Hiking Cape Town 35 spectacular hikes in and around Cape Town, by Evelyn John Holtzhausen

Hiking Cape Town 35 spectacular hikes in and around Cape Town by Evelyn John Holtzhausen. Penguin Random House South Africa. Imprint: Struik Travel & Heritage. Cape Town, South Africa 2022. ISBN 9781775848271 / ISBN 978-1-77-584827-1

Author of Hiking Cape Town 35 spectacular hikes in and around Cape Town, Evelyn John Holtzhausen, came to love hiking at an early age when his family introduced him to the wonders of the Drakensberg and has since hiked many trails in South Africa.

My initial thought in writing this guide was to compile a set of hikes that anyone - from novices with minimum levels of fitness to more experienced and fit hikers - could enjoy. In other words, I wanted to create a book of walks that could be done simply for the love of it, not a checklist of strenuous challenges against which to pit the very fibre of one's being. So here is a selection of routes that comfortably accommodates these two extremes: some hikes are as easy as a walk in the park, others are far more challenging. There are only one or two hikes where, in the words of my wife, Jackie, you may see a lot of ants. This was how she remembers one hike when, exhausted by a series of steep climbs, she was forced to bend down, lean on her hiking pole, and stare at the ants at her feet as she recovered her breath. Rest assured, you will not see ants on too many of these hikes. These routes are aimed, in general, at those who want to stop from time to time to 'smell the roses' or to gaze in wonder at panoramic views. After all, this is how hiking began for me. It started in the Drakensberg, in KwaZulu-Natal, where from junior school to high school, during almost every school holiday, my family and I explored the trails of those hills and mountains. Since then I have hiked many iconic trails in South Africa, Namibia, England, Scotland, Wales, Norway, Spain and the USA. I hope that Hiking Cape Town 35 spectacular hikes in and around Cape Town may instil in you a lasting love of hiking. And, not least, I hope you will experience first-hand the pleasure of being far from the stresses and strains of ordinary life and the joy of being held, for a while, in the extraordinarily life-enhancing embrace of nature. (Evelyn John Holtzhausen)

INTRODUCTION

Few cities in this world enjoy the proximity of 'wilderness' as does Cape Town. It's possible, within an hour, to be far from the crowds, gazing into the distance from a remote mountain peak, swimming in a still lake, hiking through a forest, or walking on a pristine beach. This is why I spend every moment that I can hiking. Those who call this city home and those who come from afar on holiday are drawn to the unique features of the country's 'Mother City', the Cape Peninsula and the unique wilderness of the Western Cape. Yet, as exciting as it may be to lace on a pair of boots and seek the peace and quiet of the outdoors, you need always to be aware that you are in the wild, and that a misstep can lead to injury and even death. Thus you need to be careful and respectful of nature. Table Mountain, Helderberg and the Hottentots Holland Mountains are all 'serious mountains'. Table Mountain is 1,000m above sea level and, like the other mountains in the Western Cape, offers hikes that are often challenging, sometimes dangerous, and frequently characterised by inconsistent weather. Far too many hikers, oblivious to the dangers of these mountains, take to the mountains inadequately dressed and ill-prepared, only to find themselves suddenly engulfed in thick mist and bitingly cold rain when a cold front sweeps in. [...]

This is an excerpt from Hiking Cape Town 35 spectacular hikes in and around Cape Town, by Evelyn John Holtzhausen.

Title: Hiking Cape Town
Subtitle: 35 spectacular hikes in and around Cape Town
Author: Evelyn John Holtzhausen
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Travel & Heritage
Cape Town, South Africa 2022
ISBN 9781775848271 / ISBN 978-1-77-584827-1
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 152 pages, throughout colour photos and maps