Skyline
Bonus
An easy walk along excellent jeep tracks & trails followed by a
brief moderately steep ascent up a rocky path and easy rock
scramble up to a stunning viewpoint in the western part of the
Silvermine Section of
Cape
Peninsula
National Park
This cache may be conveniently combined with the several existing
caches along the Skyline Path which is typically done from south to
north or (as described below) approached from the northern end
either as a stand-alone or as the first cache on a reversed Skyline
Path . . . either way the Skyline Path should be avoided in high
winds due to its exposed location
Park at the large parking area near Silvermine Reservoir at
S 34 04.509 E 18 24.049
and head up the Elephant’s Eye Trail which starts at the
north-west end of the car park and soon becomes a jeep
track.
Continue along the jeep track taking a right fork at
S 34 04.271 E 18 23.775
and ascending to join another jeep track at
S 34 04.188 E 18 23.766
Turn left here and continue heading north-west up the valley,
making use of a short-cut from
S 34 04.150 E 18 23.708
to
S 34 04.090 E 18 23.636
Just beyond the upper end of the short-cut is a junction where a
trail branches off towards Elephant’s Eye – don’t
take this trail, instead carry on up the jeep track heading
generally
north west
gradually ascending the valley.
At
S 34 03.895 E 18 23.256
leave the jeep track and fork right along the track which continues
straight ahead north-west continuing up the valley.
At
S 34 03.663 E 18 22.942
turn left off the trail onto a rocky track which heads up the
mountain to your left (south).
Continue until as you level out you reach
S 34 03.757 E 18 22.914
and then take the small branch trail heading right (north-west) up
towards the summit.
The cache is located approximately 18m north-west of the small
summit cairn and may be accessed either by scrambling around and
down from the summit rocks or by continuing along the faint trail
and down the start of a steep gully facing Hout Bay to
S 34 03.746 E 18 22.886.
Here head right (north-east) for approximately 8m where, facing
back towards the summit, you will be at the foot of a rocky
outcrop/jumble of huge boulders.
The cache, a small camouflaged sandwich box, is hidden 3-4m above
in the small sheltered ‘cave’ formed under the
boulders. This is a nice spot to ‘chill-out’ and take
in the wondrous view of
Hout
Bay
far below.
If you didn’t access via the summit rocks, it is well worth
the short scramble to the top to take in the rest of the
360o view.
From here, you may return the way you came or (much better!) return
by continuing south along the highly recommended Skyline Path with
its stunning views and numerous caches to keep you fully occupied
en route!