I can happily confirm that my insatiable appetite for nature has been temporarily satisfied after my Saturday morning shenanigans.
Knowing full and well that tomorrow is bringing in some miserable weather, I was sure to be one of the first goats on the mountain earlier today. I’ve hiked Table Mountain flat, covering almost every trail on offer. Today called for something a little different: Echo Valley.
The journey kicks off with a lung-buster but after a half-hour or so, eases up, allowing you to take in the full 360-degrees of splendour. Warning: this particular hike doesn’t really offer a definitive end. It’s not like you reach the highest point, throw your hands up, and celebrate your survival.
In all honesty, most of the trek had me wondering where the peak would be. Well, there isn’t one. Rather, the top is quite flat, offering coast-to-coast views that sent my brain spinning.
Just when I think I’ve become accustomed to the Mother City and her raw beauty, I’m thrown into new surroundings and am flabbergasted all over again.
I was about to head back the same way I came when I bumped into a rare friendly hiker, Max (mountain greetings are rather scarce in the Kaap). He led the way, showing me an alternative route that ended off my adventure with a perfect loop.
It would be a sin to visit Kalk Bay and not take a dip in the ocean. Rather than heading to my fave spot, the Dalebrook tidal pool, I decided to waddle my way onto St James Beach – nature’s ice bath.
Never have I seen the ocean so clear and calm. It offered a rare opportunity to get salty and serene. Floating on my back, bopping gently with the tide, I felt overcome with gratitude – a genuine love affair with this land we call home.
Read also: Get me to the nearest mountain
