Tafelberg Road - Devils Peak - Newlands Ravine!!
SLINGSBY MAP - never without!!! Where in the world can you clock off from work at 4:30pm and be high up above it all within less than an hour and a half...
This route has to be one of the most inspiring on the mountains of Cape Town, and provides those who wish to get away from it all an experience that will refresh and rejuvinate any weary mind!!
After convincing a carefully selected inspirational friend/athlete/forries local to meet you for a PSD (Post Scout Draft) at the mighty Forries on Newlands avenue, head along Tafelberg Rd to your Starting Point at the base of the Saddle.
STARTING POINT - Tafelberg Rd
Caro and Beef in the Xmas Vibe - what summit...where?
The start of this route winds sharply up towards the saddle between Devils Peak (DP) and Maclears Beacon, but takes no longer than about 20 mins. It then flattens out and allows for a gentle jog towards the base of DP summit. The climb up to the summit is fairly tough, but again not too long. The views that await your efforts are truly spectacular and all the potential frustrations of your working day pales into insignificance...
Devils Peak has two beacons; one at 986m which is the first beacon which will come into sight when nearing the top, followed by the main summit at 1001m, which is a little further on. The views are awe-inspiring and on the one side incorporate the city, Lions Head, Table Mountain, and Table Bay... and from the main summit, False Bay, the Southern Suburbs, and well beyond!!
Views from the 986m beacon!!!
Caro and Al - Creating their own Reality!!!
Inspirational Vision into 2007!!The route then follows the same path back through the saddle and towards Newlands Ravine. A recent scout mission almost saw two of its athletes swallowed whole by the 'Dark Gully'!! A few meters into the dark, and with increasing concern at the sliding techniques required to slow us down, we hauled out the trusted Slingsby Map which easily pointed us to the next ravine along... Newlands Ravine - the safer, more commercial route down towards the cold draught at Forries waiting patiently for our arrival!
The 'Dark Gully'!!Newlands Ravine provides a beautiful decent down into the Southern Suburbs, and to our amazement, on our recent adventures we stumbled accross the near-extinct exotic Himalayan Tahr chillin out on a ledge near the top of the ravine. Check out the evidence below!
Exotic Himalayan Tahr
Bottom of Newlands Ravine - Contour Path
The jog back towards the Newlands Forest Heli Pad (see map) is refreshing and an amazing way to finish an epic 2 and half hours out on the mountains. Sipping on a draught at Forries afterwards contemplating the adventures that lie on our doorstep and are available to us us Capetonians, was truly humbling... and inspiring to say the least!!
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