Kalk Bay: Spes Bona Valley

Date: 26 September 2010

Location: Silvermine East, from Boyes Dr, above St James and Kalk Bay

Walkers: Delphi, Maralie, Dorothy, Michele & Helen

*** Route plotted here ***

Previous walk up into Spes Bona Valley here.



Starting off from Boyes Drive, we took the easy Old Mule Path up into the mountains above St James. On the way up we saw lots of flowers!




Polygala myrifolia.



Cyphia bulbosa.



Bolusafra bituminosa.



Struthiola ciliata.



This one comes with flowers from white, to yellow and pink.



Felicia aethiopica.



Pterygodium catholicum.



Adenandra uniflora.



Aristea africana.



Satyrium odorum.



Pelargonium lobatum.



Anaxeton laeve.



We followed the path signposted towards the Amphitheatre via Spes Bona Valley. It's a good steady climb up. But then it began to rain...




... so we hurried on into the yellow-wood forest.



The trees gave us some shelter so we decided to wait it out, and ate our picnic lunch right there on the path.



As soon as we left the forest the rain began to fall more heavily and I suggested we pack it in and head down again. Of course, after a while, the rain stopped and we saw some blue sky again!




Everything looked clean and sparkly!



We continued heading down though.



At Ou Kraal we detoured to the rocky outcrop and had a bit of an explore around the rocks. I know some vagrants had been sleeping here a while back, and, while it didn't look 'occupied' at the moment, there was quite a bit of litter and broken glass around. Not so nice.



Rather good views from on top though.




We could see the Old Mule Path very clearly, snaking along the hill.



And we hurried on down as more rain was on the way. We were lucky: shortly after we got down it bucketed down; if we were still up there we would have got completely drenched!


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