So some friends from L.A. rolled into town for a week and managed to pack in quite a bit. They stayed at the new One & Only hotel (review pending – the jury is still out) at the V&A Waterfront and headed out each day, ticking off the various adventures to be had. It was Cape Point the one day and Robben Island the next. Even following locals’ advice and checking out the Old Biscuit Mill and yes, of course, Le Table Mountain . I was very impressed with their thoroughness. With only a week in town, they were blessed with perfect weather the whole way through. Even enjoying a full moon during their stay.

Well advised, they decided to indulge in the now famed Cape Town Lion’s Head Full Moon hike – a ritual performed by many a visitor and Capetonian alike. Something that I personally had not experienced and something The Muse and I had chatted at length about doing. In particular I was excited to see “the moon rising on the one side, and the sun setting on the other!” We agreed to join.

We had no idea what to expect for our debut Lion’s Head hike, and headed up around 17h45 on the night of the full moon (this was the 9th of April).

The hike is basically a full spiral revolution of Lion’s Head, starting at Signal Hill, taking you up around Kloof Nek, over Camps Bay, past the Paraglider launch point, over and around Clifton, Bantry Bay, Fresnaye and Sea Point (with Robben Island in the distance), over Signal Hill, over the City Bowl (with staggering Table Mountain views) and ending up again just above Kloof Nek.

Paraglider launch point view over Camps Bay

Bantry Bay, Fresnaye and Sea Point
with Robben Island chilling in the background

G Man enjoying Le Table Mountain

A lot of you would have heard about “the chains,” and whether you should “go up the chains” or not. Personally, we did not go up the chains. There was a queue at the chains and I didn’t have the strength nor the time (the sun was about to set) to stare up a German’s backside as he negotiated “the chains.” The chains are for people who INSIST on getting to the very top. But, trust me, there is no need. Skip the chains and keep on going.

Believe me, you don’t need to go any further. Unless you want to join queues of hustling and bustling psychopaths along a pathway the size of my waist with treacherous drops on either side. This is where you end up instead..

Yes, that is the moon rising on the one side
Can you get your hand down now?

And the sun setting on the other side

Don’t be shy to “up” the exposure

The Gang
Proudly poses at the top
(yes, I was taking the pic)

We stayed up there and had a couple glasses of wine, some beers and possibly even a quiet joint. The sun set completely and we headed down the precarious mountain path. Some people had actual headlamps on their heads, but we made do with three or four mini Maglights. Fine!

So there you have it. A wonderful experience from start to finish. Highly recommend for those of you that haven’t been. Trust me, you’ll be fine, it’s not that hectique. And you can definitely substitute it for gym that day!

LIONS HEAD FULL MOON HIKE TIPS AND PREPARATION

CLICK HERE to check when the next full moon is. Go on the day that says “FULL.” Kind of makes sense. Plan to go up on that day.

Then, CLICK HERE to see what time the sun is currently setting .

Plan to meet your crew at the base of the hike 01h15 before the time of the sunset (no registration or anything necessary – just arrive). To get there, you simply hang a right at the top of Kloof Nek (the road you take to get to Signal Hill). Drive up the tarred road about 200 to 300 meters and park. You’ll know you’re in the right place as there will be loads of people with backpacks on. There is also a little wooden hut .

Park your car (I went on a scooter as this is how smart Capetonians travel) and congregate with your crew next to the wooden hut. You’ll notice a dirt path heading up the mountain from that point – next to a metal boom of sorts.

Start heading up a minimum of 50 minutes before the sunset time. We had a sunset time of 18h30 and ensured that we started heading up at the latest 17h45.

Wear some descent sports shoes or takkies and shorts . I went in jeans which is not the end of the world, but I would have preferred shorts.

Take along a torch or a headlamp if you want. But keep in mind that just because you’re up a mountain and your life is at risk, does not mean you ignore the rules of fashion and coolness.

Just kidding. Headlamps are fine and can be bought for one or two hundred bucks from Cape Union Mart at The V&A Waterfront. Torches are more than fine and you should have at least two torches for every three people at the very least. One each would be ideal, but not the end of the world.

Pack a little backpack with some snacks and drinks for when you get to the top. Two drinks per person should be fine. Don’t forget to pack water as well. In terms of weed, I packed a pinner and one drag each was more than fine.

I’d advise you to also take a warm top for when the sun sets and a possible night time nip kicks in.

Clear up your area before you leave. Check in and around rocks where you were sitting and take any litter, even if it isn’t yours.

Walk down slowly and help each other . If you walk through a tricky section and the person behind you doesn’t have a torch, stop and shine the light in front of them until they are through it as well. Even if you don’t know them. It’s just cooler that way.

That’s it! Good luck and enjoy!

Don’t forget the camera!

Oh, and this was the view from The Safe House the next morning between 6am and 7am.

I know – pretty cool hey?