Signal Hill via Lions Head Loop - She Hikes ... A lot!

The Ultimate Easy Hike

My earliest memory of the Cape Town skyline involves looking up and seeing a mountain. Table Mountain, Devils Peak, Lions Head and Signal Hill draw the eye wherever you are in the Citybowl and surrounds.

Having grown up 3kms from the city centre, these mountains have been constant, silent observers of our human goings on.

Home. When I think of Cape Town, I think of the mountains. When I am away and I first glimpse them, whether from a car or a plane, I know I am home.

Although Table Mountain, one of the world’s natural wonders, and the most visited tourist attraction on the African continent, is the most famous, for locals, her lesser-known sisters, are as beautiful, as charismatic, as comforting.

Ramadan 2024 starts on Tuesday 12 March, so this would be our last hike before we take a month-long hiatus from physically strenuous exercise for exertion of a more spiritual nature.

Hikes, Bikes and Birthdays

Our hike leader, B Cassiem who celebrated his 76th (yes, you read that right!) chose an easy trail to ease us into the holy month. It was also the annual Cape Cycle race, which goes around the peninsula, so we needed to choose a trailhead that would be unaffected by the inevitable road closures.

Our Dirty Toes (and her Baby Toe) did extremely well in the cycle race!

Essential Hiking Gear

As usual, its important to make sure you have your hiking essentials, viz. day pack with water, snacks, first aid kit, raingear and warm top.

Even though this is an ‘easy’ hike, its important to wear the correct shoes, viz. trail runners or hiking boots. No flip flops or open-toed shoes.

Read here and here for what to bring for an awesome hike.

Also make sure you have the following emergency numbers programmed into your fully charged cell phone:

Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) 021 937 0300
Emergency Services from cell phone 112
Police Flying Squad 10111

The Nature

Signal Hill boasts a unique tapestry of fauna and flora.

This iconic landmark, with its panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Table Mountain, is home to a diverse range of plant and animal life.

The flora on Signal Hill showcases the Cape Floral Kingdom’s rich biodiversity, featuring fynbos species like proteas, ericas, and restios. These resilient plants paint the landscape with a burst of colours against the backdrop of the city below. Even in autumn, when the fynbos is not in bloom, its’ gorgeous.

As you ascend Signal Hill, keep an eye out for a variety of bird species, including the Cape sugarbird and orange-breasted sunbird.

The elusive dassie, or rock hyrax, can also be spotted between the rocky outcrops. We did not spot any today, however.

Whether you’re a nature lover, a hiker, or simply seeking views that will take your breath away, Signal Hill promises a great experience, including benches at strategic places to ponder, reflect and enjoy the views.

Cido's Walk

This trail is part of Pat’s Track, a mountain bike trail that runs the length of Signal Hill with amazing views of the Atlantic seaboard, which was introduced to us by Cido aka Mambi. It’s popular with hikers, walkers, including dog walkers, trail runners, and cyclists.

The trail is straight forward, despite being eroded in some places. We did spot a pile of unsightly litter. This both saddened and infuriated us that anyone could have so little consideration for our natural heritage.

Please practice Leave No Trace Principles. Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. And no, just because banana peels are biodegradable doesnt mean you can chuck them in the bush. They are alien in that environment.

We parked at Signal Hill parking and followed the clearly marked path towards Lions Head. We started at 7am, well before the paragliding companies and their clients arrived, snagging all the prime parking. Ghe ghe ghe.

The early hiker gets the best parking spot.

The trail is easy to follow and after about 1km you will get to one of the more popular kramats of Cape Town.

A kramat refers to a sacred Muslim shrine or burial site in South Africa. These sites are associated with the burial places of Muslim holy people or saints, often referred to as “sheikhs” or “awliya.” Kramats are significant religious and cultural landmarks, and they hold importance for the Muslim community.

Pilgrims and visitors often visit kramats to seek blessings, pray, and pay respects to the revered individuals buried there.

These sites are characterized by small domed structures or shrines that mark the graves, and they are usually well-maintained.

Kramats are spread across Cape Town, and each holds its own historical and cultural significance within the context of Islam in the country.

The one we passed is the kramatof Sheikh Mohamed Hassen Ghaibie Shah also known as Tuan Kaape-ti-low.

Born in India, Sheikh Hassen Shah journeyed to Cape Town in the early 19th century, spreading Islamic teachings and wisdom. He played a pivotal role in shaping the local Muslim community, leaving an enduring legacy.

The trail passes a small dirt parking area at the kramat which will split 3 ways, viz. far left will follow the lower contour path around the base of Lions Head, parallel to the tarred road, the middle trail will go towards the upper contour which will join the trail leading to the top of Lions Head, what we call the ‘B Route‘ to Lions Head, and the far right trail onto Pat’s Track towards Camps Bay which will lead to Kloof Road. We chose the latter.

This is a wonderful 8km trail run as well.

Breakfast Rock overlooking the magnificent Atlantic Ocean from Camps Bay, with the Twelve Apostle Mountain Range in the far distance. Is there any better way to spend a Sunday morning?

After a snack break or ‘first breakfast’, we headed back onto the trail over a set of wooden stairs towards Kloof Road, which is closed to traffic due to last year’s rain damage but is open to hikers, runners and cyclists.

At this point we are walking on tar until Kloofnek Road where we take a sharp left onto Signal Hill Road.

Now you can follow the tarred road back to the parking lot, but that would be unendurably boring, unless you were running, but about 500 m will bring you to a painted pedestrian crossing and a few short steps onto the lower Lions Head contour.

This is the option we took, passing the ‘official’ Lions Head trailhead, back towards the kramat, then following the trail back to the Signal Hill parking area, where paragliders now joyfully jumped off the side of the mountain.