Swartkop Link
Trail
This
cache was hidden back on 28 September 2011 during the course of a
fine hike with legendary geocachers Zambesiboy (in our ‘back
garden’) & guest Henzz when we explored a route up
Swartkop Buttress from Murdoch Valley described in a new guidebook
Adventure Hikes in the Cape Peninsula. Unfortunately,
although interesting, it was also frustrating and turned out to be
unsuitable for geocaching as parts of the route were vague and
others involved prolonged bundu-bashing – not great for the
beautiful fynbos in these parts!
Thus,
although the others each managed to hide a cache (Murdock’s
Seat and Murdock’s Finger) on the approach route I
couldn’t find another suitable location with sufficient
separation from these and other existing caches and ended up
carrying the cache all the way up Swartkop and back down as far as
this point on the trail which links Blockhouse Gap (and the main
trail up Swartkop – the so-called Mule Trail starting at
Seaforth) and another trail heading up Swartkop from the end of
Watsonia Road in Murdoch Valley.
Here
at last I found a suitable spot to place the cache. Having
completed this initial step, several events then conspired to delay
my preparing and submitting the cache description – amongst
them having my GPSr and laptop stolen in a burglary 2 days later!
Fortunately Zambesiboy had also recorded the coordinates (thanks
for that!) and I had stored relevant photos on an external hard
drive.
There
are fine views from all parts of Swartkop including the cache
location which provides a wonderful vista over Froggy Farm (and my
home!) and False Bay. The cache, a large plastic soap box, is
hidden behind some rocks in a little cave under a rocky outcrop
just off the trail on the mountain side.
The
cache can be done either as a there & back from one of the
parking spots (see Waypoints below), as part of a high level
circuit from Murdoch Valley passing Swartkop Summit or as a lower
level hike from one parking spot to the other. Each option will
take you past several other caches en route and will provide a
rewarding & invigorating experience!