Sunday morning was our FHTC Hike in the Silvermine Nature Reserve and through Boomslang Cave – it was fantastic!
Our journey started at 7:30am at the Echo Valley trailhead above Kalk Bay, hiking up the mountain to reach Boomslang Cave. We crawled/walked through the cave while viewing incredible mineral formations, cave ceilings that soared up into darkness, and saw bats, lots of bats! Exiting the cave, we saw a stunning view of our valley, with the Fish Hoek Tennis Club just visible down below.
Continuing past the fenced-off Devil’s Pit (a DEEP hole dropping down into caves) and up to Amphitheatre for a rest. While relaxing there, Leigh surprised us all with some delicious bacon and egg rolls she made (and carried the whole way up in her pack. Thanks, Leigh!).
Our route back wound through Echo Valley, passing lush woods and towering mossy cliffs, along charming wooden bridges and well-maintained walkways. The last stretch had us descending the yellow grass portion of the mountainside (with next-to-no shade coverage, much to the chagrin of the Shade Boys) before crossing over the stream at Weary Willy’s (with lots of shady trees, much to the delight of the Shade Boys) before heading down to the trailhead and back to civilization.
Finally, to cap it all off, the group went to the Glencairn tidal pool to wash away the trail dirt, soothe tired muscles, and enjoy the sun (while trying to ignore the buffeting wind).
Well done to our intrepid FHTC hikers and a big THANKS to our fearless trail leader and club chairman, Willie van Schoor!
Keep an eye on our FHTC Events page to see what other fun group activities are in store – all are welcome!