A lovely, awesome, lekker tuff uitstappie to the cache before reaching the cache and later on Haelkop peak (1390 m), one of the loftier peaks that rim the Jonkershoek valley. It promises you a marvellous day’s climbing! Along the way you will pass 7 other caches for the taking.
After obtaining your permit at the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve (R40 or free if you have a Wild Card), drive to the given waypoint, park well off the road and take care not to block the chained gate. After taking a groupie, swing your back pack on your shoulders and off to the given trailhead.
The route will leads you to stunning views along the way. It brings you, among other things, to some attractive waterfalls. Take a tea brake to rest the legs before the climb to the saaltjie starts. You will reach the watershed (1000m) after about 2.5 hours. It promises spectacular views over the Helderberg area. Take a well -deserved brake before the real climb along the ridge starts.
There is no path to follow – just keep looking for the cairns along the way. Follow the watershed to the foot of the first rock step and walk to the right until it is again possible to work out to the left onto the ridge. Follow the ridge to the top. In one place you must struggle through the branches of a rambling yellowwood to the rock step that is responsible for the only nail biting area on the route. Climb the steep corner and then scramble to the small nek higher up. The cache is hidden at about 1159m and in an expected hiking time of just over 4 hours.
Now you keep on scrambling out to the right and keep quite far to the right to an easy place to climb down to the next neck. Further on the way is open and easy to find. The views at the summit of Haelkop are panoramic and breathtaking.
Finding you way down following the faint path, on route visiting the 2 caches on route before getting back to your car. Enjoy an epic day on the mountain!