Hunting caches today, I decided to place a few caches along the contour path as I feel the route deserves more feet. Geocachers feet that is.
Realizing that not all cachers rate themselves as cliffhangers, but would still enjoy a walk in the mountain with the added bonus of a cache or four.
The game or hobby being as it is, I'm not gonna tell you where to start from or where to end. You can do a circular from Newlands, walk Kloofnek to Constantia nek, Newlands to Constantia nek, its your choice.
You do the planning.
Do consider that on this run I've placed four caches, which I will publish as I get the time to do so. You can wait? Or you can go for them as they get published, again your choice.
At this location you'll see signs of muti bark stripping (poaching). BARK strippers have been targeting trees in nearby Paradise Park and here in Newlands forest. Trees being attacked include local indigenous species like Cape Holly, Cape Beech and Cape Ash that are among those used by herbal medicine practitioners and sangomas for muti. Most of the time, if the ‘wound’ goes all the way around the tree, it will die – and in most of the attacks all the bark are stripped and the trees thus condemned. It is however possible to remove narrow strips of bark on a sustainable harvesting basis, but this is not the usual practice of the bark-strippers. Damaged trees are painted with a bitumen-based sealant in an attempt to save them, while others in Paradise Park will be painted with a water-based paint in the hope it will make the bark unattractive to the muti trade.
Hope you enjoy
Please note that due to the terrain the coordinates may be a little of the mark. Please let me know in your log.
Please be sure to replace so you cannot see it when walking away.
Please remember to bring a pen, as none is provided