Silvermine Crags and Reservoir

Another phonecall from Marijke, another walk in the mountains. We headed for Silvermine again, but turned towards Constantia this time, rather than the Kalk Bay side...

And they're off!

The wind was so strong that walking on the ridge of the Crags was a wobbly affair. Taking close ups was out of the question. I need to go back for the flowers... Marijke spotted a beautiful clump of opened and opening Crassula coccinea, with a spectacular view over the Constantia vineyards and the rest of Cape Town. It was a 360 degree viewfest. Stunning in every direction.

Below, the view north all the way to Devil's Peak with Tokai plantations right below us, destined for the chop. I used to ride there loooong ago on my borrowed horse, Cromwell.

Turn your head to the right and the view stretches east over False Bay to the Hottentots' Holland Mountains.

Continuing on the ridge, the path is not much used and half hidden in the fynbos, making tunnels for the low dogs.

Looking down into the basin we'll walk down to later.

Honeycombed sandstone, also home to little rock gardens I'd like to return to to photograph.

Looking back the way we've come.

Mickey and Marijke.

Suddenly we entered a field of sheep: what I call these white everlastings. Name to follow.

After a loop, a stint on a gravel road, we were at the reservoir, unrecognizable since I'd seen it last in my mid teens. Then it was in the shadow of an old pine forest, now cut down and replaced by keurbooms. A suspiciously American (read neat, low-risk/trip-hazard, taming-the-wild-places) boardwalk wraps around it with little bridges, and...braaivleis places of rock. It is very well done. I cannot wait to have a braai there! Best of all: deserted, except for a lone swimmer in a wetsuit doing laps in the choppy water.



My favourite: waterlilies. The only thing not windblown.

The dogs led us to a swimming hole. Canine Heaven.

Maggie the Mudpig.

At the other end of the reservoir I encouraged them to rinse off.

Ted the Adventurer:

...and the path home.