Franschhoek Cape Fold Mountain Hike from Cape Town

Set in a private reserve of great craggy mountains, the trail is a straight-forward walk up. It’s steep at first but flattens out soon enough. The fynbos vegetation is both pristine and diverse, and mountain antelope, baboons, ravens and even black eagles are often seen. Approaching the summit, the alpine grassland gives way to a rocky peak from which most of the south-west Cape can be seen – even as far as Table Mountain. As further reward, it’s an easy-angled walk down via a path that throws up huge views at every turn.

The reserve has two shorter trails to accommodate the half-day hiker, each with superb views as the reward to a stiff uphill hike. Unlike the full-day circuit, half-day hikers return on the same path.