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Location: Off Kloof Nek on Signal Hill Road (en route to Signal Hill)
Overview: The circular route up Lion's Head may possibly be the most hiked path on the Table Mountain massif. It offers superb views of the City and surrounds as one winds around the peak. Lion's Head is often sheltered from the stormy winter weather and the summer South Easter.
Caution: This may on the most hiked pathss on TM, but is also one of the most dangerous by number of accidents. Why? The number of people is obviously a factor, but two other factors agrevate this: many users are inexperienced and even fewer know the correct 'passing protocol' on a narrow path.
Passing protocol: When encountering a party coming towards you, one party should stand still and hug the inside face, letting the moving party go past on the outside on balance. Under no circumstances should two parties path simultaneusly moving on a narrow ledge.
Route Description:
The route up takes anything from 30 to 45 minutes for the ultra fit, or an hour to hour and a half for the average walker. The infamous chains have been supplemented with vastly easier to use and safer stainless steel ribbed staples for hand and foot holds, but this section can easily be avoided by the alternate path going around to the Camps Bay side. Parking is on the Signal Hill road at a wood cabin used by SAN Parks and the informal parking attendants. The gravel road with a boom across it that leads to a Parapente launch spot starts here. Currently there is a line of huge Bluegums providing some shade to park under, although this is often chock-a block. Hikers may also start from the Kloof Nek parking area, and a short way along the Signal Hill road a path goes off up some steps on the left. The path follows a contour above the tar road at approx 280-300m and eventually intersects the gravel road.
A most popular event in Cape Town is to ascend Lion's Head on a full moon night and have a picnic supper on the summit (669,8m) while watching the sunset and moonrise, then descend by torchlight.
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