Christinasgang: Click to enlarge
Moving from Venus Pool to beneath the weathered summits of Paulsberg, De Boer, and Judas Peak, sheer cliffs plummet to impenetrable fynbos covering steep slopes created by time and the ocean's foul moods. It's a harsh and fractured coast marked by jagged, broken coves, boulder-strewn beaches, and ominously deep caves and caverns. Walking its uncharted, wave-lashed shore, the line separating the Devil from the deep blue sea is frequently indiscernible. Hidden drops, loose scree, and tricky rock faces ensure each step is chosen with care.
I love it. In winter, under a dark sky, it's Paradise.
The coastline, which can be traversed in a couple of hours by walking the Farmers Cliffs far above, stretches from Venus Pool to the far edge of Judas Peak, which rears from the sea by way of an unclimbable cliff. Walking beneath Judas Peak's not on this or any other route so, for now, we'll head towards Batsata Cove, a mysterious maze of caverns, cliffs and cormorants gouged from the rock.
We'll do it in two parts. I'm rather partial to this walk, so am loath to share it. Today, we head for Christinasgang — or the cove I know as Christinasgang.
Christinasgang: Click to enlarge
The walk looks deceptively simple, a simplicity exemplified and belied by my picture of it. It was only when resizing the image to upload it to Zoopy that I realised my three walking companions for the day were in the shot. Hell, I still find it difficult to spot them. If you can, remember that the coast behind them is foreshortened by the lens and even Christinasgang is a long way off — 20 minutes or so, if you're walking there for the first time.
Take care when rounding the headlands of the first two coves and, unless you're really into rock hopping, I'd suggest you walk around the second cove — despite there no longer being a path. Walking becomes an exercise in measured steps along the lip of the fynbos-covered rocks circling the immense rounded boulders tossed up by the sea. Use a stick or hold on to the fynbos if you feel the need to do so. Even a ten-foot fall could spell disaster and, should you suffer vertigo, idle the day away at the second cove.
Approaching Christinasgang, you'll notice the path turning sharply towards the cliffs and an immense rock or island of sorts guards the mouth of a cavern.
It's this path that led me to posting only these pictures. When first we walked it, I noticed that were I to put my foot down, it would take me through the grass to the rocks some twenty or thirty feet below. There was nothing there. The bulk of the island wedged into the cove, some ten metres away, provided cold comfort. We considered the route, beat the fynbos flat around the path and took a detour of about a metre.
That's when S. noticed the spider web and just about went over the edge. We calmed her down, continued, and having crossed the roof of the cavern beneath us, rounded the bend before bounding out onto the headland beyond.
I could string superlatives together, but they'd not do justice to the place. Let's just say it's a beautiful spot.
Given a spring low, you can climb down into Christinasgang and up on to the massive rock jealously guarding it. Otherwise, oil and diesel residue and incredibly slippery rocks make it a hazardous and foolhardy exercise. Not many people go there and, listing every piece of plastic or glass junk known to man, the cavern beneath the cliffs is a beachcomber's treasure trove.
Looking out past the island is awesome. The close, humid air of the cave and the sound of the sea merge to an air of timelessness. This is how it was, is, and will remain. It's quintessentially Cape Point and there's no other place like it.
In the snap taken from the Farmers Cliffs — wherein the path disappears under the rock at the bend, you can see the trail heading north towards The Coves.
Next time ...
Walk rating: About 45 minutes from the car park at Booi se Skerm, this walk is dangerous: Do not attempt it without a local or guide to show you the way.
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