Hike Scarborough to Maclears Beacon (The Nottdog Challenge)

Route Summary
Distance: 50km
Estimated time: 15hrs + stops.
Total Elevation gain: 3100m
Walk duration with stops: We started at 05:00 and completed at 23:00
Type: Point-to-point (2 cars) (Scarborough, bottom of Platteklip gorge, Table mountain)
View Scarborough to Maclears Beacon map
* Extremely long and strenuous.


Do not attempt this hike unless everyone in the party is fit and well equipped.


Today's hike was an Epic 50km of mountains and beaches.  It rolls half-a-dozen excellent hikes and their associated views, flowers and so on into one extreme day and provides a real test for anyone wanting to challenge themselves. Good preparation is essential.  I would recommend doing this in winter to avoid the heat, but this does mean walking in the dark at both ends.  Take suitable precautions should you choose to do this.


Route description
Ideally, this walk would start by walking out of Scarborough onto Redhill (behind Scarborough), past the Kleinplaas dam and North-West through the mountains to the Slangkop section of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).


However, because of weather and visibility we opted to walk along the coast road to the Slangkop park entrance between Witsands and Ocean View.  Directions follow for the rest of the hike in point form:

• Coming from Scarborough towards the 4-way stop at Witsands, turn left towards Ocean View and look out on the left for the TMNP sign at the entrance to the Slangkop reserve.
• Turn left here and follow the clearly marked jeep track (later turns to a path) through the reserve to the back of Kommetjie.  The path descends steeply down the back of Slangkop onto the road near the Kommetjie lighthouse.  Turn right and follow the road into Kommetjie.
• About 400m from joining the road, turn left into Van Imhoff Way and follow it through a right turn until you get access to the seafront.
• Follow the seafront path to Kommetjie beach and keep going round the corner onto Noordhoek beach and at the end of that, Noordhoek.  Look out for the remains of the Kakapo wreck at the high-water line on Noordhoek beach.
• Above the rocks at the end of Noordhoek beach, find a path (at first difficult to see but once found, marked with sign having the letters "HT" and a footprint in yellow) and follow this up to the road (Chapman's Peak drive).  Cross the road and follow the well-marked path to the top of Chapman's peak, at a height of about 560m.
• Leave Chapman's peak in the direction of Hout-bay and follow the path past lower Chapman's (on your right) with wonderrful views of Houtbay and the back of Table Mountain on your left.  After 1.6km you will come to a flat area with a well-defined 3-way intersection consisting: the way you have come; left and down to Chapman's peak drive or straight towards the mountains ahead of you.  Go straight.
• After about 10-15m the path climbs a small rocky outcrop and splits again: left takes you along the front of the mountains towards Houtbay; right steeply up into Silvermine reserve: keep left.
• Follow the contour path along the front of the mountains towards Houtbay, past some dramatic cliffs, valleys and small waterfalls.  After about 2.8km (45min steady walking) the path descends into a substantial gorge with a waterfall and some big indigenous trees.  Cross the river and you have 2 options: steeply up or steeply down!  Take the right route and head steeply up next to the river for a short way until you cross the river again and follow the path back along the mountain (away from Houtbay).  Keep heading up along this path until it rejoins the river and you have the opportunity to cross again and head towards Houtbay along a higher contour path.  You cross a big waterfall shortly after this and have dramatic views along the way. 
• About 1.1km (15-20min) after crossing this waterfall, the path gradually slopes downwards.  Watch carefully for a split  to the upward on your right: if you miss it you will begin to zig-zag down towards Chapman's Peak drive, by which time you have gone too far and must retrace your steps and find this intersection.
• This is a clear path which heads steadily upwards, crossing a river and eventually leading onto a tar road which services the Constantiaberg mast.
• Turn left on this road and after about 50m as the road curves right, watch for the path leaving the road again.  This path will take you over Vlakkenberg and down to Constantia Nek.  Stick to the main path and you can't go wrong.  The path takes you between residential estates to the road 200m on the Houtbay side of Constantia nek.  Walk up the right hand side of the road to the Constantia Nek restaurant.

Amazing variety of Cape fynbos on display

• Cross the road to the Constantia Nek car-park and walk to the top of the car-park where a small tarred road leads up towards the mountain with houses on the right.  After about 100m the road turns to gravel and there is a Table Mountain National Park sign on the left headed "Constantia Nek".  Shortly after this a footpath angles left and upwards with a small stainless steel sign indicating that this is to "Reservoirs via footpath".  Take this path upward until you meet the jeep track again on a hairpin bend after about 450m. 
• Follow the concrete Jeep-track around the hairpin bend and you will see on the left the path split from the road.  The path is a bit steeper but more direct that the road - follow either, as they join again further up the mountain.
• Some time after they rejoin, the Jeep-track crests the back of the mountain with great views of the back of Table mountain, and Cape Town suburbs down to your right.  Further on, on your right, you will find a house and shortly after that, as the road curves left, the path to Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge leaves it on the right-hand side, marked by a TMNP sign.  Follow this path to the top of Nursery Ravine, Skeleton Gorge and then on to Maclears beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain at 1089m.
• From Maclears beacon, follow the signs to the cable-car or Plattekip Gorge to descend.  If you take the path along the front edge of the mountain, take care: in some areas it literally goes off the edge of the cliffs!

I trust you have enjoyed this epic!

Nottdog Challenge profile from Google Earth - Note actual distance was 50km