SAEP/Mountain Club of South Africa Excursions:
Cape Peninsula National Park
February 22, 2003

Three members of the Mountain Club of South Africa (MSCA) led a hike -- which involved a considerable climb --  in the Cape Peninsula National Park for the SAEP "gap year" interns and ten students from Zisukhanyo and Sinethemba High Schools on Saturday, February 22, 2003.  The excursion was part of the Mountain Club's Outreach Programme to develop and interest in and awareness of the mountains of the Western Cape.  Below are some photos taken on the trip. SAEP expresses a warm thank you to our MSCA group leaders, Lindsay Hooper, Liesl Ravenscroft, and Carola Meyer, for taking us on this venture!

Group receiving instructions from Mountain Club leader Carola Meyer at Constantia Nek. 

Attentive listeners.

Left: Starting the climb from Constantia Nek through Cecilia Forest. Above: Taking a break after the first leg of the climb through the forest.  It was still early morning and it was cool under the trees.  This 
"alien"pine plantation, part of what was formerly a commercial forest, is gradually being cut to re-establish native vegetation.

Once we left the forest, the ascent became much more difficult, requiring "scambling" over the rock and a much steeper vertical ascent.  Once out of the forest, we were into the "fynbos," the unique veld type of the Cape Peninsula and the Cape Floristic Kingdom.

MSCA's Liesl Ravenscroft (left) conferring with co-leader Lindsay Hooper.

"Fynbos," with a protea bush in the centre.

More fynbos vegetation.

View of hillside being cleared of "alien" vegetation, only to be replanted with other "aliens"...vineyards.

View South to Hout Bay showing residential encroachment up the hillsides in the centre of the Peninsula

Above: De Villiers Dam, a man-made reservoir.  Right: a bit of fynbos wildlife observed along the way.

Gaining altitude.

Ayanda and Mahlubandile looking down.