Hike to Pulpit / Breakfast Rock from Tafelberg road

Approaching Breakfast Rock

Route Summary
Distance: 5.5km
Estimated time: 2hrs + stops.
Total Elevation gain: 400m
Type: Out and back
View Breakfast Rock Walk map

 * One of the shortest and easiest walks on this blog site.  You still need to be reasonably fit, as the walk starts with 35min of steady and steepish uphill walking.

Breakfast Rock has dangerous drops off the front and sides: supervise children closely.

Breakfast Rock, also know as Pulpit Rock, is a large rock outcrop above Newlands forest, in the saddle between Devil's Peak and Table mountain.  It stands between the tops of Dark Gully and Dark Gorge, with these two features dropping away dramatically to the left and right respectively as you look out, and offers spectacular views into the Southern Suburbs and across the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland mountain range.  This hike is the easiest way to Breakfast Rock.  You can also walk to it from Rhodes Memorial up Newlands ravine.  Looking out across the southern suburbs from Pulpit rock, the head of Newlands Ravine is to your right and a little above you.

Dark Gully and Dark Gorge are dangerous, with regular accidents reported.  Dark Gorge is very steep at the top, but can be walked/scrambled if you are fit and agile.  Do not attempt Dark Gully without climbing equipment and appropriate experience.

Route description
Drive to Kloof Nek, and from there up to the lower cable-car station on Table Mountain's Tafelberg road.  Pass the cable-car station on your right and continue for 2.4km along Tafelberg rd.  At this point you will find some parking on the left of the road.  Secure your car and cross the road to the path clearly marked by a sign as "Devil's Peak".

Follow the path as it zig-zags up the side of the mountain towards the saddle.  After about 400m (10 min) you will come to an intersection with a horizontal contour path.  Turn right towards the cable-car station and after about 10m you have the option to go straight or take a hard left turn and continue up the mountain.  Go left.  Continue to zag-zag towards the saddle and after a further 400m you will join with another path coming upwards from your right.  Turn left again and continue upwards.  The path curves round to the left and begins to flatten out after a total of around 1.2 km or 30 minutes.  At 1.6 km (+/-40 min) there is a stream, and most of the uphill is done for the day.  This is a good spot to pause and regroup, drink and refill water bottles on a hot day.

View over Lions Head from saddle

Continue to follow the path slightly uphill.  After a further 150m, there is a well sign-posted intersection with a path leading left up Devils Peak and your path continuing towards Newlands ravine.  Continue towards Newlands ravine, ignoring 2 other paths to the left up Devils peak, and after another 150m cross the stream and continue across the saddle, keeping to the left of the rocks you see as you cross the stream.  100m from the stream you will crest the rise and see Breakfast Rock 200m in front of you.