Babianas at Kloof Corner

Date: 2 October 2012

Location: Table Mountain

Walkers: Dorothy and Helen

For other walks up Kloof Corner see the archive here.



The days are getting longer and - yay -- it is possible to do walks after work again. This afternoon Dorothy and I went up the steps at Kloof Corner.

Flowers spotted on the way up: Wachendorfia paniculata.

The white scabiosa, S. columbaria.

Another white one. I think it's Dischisma ciliatum.

And one more white one, Adenandra uniflora.

The fragrant crassula, Crassula fascicularis.

And the common Lachenalia fistulosa.

At the top of the steps we found lots and lots babiana, Babiana villosula, in various shades of light blue. So, so pretty!

 

Late Afternoon Walk on Table Mountain Contour

Date: 9 September 2012

Location: Table Mountain

Walkers: Dorothy, Michele & Helen

Archive of walks along Table Mountain Contour Path here.

We followed our favourite route up Kloof Corner steps, along the contour, down under the Cableway path and back on the road.

 

 Some of the flowers spotted along the way: baby blue Lobostemon.

A yellow Hermannia.

 

Pelargonium triste.

And a delicate Trachyandra.

Kloof Corner: Up and Down

Date: 5 September 2012

Location: Table Mountain

Walkers: Michele & Helen

Kloof Corner archive here.

Michele and I did a quick exercise walk up the Kloof Corner steps.




We weren't really there to look at flowers, but we did notice the red proteas.




And there was trachyandra growing alongside the path.



And higher up the slope: beautiful blue babiana.

Table Mountain: Climbing Up Under the Cableway

Date: 30 August 2012

Location: Table Mountain

Walkers: Michele & Helen

*** Route plotted here ***

Archive of other walks along the Table Mountain Contour here.

 

We started at Kloof Corner like we usually do but decided to do this favourite walk the other way around for a change. We walked on Tafelberg Road to the Lower Cable Station and followed the path up under the trees.

We climbed the stone stairs, stopping to admire the flowers. There were so many... it looked like a garden!

The late afternoon light was looking moody direction Lion's Head.

Flowers! White adenandra in full bloom.

 

Crassula fascicularis just opening up.

And what looks like buds of serruria.

As we neared the contour path we got great views of Lion's Head.

In the other direction: Devil's Peak, the city and mountains in the distance.



Every so often the cable car travelled overhead.

We walked along the contour path towards Kloof Corner. There is just the one large tree up here, and it was beautifully silhouetted against the sky.

Looking behind us again we saw the moon had risen above Devil's Peak. Hello full moon!

We walked quickly down the Kloof Corner path, enjoying  the beautiful sunset. It was almost dark by the time we got down!

 

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Table Mountain Contour Path

Date: 18 August 2012

Location: Table Mountain

Walkers: Michele & Helen

*** Route plotted here ***

Archive of other walks along the Table Mountain Contour here.

This is the same walk Michele and I did a fortnight ago but this time my camera played along a little better. Once again the weather was perfect and once again we started at Kloof Corner and walked all the way along Tafelberg Road to the start of the Saddle path.





Spotted along the way: yellow morea...



... and white china flower.



The grasses were also growing well along the roadside.



Up the Saddle path we went. It's an easy route on a stepped zig-zag path.



Before long we had climbed a good way up above Tafelberg Road.



On the slopes: sunny yellow daisies!



And clumps of pink erica. Erica baccans I think.




And orange Erica abietina too.



More daisies along the side of the path.



The turned onto the contour and followed the path direction Platteklip.



After all the winter rains the waterfalls were flowing strongly. We hopped across a wet path...



... and continued along the route.



Past the cave and another full waterfall.




We crossed the Plattefklip path too and took the high road onwards.




This wet winter has resulted in very healthy and bushy fynbos.



I love the colours.





There were plenty more early spring flowers too. Erica lutea.



Pretty butterfly bush, Polygala garcinii.



Gorgeous pelargonium.



And a mystery bud. Hmm, what is it?



Best bit of the walk: going behind the waterfall.




Wet paths everywhere.



And grass and reeds.




The contour ends at Kloof Corner.



Spring daisies.



Plenty other flowers hereabouts too. Brown sage, Salvia africana-lutea.



Lobostemon glaucophyllus.



The balloon pea, Sutherlandia frutescens.



This looks like an aspalanthus, although I am not sure which one.



More yellow: doll's rose, hermannia.



Babiana ambigua.



And plenty of pink mesembs.


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