Link to detailed route page and map click on route title. Please note I have shown separately the route up via Knife Edge and the route down via the contour path [route-snippet id=”1385″ featured=”image”][route-snippet id=”1403″ featured=”image”]Time taken up: 2 hours inc breaks, Time taken down: 2 hours 20 min inc breaks. Lunch break excluded. QR code scan to access route in the View Ranger app. This can be downloaded as a .GPX file

We had come down to Cape Town for a check up after my mouth surgery and decided to stay over so we could join a MCSA hike in the Table Mountain area. Stayed previously at a great self catering cottage in Constantia (Dandelion Inn when I had my op and liked it so much we decided to stay there again. Anyway, the weather forecast was for strong winds and rain so given I was still not on best form and we did not have the right kit we decided to do our own thing.

I have always fancied hiking up Devils Peak so we decided to do an explore trail from Rhodes Monument (which we had also never visited) up to Minor Peak via Knife Edge trail and see how we would get on.

I found the hike hard work, not helped by the residual effects of my surgery, as well as this being the first significant hike either of us had done for some time. There was a fair amount of scrambling and I was glad that the overnight rain had not left the trail too wet or slippery. The winds also did not pick up until we were on our way down which was good. The hike itself was fantastic especially:

  • Looking round Rhodes Memorial
  • The cannons round the Blockhouse
  • Knife Edge trail which was at times along a very narrow arête
  • Looking down into the steep gullies separating Devils Peak from our trail
  • Having lunch in a protected ring of rocks at the top of Minor Peak
  • Being able to look at Minor Peak from my hike up Lions Head a little later and thinking I’ve been up there!
  • The views across to Robben Island and Cape Town
  • Getting down the rocks we scrambled up was much easier than I thought it would be at the end of our hike!

However, after lunch we both decided that getting up Devils Peak was a step too far for us today especially given our late start and needing to drive back to Paarl, avoiding the rush hour. So we decided on a circular route down taking the 580m Traverse route back to just above the Blockhouse. The initial part of this route was very overgrown through protea stands and was quite slow going until we reached the 700m Traverse.

The great thing is that we had a wonderful hike and still have Devils Peak to explore another day! See below for a video of my photos from the day.