Caveman’s Overhang and Gat in die Dak Circuit – (Table Mountain NP – Cape Town)

This rather unconventional exploration route on the back table was chosen as a plan B due to clouds and rain reducing any chances of views on our original route of choice. Saturday 24 Feb 2024 brought the year’s first substantial rains to Cape Town, what a relief from hiking in stifling heat which had been the status quo for the year thus far. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this route was interesting and enjoyable despite a lack of any views, the reason for this being the abundant labyrinth of caves, cracks and forested ravines which the clouds were unable to obscure. On a clear day I’m sure the views over Oranjekloof from Caveman’s Overhang must be spectacular but this day the view was almost determined not to reveal itself. Besides the odd slip hazard, an otherwise problem free day was had exploring these features unperturbed by the odd flash of rain. Excited to see what lay behind each corner or through each field of overhead boulders, the route provided ample interesting stops and attractions as we made our way along. This ridgeline high above Oranjekloof is known for its labyrinths, caves and crevices, a whole day or more could be spent wandering them. It should be noted that from the point of departing the Jeep Track after Overseer’s Cottage this trail follows very faint old paths and clearings. In some places the path is almost entirely invisible, therefore a bit of trail finding, and general navigation will be required, do not expect a well-manicured trail, or even the resemblance of a trail in certain sections if this recording is followed.
This route begins and ends at Constantia Nek parking area, and uses the well-known, well frequented Jeep track up to De Villiers Dam. This rather uneventful section is merely a means to an end and if walked at pace it can take as little as 40-50 minutes to arrive at De Villiers Dam. After a left turn at Overseer's Cottage the path becomes fainter and fainter until “Hole in the Wall is reached” here we proceeded on the level contour below hole in the wall until we reached the long Caveman’s Overhang section where one might be required to climb through and around boulder fields to follow the ledge. After exploring this section, we turned Northward to climb through “Gat in die Dak” which from our approach looked like a small hole in the ground. We leopard crawled dragging our bags through sand and appeared at the large overhang cave on the other side of the ridgeline with Victoria Reservoir a few hundred meters below us. After a good coffee break we cut back Southeast and descended into a section my fellow hikers dubbed “The Witches Woods”. Here true to that name, the most primeval and gnarled old Yellowwoods grow almost impossibly out of fissures between the rocks and boulders. The thick mist, dense woods, and the dark caverns below with almost no end was quite the eerie scene, but it was interesting and magnificent all at the same time. After finding our way through the maze we soon appeared right above hole in the wall again, unknowingly we were very near to “Titanic Cave” as we discovered after this trail from an online source. Instead of rejoining the path taken earlier at hole in the wall we opted to continue through the cracks a little longer eager to see what we might find. One cavern in the floor yielded only darkness, no sign of any light on the other end as we peered into it. We peered carefully in order to not slip and fall in, some old roots provided the much-needed hand holds to avoid this. Soon after this slow section the terrain forced us upward until we had to climb over the ridge and find a way to the path at Alexandra Reservoir. Thereafter we were united with the Jeep Track and quickly made our way back down to the Nek with the hopes of getting dry.

This day was more one of exploration than hiking a trail in the traditional sense. If that is the goal, then I can highly recommend giving this route or one like a try. That being said, attempting something like this comes with an additional layer of responsibility. Firstly, careful footing and exploration procedures should be followed at all times. Do not try to squeeze into something that you won’t be able to get out of. Have a bearing and navigation skills, do not rely solely on GPS or cellphones as they both might fail in the maze of rocks and forest. Secondly, be kind to the environment! Try keep your impact on the land to a minimum especially when traversing overgrown sections where the path isn’t clear. Be careful where you trample, for all you know you may trample and kill plants which are on the verge of extinction. Table Mountain is an extremely sensitive biodiversity hot spot, keep this in mind as you venture. Do not litter in these pristine places and please as obvious as this may be, leave only footprints and take only photos, and other people’s litter should you find any. If the idea of writing your name (or anything for that matter) on a rock or tree trunk even crosses your mind, you don’t belong in the mountains. While there may be some graffiti on the cave walls, much of it is from a long time ago when many of us didn’t know any better. Let’s leave that bad custom in the past along with making fires in the caves.

As far as security goes its great to see that Table Mountain is getting a lot more security personnel patrolling and taking an active role, we even came across the SAPS patrolling and keeping an eye out. Even with these increased security measures, as I always mention, be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. If something does not look right, report it! Avoid taking any valuables into the mountains if it can be avoided. Take care around sunrise and sunset and at joining paths and roads. Always walk in a group, 4 or more is the ideal number. Be safe in the mountains and please play your part to leave the environment in a better state than you found it!