FEEDBACK: Silvermine NW 31 May and OFTC hike Sunday 1 June

Feedback Sat 31 May Silvermine NW

We had 25 turn up for part of the OFTC recce on a slightly blustery winter’s morning. It felt very odd to be heading out for a run when the sun was already up but we all enjoyed the slightly later start time due to Silvermine gates only opening at 8am. Apologies to those who were expecting a R20 entrance fee, it is now R40! Best get those Green cards, they are great value at R105 for 12 entries.

The Main group did a 12km loop up the river walk through the zig zag shortcuts to Blackburn, down to Elephants Eye lookout and along Steenberg Ridge and back through the river walk. The Recovery group cut out the lookout and had a lovely relaxed 10km ramble along the same route. Nicole says it’s not a proper trail run unless you get your feet wet so we had a little splash through the river to make her happy.

Both groups arrived back at exactly the same time due to precision planning (i.e. Theresa, Lorraine and Gae spotting the Main group on the ridge and putting foot). Thank you to Richard and Julian for leading the Main Group, Gae and Peter for leading and sweeping the Recovery group and Lorraine for the photos. It was another lovely morning out.

Allison

Sunday sequel

To complete the Old Fisherman's Trail Challenge recce on Sunday we hiked over the section from Boyes Drive to Ou Kaapseweg.    This section can be navigationally challenging 
especially in poor visibility. 

Natalie, Peter Allison and Lorraine

Lorraine making sure of the route

-

FEEDBACK: Saturday 24th May: East Fort, Hout Bay

After listening to the torrential rain, rolling thunder and watching the sky flash with lightening all night, most TMT-ers decided to pull the duvet back up over their heads and sleep in this morning. Only the most intrepid amongst us (or the nuttiest!) met at Hout Bay beach this morning at 7am.

 

Believe it or not, Hout Bay was bone dry, 18C and not a breath of wind. We had a long discussion about the likelihood of low clouds higher up on the mountain and the type of lightening prevalent in Cape Town (compared to Joburg lightening) and finally decided to divert our run to Constantia Nek and along the contour path beyond Skeleton Gorge.

 

The main group are pictured (all three of us!) and Faye and Mary-Anne were the two unstoppable walkers. Gregg put in an appearance at the car park just to make sure I wasn't there alone in the dark! What a gentleman!

Lorraine

FEEDBACK Sat 17th May: Cape Point-Olifantsbos

Saturday 17^th May 2013: Cape Point- Olifantsbos route

15 made it all the way down to the Cape Point Nature Reserve on a crisp winter's morning with a gentle sea breeze, blue skies, fluffy clouds and the subdued hum of the breakers rolling ashore.  Soon we were  off along the beach past numerous wreck sites and skirting around an assortment of flotsam and jetsam washed in by the seas.

It was a magnificent run through the pristine unspoilt fynbos and from the satisfied grins at the end enjoyed by all.   One mishap in that Annalise fell and sprained her finger but she assures me that it has not put her off trail running.

Thanks to Neil and Felicity for a well organised sortie.

Mary-Anne a keen walker, on her first run!

Sirkelvlei

Geoff, Mary-Anne, Felicity and Megan of the Recovery group

Koggelman Arch

FEEDBACK: Sat 3 May, Silvermine, Old Wagon Trail

We had more than thirty trail runners turn up for our run up the Old Wagon Trail from Silvermine Village to the Dam and back.

A clear morning with some cloud and relatively warm for Autumn.   Promptly at 0700 Natalie had us sorted into groups and soon Gregg led off the main group followed by the recovery group and the 6 or 7 forming Fay's walking group.

Seems a good run was had by all despite a few scraped knees and palms.

Thanks to Natalie for organising it all, Gregg for leading the main group, Neil for doing the same for the recovery group and the ever willing Fay for taking out her walkers.

Looking South towards Simon's Town

Regrouping and time to enjoy the scenery

No words needed

Main Group Photo

FEEDBACK: Sat 26 April, Constantia Nek

Autumn showed its hand with a good shower as the cars drew into the parking area.    Notwithstanding this we had over thirty runners turn out for the four different runs on offer.

Gregg Smith took charge of those who wanted  to run the Llandudno route most opting for the car shuttle to Suikerbossie but a few  decided on a longer run and ran to the start.

Geoff Nell aided by Natalie led the "time constrained"  main group off up the Shortcut and route through to Skeleton Gorge via Rooikat ravine.  Apparently a good run but a little short as the only covered about 10.5 Kms.

The Recovery  and Fay's walking group followed in their footsteps but turned back a little sooner.

Thanks to Gregg for organising the "long Llandudno" run. He reports that they covered 14.4kms in approximately 3hrs 15mins and to Geoff for leading the other Main group who did 10.5kms in about two hours.  

Congratulations to Mariette Flint who completed her 25th sortie today


Photos below thanks to Tamsyn taken on the Llandudno route 

FEEDBACK: Saturday 12th April 2014: Tokai Forest to lookout point over Blackburn Ravine/Hout Bay

26 Trail runners arrived in the pre-dawn darkness of the Tokai Arboretium on a sultry late summer morning which had every indication of the start of a hot day.

Lorraine gave a no -nonsense briefing, we then split into the three groups Main, Recovery and Fay's Walking Group and were soon starting up the long hot climb up the Elephant's eye foot-path.   At level 5 we turned left for the run up the mountain side gravel track leading into Silvermine reserve.   

On the way we passed three American students who were out to collect Baboon urine for some research project.  At first we thought they were kidding us but the were adamant that this was serious research!   Wonder what the baboons made of this. 

This was followed by the run along Steenberg Ridge with its breathtaking sunrise view over the Cape Peninsula.   Then the Main Group headed off to the lookout platform at the top of Blackburn Ravine  and the Recovery Group took the direct route back down the steps though the forest to the parking area.

14.5 Km for the Main Group and 11.3 for the Recovery Group.     An enjoyable run for all.

Thanks to Lorraine for her organisation and congratulations to Jenni Sutherland who completed her tenth sortie and is promoted to the Speed Check-in.

Main Group

Recovery Group

FEEDBACK: Saturday 05 April 2014: - SLANG KOP LIGHTHOUSE TO KLEINPLAAS DAM – OUT AND BACK

16 turned up to try out this new route from Kommetjie lighthouse to Kleinplaaasdam and back.

Quite tough and a little longer than anticipated but an enjoyable outing which we can do again.

Faye took the photos and a tumble on the way back, and banging her head hard but was cheered up by the realisation that she had finally achieved ten sorties which gives her access to the speed check in.t

Add caption

FEEDBACK: 29 March Noordhoek Long Beach run

A fine cool morning, calm seas and just a whisper of a breeze, what more could we ask for?

19 turned up for our flat beach run, no hills, no rocks or slippery rocks just plain firm damp sand for 90% of the sortie anyway
Probably our most runnable route which was fun in a different kind of way.

12 kms for the Main Group and 10kms for the Recovery Group.

Thanks to Julian who led out the Main Group and 

Congratulations to Lanesse Collins who completed her 25th sortie this morning. 

Noordhoek Long Beach at sunrise

Setting out

Examining the boiler in the wreck of the Kakapao

The turning point at Kommetjie 

Main Group

Recovery Group

Chantal putting her shoes on again after the river crossing

Gregg and Alex putting in some speed-work!

FEEDBACK: 22nd March: Two Oceans 10km Trail route

Lorraine reports:

This morning's run was well attended with many new faces who'd heard we were going to do the Two Oceans 10km route and were keen to do a recce of it before their big day next month. The weather was perfect: warm enough to leave our outer layers of clothing in the cars, cool enough to run comfortably without too much sweating. 

Despite pouring over GPS on-line tracking, Mr Slingsby's well-detailed map and OMTOM's route description, I was a little worried as I watched the crowd gather on the Jammie Steps, and was rather hopeful that one of the faster runners would know exactly which paths to take, as this route has so many options, twists and turns through the forest that it's hard to know which way is up. My fears were calmed by the fortunate arrival of Chris Goldschmidt (Celtics and WPA) who had, he happily admitted, finalised the course of this year's 10km trail with the organisers of OMTOM and Table Mountain National Parks a few weeks beforehand. Chris gladly took the lead and off we headed.

Main Group Photo

The gate out of UCT from the tennis courts was locked so we took a slight detour to get up to the Rhodes Mem approach through the old zoo. It was interesting to see the old cages and enclosures in disrepair. As we climbed up from Rhodes Mem, the mountain was bathed in glorious golden sunlight which distracted the trailers from the arduous task of that first ascent.  Reaching the beginning of the Silvertree trail, we ducked into the shade of the forest. The leaves underfoot formed a soft gold and green carpet, and the dawn rays filtered through the trees, lighting our way in an ethereal glow.

Recovery Group

Soon we reached the Woodcutters Trail and the forest became a movie-set faerie playground. Streams both dry and flowing criss-crossed our route. We noticed a newly built rock dam over one river crossing, but for the most part, nature takes its course in this area of the mountiain, and left to its own devices, creates an inimitable work of natural art. Pine needles, leaves, fallen branches, tree roots and rocks make up the patchwork quilt of path which one has to remain alert to navigate.

Just after the 6km mark, we heard the sound of traffic as we turned down towards Union Avenue and marvelled at the beauty we have available to us just a few hundred metres from one of the city's busiest roads. Another slight incline took us past the Newlands Fire Base, the reservioir and back up to the Old Zoo. All too soon, we were home.

Thanks to Chris, Julian and Richard for their feisty leading; thanks to Gaeleen for sweeping. Thanks to everybody for their cheerful good company. Good luck to the lucky 500 runners who managed to secure an entry for the formal race. I, for one, will be back to do this route again in the not-too-distant future.

Lorraine Nevin

And a big thank you to Lorraine for managing the sortie, a job well done.

And to Kerry congratulations on having completed 25 sorties and can now wear her Red tee with pride.

FEEDBACK:15 March; Glencairn-Kleinplaas dam circuit

Small group today what with African X and the West Coast half marathon being attractive alternatives.

Beautiful crisp cool late summer dawn and a good run along a scenic route although the sandy trail did make for tough going in places.

Was nice to see Natalie back after a full recovery from her injury and and  congratulations to Tamsyn-Leigh who completed 25 sorties today and thus becomes eligible to wear the Table Mountain Trailer's  Red tee shirt

At Kleinplaasdam

Main Group

Recovery group taking a break

Thanks to Randolph for planning and managing today's sortie.

Route Profile

Route followed by Main Group

The Main Group covered just over 14kms and the Recovery Group 10kms