Mike Lundy's Best Walks in the Cape Peninsula

Book excerpt: A bestseller for 21 years, Mike Lundy’s Best Walks in the Cape Peninsula remains one of the most popular books on hiking in Cape Town. Each of the 30 walks in this guide has been carefully chosen because of a particular point of interest, be it a waterfall, cave, indigenous forest, shipwreck or spectacular viewpoint. This classic selection of routes ranges from challenging climbs to the top of Table Mountain to leisurely strolls among the fynbos (and everything else in-between). Practical advice on mountain safety, local weather conditions and how to deal with snakes ensures that the hiker is given a clear idea of what to expect. For this eighth edition, all route descriptions and maps have been brought up to date and photographs have been added for lively interest. Each route includes: • Easy-to-follow directions • Accurate route map • Average hiking time • GPS coordinates for start and finish points • Grading that covers difficulty and exposure • Notes on the availability of water • Advice on whether dogs can be taken along • Fascinating information on historical sites, plants, trees and birds en route The GPS tracks for each walk can be downloaded from www.gpstravelmaps.com/bestwalks.php Veteran hiker Mike Lundy has written several books and more than 200 magazine features and newspaper articles on walking in the Western Cape and has presented weekly hiking reports on GoodHope FM, 567 CapeTalk and 94.5 KFM. In 1996 he received a merit award from the Hiking Federation of Southern Africa for exceptional services to the hiking community. He lives in Hout Bay, Cape Town.