Not A Hike For Babies
5 February 2023
Route Profile
The Nursery Ravine Hiking Trail is rated a moderately hard hike. Accessible from inside the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and part of the Table Mountain National Park, it is a popular hiking trail for locals and tourists alike.
‘Hard’ is relative. It depends on your fitness level, how much sleep you had the night before, if any, what you had for breakfast, etc. I am reluctant to grade hikes as easy, moderate, or hard, although it is helpful to give people an indication of what to expect.
The hike can be done by anyone. Even the most unfit person can do it. They just won’t enjoy it as much as a fitter person, if at all.
They may hate it.
I will say that Nursery Ravine hiking trail is fun with many of the elements you look for on a hike:
1. You can start at Kirstenbosch Gardens or Cecilia Forest. Choice is good.
2. You can ascend and descend via Nursery, or you can ascend Nursery and descend via another ravine or simply descend via the Bridle Path.
3. There are disas to be spotted for the eagle-eyed at this time of year.
4. It’s a year-round hike, so you can do it in all seasons.
5. There is a bit of forest, a bit of flat and a long incline/decline, depending on your chosen route.
The last time I was on Nursery Ravine, was after ascending Skeleton Gorge. It was 40 degrees that day, but we completed the entire hike in 4h30, starting from Cecilia Forest.
It was epic.
The Start
About 10 years or so ago, you could enter Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, for free, if you were a hiker, to access the hiking trails from inside the garden.
Unfortunately, some unscrupulous individuals would pose as hikers, enter the garden, make use of the amenities, and stay there most of the day before leaving. Especially on days of summer concerts.
And that is why we now have to pay to enter the gardens, even if we are not actually using the garden, except to access the trails.
Now we start at Cecilia Forest. It adds a few minutes and kilometres to the hike, but it’s free.
It’s also insane to expect anyone to pay tourist prices in order to access a hiking trail.
We met at 5.45 am for 6 am. The day was cool and overcast – the best weather for hiking. We were 18 pax, including visitors from Brazil and India.
Once through the boom gate, we took the path to the right that said “Spilhaus Ravine and Cecilia Ravine”. My favourite little segway. Click here for more info on this detour.
We followed the trail to the contour path, going towards Rooikat Ravine, instead of the waterfall. In other words, we were going towards Kirstenbosch, rather than Constantia Nek.
Before long we reached the signpost that read ‘Nursery Ravine’. Our legs were just nicely warmed up. Now for the fun part!
The Climb
Nursery Ravine starts innocuously enough.
Steps have been carved out of natural stones and boulders, and in some places, where there are no rocks, just loose sand, wooden logs have been placed instead.
The trail itself winds up, up, up, through the forest. It is a mountain, after all.
The Only Way Is Up, Baby
For You And Me Now
Hold On (Hold On)
Hold On (Hold On)
(Yazz)
But it’s not too steep or strenuous a climb.
At this point, we are in the heart of some of the most beautiful Afromontane forests. It’s a little Fanghorn-y ala Lord of The Rings. The trees feel ancient and magical.
Let’s hug one!
And just when you think you can’t take another step up, the path flattens out a bit, you exit the forest onto a single-track, and are rewarded with vistas of the posh southern suburbs of Constantia and Bishopscourt.
We didn’t get a clear view because of the overcast skies, but the mist added a uniquely broody atmosphere to the grey humidity.
Once the trees have cleared, you can see the top of the Nursery Ravine flanked by Nursery Buttress.
It looks worse than it is. Trust me. Now you have come too far to turn back, so might as well soldier on.
Breakfast Rock
We camped at the top of the ravine for breakfast.
A proper feast was had.
Besides the usual fruits and snacks, burfee and other sweetmeats all the way from India, were presented for our enjoyment.
I was in heaven, and on a sugar high. Which is the same thing, I suppose.
Thanks Minakshi and Kamini for always spoiling us with your delicious treats.
As the self-appointed welcoming committee, at the top of the ravine, we made a point to cheer other hikers as they reached the summit.
We even had one of our furry friends being carried by his human companion.
The Descent: Via Echo Valley
We took a 45-minute snack break, at least, because there was just so much food to eat!
When it was time to go, (I was so high on sugar!) instead of descending via Nursery Ravine, which would have been easier, Boeta Cassiem suggested we go across Echo Valley to the Bridle Path.
It was a brilliant idea.
It’s always better to try a different route on the way back. (Although you can’t see it from the route map. My watch stopped halfway and I had to restart on the return leg).
The path along Echo Valley was awash with tiny blue disas and a myriad of other blooms; none of which I am adept at identifying.
Disa Time
The Blue Disa is a wild orchid, one of 470 species of orchid endemic to South Africa. They flower in late summer and prefer cool, wet areas, so can usually be found near dams, rivers, and streams.
The Blue Disa is on the endangered list, so please don’t pick them, and is a protected species under South African law.
The plant is symbolic of the Cape Floristic Region, one of the world’s six floral kingdoms, and is sought-after by orchid enthusiasts and collectors.
It can be grown at home using seed (obtainable from the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or SANBI) and although they are supposed to be easy enough to care for (I will kill weeds, so don’t look to me for gardening advice) they do need indirect sunlight and a temperate climate, no extreme weather for these babies.
We call Jan & Feb ‘disa time’ because we are sure to spot a few of them on the trails.
A few weeks ago, we spotted the red disa in The Harold Porter Botanical Gardens. But the red ones are quite prolific along the dams, especially the Hely-Hutchinson dam, and along the Aqueduct, during the flowering season.
The blommies were showing off this week, their beauty more pronounced against the gloomy skies.
We Believe We Can Fly
John was so inspired by the blommies, he decided to show us a few of his Brazilian moves.
Just don’t mention ‘marriage’ or ‘wife’, unless you want him to run (literally) the other way!
*duck*
Rooikat Ravine
On the Bridle Path, just past the Overseers’ Hut, we took a path that led left, opposite De Villiers Dam.
This trail would take us down Rooikat Ravine, which would lead to the contour path, and back to the Cecelia Forest parking.
I had never gone down Rooikat Ravine from the Bridle Path.
What a treat. It was not too steep, but the views of the Constantia wine estates were spectacular, even in the gloom.
I was alarmed, however, at the low level of the dams.
Despite the overcast weather, I stopped several times to drink it all in. We tend to get complacent with beautiful things and appreciate their beauty less.
Sometimes it’s nice to consciously stop and stare.
Stop and Stare
I think I’m moving but I go nowhere
Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared
I’ve become what I can’t be
Do you see what I see?
(One Republic)
Waterwise
In 2018 Cape Town was looking at Day Zero, when the taps would run dry.
How soon we forget.
We may be facing another Day Zero if we don’t conserve water. NOW.
The dams are empty.
El Nino is coming, bringing hot dry weather. It doesn’t look like we are going to get any significant rain soon.
My appeal to all of us is to save water.
I hope, like me, you still have a bucket in your shower?
Warning: Car Thieves About
When we reached the car park just under 5 hours later, the first thing we checked, was whether our cars were still there.
Last week one of our group had their car stolen at Newlands Forest, in what turned out to be a spate of car thefts in that area.
When we got down to the Cecilia Forest parking, we were informed that a VW Polo had been stolen that morning, before the security guards arrived on duty.
It likely happened just after we left.
We subsequently discovered that we knew the owner of the vehicle and had greeted him coming down the ravine, on our way up.
Please be ultra-vigilant out there, people, make sure your car doors are locked and your alarm and immobiliser are armed, etc.
It looks like a syndicate may be at work here.
An alert was sent out by Mountain Safety groups last week, warning the public to be wary of car thieves.
Please contact SAPs and Table Mountain National Park Visitor Safety on +27(861)106417 to report any incidents.
Stay safe out there!
Pics courtesy of Amenah, Minakshi & Naiem
Once again…. Stunning read. Your command of the English language is 💥…. Very kwaai😊👍🏼