Mountains in the Sea – Day 2
The weather forecast promised cool temperatures with a stiff breeze, which is exactly what we wanted for the very long challenging walk that awaited us. . . but in fact the day dawned hot and windless and became steadily hotter as the day progressed.We stopped for a snack on some rocks overlooking Hout Bay As we progressed, the views of the bay below were picture-perfect This is vast big-sky country. Wonderful walking with superb vistasKili enjoyed a rest in the shade In fact when the heat became unbearable...
Table Mountain tales
It was a gorgeous day today on Table Mountain – perhaps a little warmer than was expected by Lyn, Andrew, Barbara and Rob. Nonetheless they made it up to Maclear’s Beacon – the highest point on the mountain. And back down the other side . . . . Besides the privilege of seeing a Klipspringer, which is an agile rock-frequenting antelope, we enjoyed plenty of seasonal flowers including some unusual orchid species And a stunning Moraea neglecta As well as insectivorous Drosera trinervia Meanwhile Andrew posed . . ....
It’s flower time
Cape Town is situated within the most bio-diverse plant kingdom in the world, and within a very short distance of the city we have a variety of very different habitats, which experience vastly different climatic conditions. All of these habitats are harsh and the respective plants have adapted to these different degrees of harshness. However in August and September even the plants in the harshest environment put on a show!I hope that you enjoy the selected flower pictures which I have taken over the past 5 weeks.KAROOPENINSULA WEST COASTPENINSULAWEST COAST...
Spring is nearly sprung
Spring is nearly upon us, and what better way to celebrate the lengthening days and warmer temperatures, than with a brisk hike in nature enjoying the return of the sun.Our spectacular Mountains in the Sea 5-day hike will be taking to the hills soon, and we have a limited number of spaces available on our hike starting Monday 19 October. It will be a lovely time of year to take in the majestic views and vistas, enjoy the fynbos in flower, and maybe even see a late whale or two....
Masters of the air
Black (Verreaux’s) Eagles (Aquila verreauxii) are amongst the largest of Africa’s Eagles. They are always associated with mountainous or hilly terrain ,and the adults are almost always seen as a pair. They are magnificent flyers, often seen floating effortlessly on the air, or at other times plunging spectacularly at high velocity. Their preferred prey is the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and so the distribution of the Black Eagle corresponds closely with that of the rock hyrax.Although Black Eagles are most commonly associated with inland mountains, we are very fortunate to...
Walking Safari in Parque Nacional do Limpopo, Mozambique
There are several reasons why I am extremely excited to be conducting this walking safari to Parque Nacional do Limpopo. Firstly I find the concept of transfrontier parks to be so positive in the face of so much negativity. For many years I have gazed at maps of southern Africa and fantasised about a wildlife refuge that could stretch from The Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Obviously others shared my fantasy and over the past few years a momentum has built up, and this fantasy is rapidly becoming a reality.In...
The Jacksons meet the Cape Peninsula Baboons
Peter & Rayna Jackson come from the UK and they like to walk. So they gave me a comprehensive itinerary and asked whether we could walk it . . . and we did. The following photo-essay captures some of the highlights of the trip.There was the time when we thought our walking party was going to growThe most beautiful walk in the world brought out the romantic. No surprise when you are in such stunning surroundings: Talk about dining “alfresco” The weather was so lovely even the baboons took the...
Mountains in the Sea – The last day
Many people consider the last day of the Mountains In The Sea Trail to be the most spectacular. I reserve judgement on that, but it certainly rates as one of the most beautiful walks in South Africa. The day I guided the Musketts and Barry Gregg on the trail we had a very special surprise indulgence. Soon after starting the trail we came across two of the extremely rare Cape Point Klipspringers. These remarkable creatures are adapted to living in rocky areas, and are incredibly agile on precipitous cliffs.We were...
Mountains in the Sea – Day Three
Day three of this Mountains in the Sea Trail dawned cool and misty – too misty for photographs. This was a welcome change from the blistering heat we had experienced the day before. But by the time we had crossed the beach, Chapman’s Peak - our nemesis, was visible and the mist was burning off.Two hours later and the heat had returned. And so our arrival at Kleinplaas Dam was especially welcome.Along the route we were treated to the sight of a Blood Flower (Haemanthus species). These intriguing and exquisite...
Mountains in the Sea – the next instalment
It was another hot day and Swartkop looked unusually high, so Janet and Tom elected to use their arms instead of their legs for the morning. We paddled ocean kayaks in a stiff wind and choppy sea, from Simonstown around the harbour wall to Boulders Beach, where we saw the penguins.Then we stopped for a rest and a swim at Seaforth Beach before returning to Simonstown.Surprisingly, Tom and Janet had not been tired out by the paddle, and so we set off for an afternoon walk. Taking the heat...