English Fort Hike

The hike is to the English Fort on Fortsnek in the Franschhoek Conservation Area. Some people call the walk "Rabbits Ears" because of the geological rock formations next to the fort, which are rabbit ears shaped. We hiked 19.6km and gained 853m in elevation in doing so. According to Google Fit, we walked for 32K steps.

The hike originated at the gates to the Conservation near Robertsvlei, about 5km from the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek. Turn right at the monument, if you come from the town, and right again at the first available right turn. There is a direction sign labelled Robertsvlei. Travel on the road until you reach the end. The way deteriorates as you get closer to the end, but is drivable. You will eventually arrive at a gate and style. Park here. Start walking.

The first kilometre is flat and dull as you head to the Berg River Dam. You take a sharp left turn and then follow the road, and then a path. Keep right as you go up the hill. The hike starts flat and gradual ascends for around the first 6km to around 350m and then drop again. You will pass waterfalls (in winter).

You will note on the map that it looks like I was walking in circles at the 5.8-6.0km point after the first hill leg completed. At this point, we needed to cross a river and, I was figuring out where to do that correctly. There is a path leading from the road to the river. You pass the river by turning towards it, at a point where there are two large boulders next to the way - the rocks served as a landmark marker for the return journey. If you wanted to complete the trip more directly than me, you could jump down the embankment and head straight over the river until you reach the jeep track again. The app may warn you about going in the opposite direction. That is a good thing because you are. I expect in summer, the river is nowhere near as high, and I suppose you could get across by walking over stones.

On the way up, we were cautious, but on the way back, we stomped through the river. On both directions, my feet felt very happy to get some cold water on to them. Because of recent rains, there were a few places where the ground was marshy, and the paths became streams, which meant having to navigate them carefully.

After the river crossing, the trail became more difficult. The paths are generally stony in several places, and you need to think about where you are putting your feet. The last 2km, the ascent is steep and rocky - steep enough for your heart to race. The fort is around 900m altitude.

Within the Hottentots Holland side of the trail, the authorities had put small pink markers in places, directing hikers to the ears, fort and the Bushmans Castle beyond. I am not sure if these a permanent. There are no actual signs anywhere to tell you directions to the fort, or anything else. Fortunately, the Wikiloc app worked well and kept us going in the right direction.

The big treat was seeing the many waterfalls. There are some stunning waterfalls to see - but it was raining recently at the time of writing. My two favourite waterfalls were the second waterfall in the path and a waterfall that originated at around 1km in altitude and fell for a few hundred metres.

You will hike up the ravine on the left side. You will reach a point (around 9.5km), where you need to cross over to the left. The path seems to end. It is not marked, but if you look closely, you can make out the path crossing a small waterfall. You could climb up the right side if you do not mind a scramble. Aim for the crest in the saddle between the two mountains. If you reach this crossing point, you are almost there.

The fort is not a traditional fort. There are no battlements or machine gun turrets. It is four stone walls, and it perhaps was a lookout. The view from the fort is fantastic. From the fort, you can see across Theewaterkloof Dam and onward to Caledon - it is quite a view. Next to the fort is an unusual geological feature - rocks that look like a pair of rabbit ears. Turning right at the fort will take you on to Bushmans Castle viewpoint (not on this map).

Take care on the way down. The loose stones and donga sized holes you encounter on the path on the way up, are loose and remain hole-like, on the way down too. The trail is relatively steep in places, and you need to think about where you put your feet. Follow the route you took to get up to get back home again.

For a change, you could consider at the 14km point, choosing to follow the dirt road next to the river (not on this recording). It will make the last leg easier if you are tired. I guess you could also follow the road on the way up too. You would miss the waterfalls though, but by this point, you may not care.

The outbound or upward hike took around 5 hours. The return is approximately 3 hours. It is like walking up Table Mountain, starting at Cape Town harbour and going over Signal Hill, or doing 900 box steps at the gym.

There is high exposure to the sun, with little shade on offer. I would think long and hard before doing this hike in summer. I expect little natural water is available in the summer too.

Overall, it is a good hike. It was picturesque. There were not many people, and the view was excellent. I may do it again, eventually. Leave as early in the morning, as the light allows, and do it in winter if you can.

Hiking fitness is essential for this hike.

Note: Credit to Jacques Niemand for doing a lot of the hard work, before this hike: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/fortsnek-22860566.

Grade 2H hike!