use of the overnight facilities available on the trail.*

Vehicles: Hikers may park their vehicles at Orange Kloof by making prior arrangements with the booking officer. Hikers must make their own arrangements to be dropped off at Slangkop Lighthouse. At the end of the trail hikers will walk to Orange Kloof to collect their vehicles.

Minimum 2; maximum 12 hikers.

Alternative: If you wish to simply experience spending a night on the mountain, book the accommodation and use it as a base from where you can enjoy all the Silvermine outdoor activities. A guide is mandatory.

Other TMNP Hiking Trails

The Orange Kloof section

Forest and mountain experience: Overnight in a tented camp in the ancient Afromontane forest of Orange Kloof. Enjoy the pristine Orange Kloof forest before hiking out the Kloof up Disa Gorge and onto Table Mountain.

Day 1: Tough - 15,5km: Starting at the Silvermine Dam the trail descends Blackburn ravine then winds north through unspoilt fynbos with stunning views of the Cape Peninsula, and traverses Constantiaberg and climbs Vlakkenberg to Constantia Nek. Overnight camp in the Orange Kloof forest.

Day 2: Medium - 9,5km: Ascend the back table via Disa Gorge and walk through the Valley of the Red Gods to the upper cableway station. Hikers are ferried down by cable car and the trail ends at the lower cable station.

Meeting Points: Hikers meet the HKT guides at the entrance gate parking area to the Silvermine dam and the trail ends at the lower Cableway station, Tafelberg Road, Cape Town. Hikers will meet the Camp Site Guide at the camp on arrival at the camp when sleeping over at any of the tented camps.

Vehicles: Hikers may make prior arrangements with the booking officer to park their vehicles at the Platteklip Wash House in Cape Town. No vehicles are allowed to be left at the starting point so hikers must make their own arrangements to be dropped off.

* The Hoerikwaggo trail can also be hiked without making use of the overnight facilities available on the trail.*

Alternative: If you don’t want to hike the trail, book the tented camp as overnight accommodation. A guide is mandatory.

Bookings

Hikers can book one-night, two-night, three-night or the full four night packages available as sections of the overall trail. You are not charged for the hiking of the route on the trail, but are charged for the accommodation facilities – thus, the sleeping over at the tented camps. The trail is for free and openly accessible to anybody who wants to hike it. It is advised however that a trail guide be booked.

• All bookings are for a minimum of 2 and maximum of 12 persons.
  
• Accommodation price Orangekloof -, Silvermine- and Slangkop Tented Camps – R 200pp per night
  
• Accommodation price at Smitswinkel camp – R 250pp per night
  
• Bedding can be supplied at an additional cost R75pp per night
  
• Portage of luggage can be supplied at an additional cost R100pp per day.
  
• To book the trail or sections of it or for more information, please e-mail: hoerikwaggobookings@sanparks.org
  
• Telephone the Hoerikwaggo Trails Booking Office on +27 (0) 21 422 2816, between 08:00 and 16:00 weekdays.
  
• For discounted rates and winter specials please enquire at the above telephone number.
  

Attention: Tour Operators

Registered Tour Operators should e-mail: sarievr@sanparks.org or contact the SANParks Travel Trade Office, Cape Town on telephone number: +27 (0) 21 422 2816 for special tour operator rates.
Alternatively email: hoerikwaggobookings@sanparks.org

Trail Ethics

Read more about the trail @ www.hoerikwaggotrail.org

This outreach trail was developed specifically for young people from the disadvantaged communities of Cape Town. As a guided educational hike it aims to expose South African youth to nature and instil a love of the environment in the hearts of the next generation – the future custodians of Table Mountain.

Operating in tandem with the Table Mountain National Park’s People and Conservation Programme, the trail is managed by a consortium of educational outreach groups each with a proven five-year track record. In order to book this trail groups/individuals need to belong to one of the groups that comprise the consortium namely Table Mountain National Park, Pride of Table Mountain, the Hikers Network and Schools Environmental Education Programme.

Group leaders from the consortium undertake the guiding for this trail.

For more details on how to book this trail or join one of these organisations Book Now!

What to take

The Route

Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Length: 14.9 km
Day 1: 7.5 km, approximately 5 hours
Day 2: 7.4 km, approximately 5 hours with stops

 

Day 1

Short but arguably the most beautiful trail on Table Mountain, the trail begins at Constantia Nek Circle and from there continues up Disa Gorge through indigenous afromontane forest. The trail emerges from the forest and winds its way through the fynbos landscape to the People’s Trail Hut on the Back Table.

 

 

Day 2:

The morning is spent exploring the “back table” including the area around the historic water works museum that showcases the equipment used to construct the dams and reservoirs that scatter the mountain.

Later that day the trail descends via Platteklip Gorge to the lower cable way station.

 

 

Accommodation

The People’s Trail Hut is situated on the back of Table Mountain with spectacular views of the Woodhead Dam and the southern Atlantic Coastline.

Sleeping facilities

The Kitchen

Bathrooms

There are three bathrooms with combination solar/gas heating ensuring that everyone will have a hot shower.

Living/ teaching Area

Dominated by a huge fireplace, there is ample table and seating space for the whole party. During summer you can open the French doors and extend this living area onto the patio.

Attractions

Table Mountain is no ordinary mountain, not only is it one of the oldest mountains in the world, it is also the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom (CFR), a Natural World Heritage Site. The CFR is the smallest and most diverse of the world’s six floral kingdoms and, due to its high level of endemic (occurs nowhere else on earth) and endangered species is listed as a biodiversity hotspot. Table Mountain alone boasts around 1 500 plant species – more than all the species in Great Britain! The observant hiker will delight in the exquisitely delicate fynbos, the magnificent forests, shy often cryptic animals and magnificent geology.

Ask your guide to fill you in on all the amazing flowers and animals you will see.

Plants

Fynbos refers to a distinctive community of plants found the western and eastern Cape. Many of these plants have small fine stems and leaves and the vegetation has a bushy appearance, hence the name fynbos. It is characterised by four plant families - ericas: heath-like shrubs, proteas: tall shrubs, restios: reed like plants and bulbous soft stemmed plants.

The indigenous Afromontane Forest occurs in gullies and gorges on the Table Mountain Chain. Low in species diversity but rich in age and splendour these magnificent, gloamy forests are havens of tranquillity. Not many mammals live in the forest but many smaller, often endemic, reptiles and invertebrates form an essential part of the forest eco-system.

If you look really hard you may even see a fairy or two hiding under a toadstool!

Animals

A wide variety of fynbos adapted animals live on Table Mountain and, while many may seem small and insignificant, each one plays an integral role in the ecology of the mountain chain. Look out for shy and dainty antelope species such as klipspringer and grysbok; cheeky rock dassies; rare and endangered amphibians like the Table Mountain Ghost Frog and the Arum Lily Frog.

Also keep an eye out for the many reptiles that call Table Mountain home such as the venomous Cape Cobra and Puff Adder, the harmless Mole Snake and Cape Skink.

Birds

Bird-life on Table Mountain is also well adapted to the fynbos ecosystem and twitchers will delight in fynbos-endemic species such as the Cape Sugarbird, Cape Siskin, and the Orange-breasted Sunbird. Other birds include Malachite Sunbird, Cape Weaver and Cape White-eye.

A variety of raptors (birds of prey) also make their homes on the cliff faces and in forest canopies. A good pair of binoculars will help you identify the Peregrine Falcon – the world’s fastest bird, Vereaux’s (Black) Eagle, Rock Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk and the Forest Buzzard.

Geology

The Cape Peninsula is composed of three main rock formations of varying ages.

Other

Dams

The dams and reservoirs on the back of Table Mountain are a wonder in themselves. Built between 1890 and 1907 they were built to accommodate the ever-increasing population of Cape Town.

Today they still supply areas of Cape Town, although if the whole of Cape Town relied on them for its water supply, they would all run dry in under a week.

 

Book Now

Please note: Hiking parties are responsible for transportation to and from the start and end points. At an additional cost the Table Mountain Bus can be booked for these purposes.

In order to book or to make enquiries please call Busisiwe Mbali on 021 701 8692, weekdays between 09h00 to 15h00. Alternatively fax 021 701 8773 or e-mail: tablemountain@sanparks.org with the subject: People’s Trail.

All groups must abide by the “Code of Good Conduct” which is available on request.

 

Tariff

The trail costs a R30.00 flat fee for 2 days and 1 night.

 

Walk the mountain in style with only your thoughts and the scenery to concern you. This guided and portered “white table cloth”, three-day trail offers luxurious accommodation and mouth-watering catered meals.

The Table Mountain Trail will delight both culture vultures and nature lovers and includes many of Cape Town’s major tourist attractions: a cultural trail through the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and the City of Cape Town, a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting), the world famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and two nights accommodation in the Table Mountain National Park.

The maximum size of a hiking party is 16 people with a minimum of 8 people. There will be one Hoerikwaggo™ Trail Guide per 8 hikers plus a lead guide.

What to take

Tariffs

Important: The hike is booked per room and not by individual. There are two four-sleepers and four two-sleepers in each overnight facility. This means that you need to book for two or four people.

Fact Sheet

• It is a three day and two night guided Luxury trail.
• Luggage is transported to both accommodations.
  
• Meals are included
• A cash bar with a selection of beers, spirits, wines and soft drinks is available at both overnight venues
• The trail accommodates a maximum of 16 people
• For a walk to commence, we require a minimum of 6 people to participate
• The first night is spent at the Wash Houses, at the foot of Table Mountain
• The second night is spent at the Overseers cottages, on top of Table Mountain
• Ascend Table Mountain via the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
• All linen and towels are provided (there is no need for sleeping bags)
• The trail starts at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at 08h00 and ends at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens at approximately 16h00, two days later
• Please arrange your own transport to the start and finish of the trail ( Metre taxis are available at Kirstenbosch)
• Strictly no persons under 12 years are allowed on the trail
• Bookings are made per room and not per person
• Room configuration:
  Two bed units: four
  Four bed units: two

Menu

Lunch – optional City tour.  Lunch at Amici’s Restaurant adjacent to the Company Gardens, where a light buffet lunch is presented consisting of fruit juice on the table, buffet meal of the day, fresh vegetables, salads and dessert.
Dinner at Wash House: Cape Malay Rijstafel Malay dhaltjies and assorted samoosas with coriander yoghurt dip Spiced fishcakes with fruit chutney Lightly pickled kabeljou with turmeric Javenese roasted chicken with red leaf masala Malay style bobotie with beef Vegetable curry Roasted pumpkin with sugar and nutmeg Funeral rice Lentil dhal and warm rotis Tomato and dhania salad Cabbage, sweet corn and peach salad Carrot and chilli achar    Apricot and peach chutney Vinegar pudding Fresh fruit salad South African cheese platter Cocktail Malay style koeksisters	Breakfast at Wash House Fresh fruit juices : Orange, guava, mango (changed according to season and availability) Smoothies blended with yoghurt, bananas, seasonal  fresh fruit and power-pro Fresh fruit salad Muesli    Breakfast Cereals    Porridge Frittata with beef sausage, grilled tomato, sauté potatoes Toast, butter and preserves Bran  muffins Ceylon, Rooibos and Herbal teas Regular and decaffeinated coffee	Lunch Pack Sandwiches on freshly baked white and brown bread, with a selection of fillings. Scotch chicken with crumbed beef sausage crust. Cheese and biscuits Home made raisin crunchy energy biscuit Home made fruit yoghurt Pre-packed fruit juice Seasonal fruit Selection of sweets

 

Dinner at Overseers Hut: Traditional Braai Grilled boerewors with tomato sous Braai lamb chops with masala spices Chicken portions peri-peri Gratin potatoes Fresh seasonal vegetables Nicoise salad with tuna, olives, potato & egg Char grilled vegetable salad in olive oil Baked apple pie with cream Chocolate mouse Traditional trifle	Breakfast at Overseers Hut Fresh fruit juices : Orange, guava, mango (changed according to season and availability) Fresh fruit salad with yoghurt and honey Muesli    Breakfast Cereals    Porridge Cheese & tomato quiche with pastry wrapped beef sausage, baked beans, sauté potatoes Toast, butter and preserves Bran  muffins Ceylon, Rooibos and Herbal teas Regular and decaffeinated coffee	Boerkos Lunch Chunky lamb shank and butter bean soup. Chicken and apricot pie with spoon pastry Baby potatoes in their jackets with chopped parsley Corn on the cob Fresh seasonal vegetables Traditional Melk Tert with fresh cream Filter Coffee & selection of teas
Although most meals contain a vegetarian component arrangements can be made for a full vegetarian option. Any special diets or requirement will be accommodated wherever possible. Coffee, hot chocolate and a selection of teas are presented on arrival at both overnight facilities and are available at all times on request. A bar with a limited selection of the most popular beers, ciders, coolers, spirits, soft drinks and a small wine list is available.  A corkage fee of R20 per bottle is charged on own wines. The bar is run on a tab basis with settlement taking place at the end of the hike.

For booking please call Patricia during office hours Monday to Friday from 08h00 till 16h30 at 021 465 8515 or +27 (21) 465 8515 alternatively e-mail her patricia@sanparks.org

 

Accommodation

Night 1:

Relax in the casual elegance of the restored Platteklip Wash Houses, where the Cape Malay servant women washed their master’s cloths and kept the banned Quran alive with their vibrant oral tradition. A communal eating place and lounge - complete with a log fire - offer an ideal place to relax and enjoy the sound of night falling on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. On warm evenings a huge fire pit will set the scene for story telling and the forging of friendships.

Sleeping facilities

Sleeping quarters consist of two, four-sleeper bedrooms and four, two-sleeper bedrooms. All beds are fitted with fresh linen and towels are provided.

Bathrooms

There are ample, gas-heated hot water showers.

The Kitchen

There is a fully equipped kitchen where the caterers will prepare your meals. There is also a basic cash bar.

Night 2:

The Overseers Cottage has been revamped into stylish and comfortable overnight facilities offering unsurpassed views of Cape Town on the one side and the total wilderness of the mountain chain on the other. You are guaranteed to wake up refreshed - literally on top of the world. It is a rare privilege to spend an evening in this special place.

Sleeping facilities

Sleeping quarters consist of two, four-sleeper bedrooms and four, two-sleeper bedrooms. All beds are fitted with fresh linen and towels are provided.

Bathrooms

There are ample, gas-heated hot water showers.

The Kitchen

There is a fully equipped kitchen where the caterers will prepare your meals.

 

Attractions

Visit the photo gallery

Table Mountain is no ordinary mountain, not only is it one of the oldest mountains in the world, it is also the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom (CFR), a Natural World Heritage Site. The CFR is the smallest and most diverse of the world’s six floral kingdoms and, due to its high level of endemic and endangered species is listed as a biodiversity hotspot. Table Mountain alone boasts around 1 500 plant species – more than all the species in Great Britain! The observant hiker will delight in the exquisitely delicate fynbos, the magnificent forests, shy often cryptic animals and fascinating geology.

Hikers are advised to buy a copy of Mountains in the Sea – An Interpretive Guide to Table Mountain by award-winning environmental author John Yeld. It is the only guidebook endorsed by Table Mountain National Park and no hiker on the peninsula should leave home without it.

Order one now on www.kalahari.net or call Table Mountain National Park offices +27 021 701 8692 during office hours.

Flora

Fynbos – meaning fine bush - refers to a distinctive community of plants found the South Western Cape. Many of these plants have small fine stems and leaves and the vegetation has a bushy appearance, hence the name fynbos. It is characterised by four plant groups - ericas: heath-like shrubs; proteas: tall shrubs; restios: reed like plants and geophytes: bulbous soft stemmed plants.

The indigenous Afromontane Forest occurs in gullies and gorges on the Table Mountain Chain. Low in species diversity but rich in age and splendour these magnificent, gloamy forests are havens of tranquillity. Not many mammals live in the forest but many smaller, often endemic, reptiles and invertebrates form an essential part of the forest eco-system.

Trees include ironwood (Olea capensis), real yellow wood (Podocarpus latifolius) and Cape Beech (rapanea melanophloeos).

Fauna

A wide variety of fynbos adapted animals live on Table Mountain and, while many may seem small and insignificant, each one plays on integral role in the ecology of the mountain chain. Look out for shy and dainty antelope species such as klipspringer and grysbok; cheeky rock dassies; rare and endangered amphibians like the Table Mountain Ghost Frog and the Arum Lily Frog.

Also keep an eye out for the many reptiles that call Table Mountain home such as the venomous Cape Cobra and puff adder to the harmless Mole snake and Cape Skink.

Birds

Bird-life on Table Mountain is also well adapted to the fynbos ecosystem and twitchers will delight in fynbos-endemic species such as the Cape Sugarbird, Cape Siskin, and the Orange-breasted Sunbird. Other birds include Malachite Sunbird, Cape Weaver and Cape White-eye.

A variety of raptors also make their homes on the cliff faces and in forest canopies. A good pair of binoculars will help you identify the Peregrine Falcon – the world’s fastest bird, Vereaux’s (Black) Eagle, Rock Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk and the Forest Buzzard.

Geology

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear mountain, is rock formation. The Cape Peninsula is composed of three main rock formations of varying ages.

Cultural

Cape Town is a melting pot of Africa, Asia and Europe. We walk back through time, discovering how the fusion of those three continents came to mould modern-day Cape Town and its diversity of inhabitants, cultures, religions and traditions.

Cultural attractions include:

And much more...

The Route

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Length: 25,5 km
Day 1: 7 km, approximately 6,5 hours
Day 2: 9,5 km, approximately 6 hours
Day 3: 9 km, approximately 6 hours
Difficulty: You need to be fit and able to manage steep inclines.

Rich in cultural and natural wonders this trail links the complex social history of Cape Town with the spectacular diversity of the peninsula's Cape Floral Kingdom and scenery.

Please note: The route described below is weather permitting. On days that are too windy, rainy or misty the cable way is closed and alternative routes will be taken. The alternate routes are scenic in their own right and still showcase the many wonders of Table Mountain National Park.

Day 1:

Meet at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront at 08h30. From there the guides of Footsteps to Freedom will lead you, by boat and on foot, through the multifaceted tapestry of Cape Town’s eclectic architecture, weaving the story of the City’s cosmopolitan, often tragic, past.

The day ends at the beautifully restored Platteklip Wash Houses on the banks of the Camissa (sweet water) River on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. Here you will meet the Hoerikwaggo™ Trail Guides - your hosts on days 2 and 3. After dinner - a mouth-watering Cape Malay meal – you can relax around the fire, watch a DVD, send an e-mail or simply chat to your fellow hikers.

 

Day 2:

After an early rise and a sumptuous continental breakfast you will hike to the lower cable way station. From there, weather permitting, you will catch the Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain.

From the upper cable station the trail winds through pristine fynbos to Maclear’s Beacon for a picnic lunch. The Beacon is the highest point on the Cape Peninsula and was constructed in 1884 by the astronomer Thomas Maclear who initiated the first geodetic survey of the Cape. After lunch continue via the historic Smuts Track to the overnight accommodation at the restored Overseers Cottage which offers awesome night time views of the City and the mountain chain.

Tonight is the night for a traditional South African braai (barbeque) where our chef will spoil you with steaks, turned to perfection, and an assortment of salads and vegetables. The outdoor braai will only be lit on a low fire-risk day. Should the wind be too strong or the vegetation too dry the meal will be prepared in the kitchen.

Day 3:

Today a morning hike will take you to the north western edges of the mountain. The route offers plenty of interesting and historic features and scenic trails. After lunch the guides will lead you down the magnificent, forested Nursery Ravine to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens where the trail ends.

Hoerikwaggo Tented Classic Trail

Phase 1 (Orangekloof Trail) of the Hoerikwaggo Tented Classic Trail

Rejuvenate your soul with our two-day, one-night Orange Kloof trail, launched on 01 August, 2006. This is just the first exciting phase of what will eventually be a six day, five night “tip to top” trail. Spend the night in comfortable modern tents, made of recycled alien trees. The trail is fully guided, self-catered and portered...

READ MORE

 

 

Phase 2 (The Silvermine Trail) of the Hoerikwaggo Tented Cla

-- Top --

The Top to Tip Trail

This trail is for those who enjoy a challenging hike but want to be pampered in the evenings. The guided six-day trail leads hikers from Table Mountain to Cape Point with luxury, indoor accommodation

The trail will be portered and catered.

The trail is due to launch late in 2007 or early 2008. We are still finalising the routes and accommodation. Please check back later for more details.

Trail Ethics

To hike the Hoerikwaggo™ Trail is a rare privilege that affords hikers the unique opportunity to overnight on the Table Mountain Chain.

For your own enjoyment and that of your fellow hikers please note the following:

Our Paths and People

Poverty Relief

Entitled “Building paths, building people” the construction project of the Hoerikwaggo™ Trail paths and accommodation upgrades was a part of the Table Mountain National Park’s R35 million Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

This project has enabled the Table Mountain National Park to do much-needed infrastructure maintenance and while simultaneously implementing the ethos of “benefits beyond boundaries” by employing and training over 420 unemployed people from townships around the peninsula and on the Cape Flats.

Of the 300, top-performing individuals, through hard work and dedication, will achieved independent contractor status. These contractors in turn employ their own teams of ten and contract their services into the Park. Once work for the TMNP is complete these contractors will have developed the necessary skills and experience to seek contracts with other organisations.

Through contractor training and development we aim to have developed 40 Small to Medium Enterprises (SMME’s) by the end of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

The EPWP is not only assisting us in managing the Park for our tourists and visitors but it is helping us turn conservation efforts in to a socially relevant and empowering arena for the people of Cape Town.

The Hoerikwaggo™ Trail guides were also a part of the EPWP training initiative.

 

Hoerikwaggo™ Trail

Western Cape Tourist Guides

Contact Details

• Tel: (021) 483 2960

Platteklip Wash House

Contact Details

• Tel: (021) 462 7861 or (021) 465 8752

Hoerikwaggo™ Trail

Our Paths

Ultimately over 80 kilometers of paths will have been built or upgraded for the Hoerikwaggo™ Trail. Under the joint management of civil engineer Mark Stone and path building expert James Nowickki the Table Mountain National Park is developing a network of durable, state of the art paths for the protection of the fynbos ecosystem as well as the comfort and safety of our visitors. The materials used are all natural and, where possible, have been sourced locally.