Swartboskloof Trail – (Jonkershoek/Hottentots Holland NR – Stellenbosch)

This circular trail through the Western side of the Hottentots Holland or Jonkershoek nature reserve has been a personal favorite since my student days in Stellenbosch. Driving into Jonkershoek and looking up at its imposing peaks above give one a real feeling of Wilderness, its almost hard to believe that 5 million people live only a short way from what appears to be a remote mountainous valley. As one reaches the summit plateau on this trail, Stellenbosch far away on the horizon disappears out of site. From here almost no sign of human activity other than the trail you are walking on is visible until you begin your descent at Kurktrekkersnek (Cork Screw Saddle). This trail can be done in reverse which may be easier on the knees as it avoids descending the much steeper Kurktrekkersnek. I recently ascended the Kurktrekker while doing the Panorama Trail, so I opted to do Swartboskloof in this direction (as per the recording) to change things up. Further motivation was that I last did the trail 10 years ago as a student with the Stellenbosch University BTK (Berg en Toer Klub) in this direction and I wanted to relive some aspects of the hike which I found challenging but manageable, even after having a night out on the town the evening before. One variation I did add this time came from hindsight of having walked the trail before. The last stretch from the waterfalls back to the parking can seem endless after a long day on this circuit, especially if it is midafternoon and temperatures begin to soar. Once Panorama and the Waterfalls parking area is reached its still a slog of a kilometer or two to the official start of the Swartboskloof trail and its parking area. The solution was to start at Panorama/Waterfall parking and walk back along the road until the start of Swartboskloof was reached. This cuts the road section out at the end of the day and provides a good level warm up when starting out. If attempting this trail in reverse consider parking at Swartboskloof Parking and walk along the road to the start of the waterfall trails, this will have the same effect of not having the gravel road to cover at the end of a long day. After leaving the gravel road section the trail becomes single track and starts to climb with the gradient increasing as one progresses into the kloof. After the Swartboskloof corner/ Sosyskloof connection intersection is reached the trail begins a series of switchbacks or zig zags up the Eastern side of the Swartboskloof. After a substantial and sustained uphill a small waterfall can be found after sufficient rain, thereafter the trail begins to level out and the summit plateau is reached. From this point the only uphill sections are short-lived, the uphill slog for the day is mostly done. Soon after reaching the plateau section a small stream with quality drinking water can be found, here an intersection will appear with an offshoot path to the Somerset viewpoint near Pic Sans Nom. The viewpoint is near the edge of a substantial cliff so take care whilst exploring the area. The view from this point is quite the sight, at around 1100m its about the same height as the Helderberg Dome appearing to the West. Over the saddle where Helderberg joins Haelkop there is a sightline to Table Mountain, Devils Peak, Lions Head and Constantiaberg. The Atlantic Ocean is clearly visible through the gap of Contantia Nek and from this vantage point, Cape Point appears right above the high-rise buildings on the Strand Prominade. Gordon’s Bay and the vast vineyard and agricultural properties of Vergelegen and Lourensford lie far below in the foreground. The view is well worth the long climb to get to that point. After leaving the viewpoint signs of civilization disappear as one traverses the summit plateau. The sheer cliffs of the Somerset Triplets dominate the view until a corner is turned and the view over Diapgat and the source of the Lourens River reveals a sightline of the Gordon’s Bay point framed by cliffs. Quite the sight! From here the trail undulates Eastward towards the Kurktrekker with more of the familiar Jonkershoek peaks reappearing. The intersection of the Boland Trail which continues to the Landroskop and Shamrock Huts (booking essential if overnighting) is reached near the trail’s highpoint. From here it’s a short way to Sterrekykerskop or Guardian Peak (Depending which sources you site) before the trail descends more sharply down to the top of the Kurktrkkernek. From here heading down the steep and winding path might test your knees as you navigate loose boulders and extremely tall grass. The descent requires some mental concentration and is unrelenting until the river of tweede Waterval is reached. From this point the trail levels out somewhat until the parking is reached just after the turnoff to Eerste Waterval. The route is straightforward and well signed. The track is defined and one does not lose the path very easily, the odd rock cairn can help guide in some less obvious places but as far as trails go it is rather well defined and visible for most of the way. There is a multitude of unique and interesting flora on this trail so a lot for the enthusiast to keep an eye out for. Entrance to the reserve is usually free with a wildcard but please note that you will likely need to prove its validity by email or login to the wildcard platform. Other than that its R50 per person at the time of writing to enter and a limited amount of cars are let in to park so unless you wish to hike numerous extra gravel road kilometers before starting and after ending the trail, move early to avoid disappointment and secure yourself a parking. A positive aspect of Jonkershoek’s strict access control is that the reserve is, for the most part comparatively secure but with that said take no chances and ensure the necessary security precautions whenever you venture out into the mountains.