People often ask how I know about so many trails and the truth is some of them are discovered in a serendipitous manner. Klaasenbosch was one of those amazing ‘by chance’ discoveries and has quickly crept up our favourite list.
We were doing the Alphen Trail one day, and we usually start at the bottom of Alphen Drive and walk all the way to the top of the trail. As we came out on the other side at Hohenort Avenue, we saw another trail board across the road and decided to try it. The rest is history...
 |
| Waleed and Kygo exploring in the early morning light |
Walking the Klaasenbosch Trail
For the Google Maps directions to Klaasenbosch - click here
As you start the trail, the verges are the backyards of properties that have stables and depending on the time of day that you walk, we often see people horse-riding. There are no cyclists allowed, which makes it a popular spot for dog walking and trail running.
 |
| The view of Klaasenbosch |
 |
| A great place to take your dog for a walk |
It is a short 3km loop, from the Hohenort entrance to the top of the trail in Spilhaus Avenue, which provides a moderate walk with slight inclines and incredible views. We usually meander around the trail for about 45 minutes, allowing Kygo enough time to stop and check his weemail and to swim in every available water source. The trail provides enough of a workout to get your heart-rate up and has a tropical oasis vibe. And as we approach the heart of Summer in Cape Town, it is one of the few trails that still has water available for dogs to cool down in.
 |
| Enjoying a scuba session |
 |
| The perfect way to cool a hot dog |
 |
| Kygo's happy place |
The trail is quite protected, even on windy days, and the canopy traps a lot of heat which makes it quite humid and the reason why lots of tropical ferns and trees flourish here. The sunlight that sparkles through the trees provide incredible backdrops for photos and we’ve bumped into a few photographers doing shoots here. We enjoy doing this trail in the early morning light or later in the afternoon.
 |
The trail in early morning light
|
Over the last year or so, we’ve noticed that this trail has become even more popular. Colin Walker, chair of The Friends of Constantia Valley Greenbelts (TFOCG), said in an article that foot traffic on the greenbelts have doubled after the hard lockdown.
TFOCG assists the City of Cape Town with maintaining the space. They have upgraded it by planting more flowers and trees, cut the grass and remove fallen trees. They’ve also redefined and prettified some of the walking paths with wood chips. Some inviting trees stumps provide a lovely seating area to relax. On a Sunday we often see families picnicking here and the kids splashing in the little stream of water.
 |
| The perfect spot for a picnic |
Even though it is just opposite the Alphen Trail, we find it is less congested, much lusher and more beautiful. If you love flowers, then this trail will be a special treat. This morning we spotted hydrangeas, agapanthus and fuchsias.
 |
| Agapanthus in the foreground |
 |
| An Australian tree fern |
 |
| Look at those vines |
 |
A painted shell
|
An absolute treat is finding a painted rock. These gems are hidden, sometimes in plain sight, and you have the choice to rehide it or take it home as a keepsake. This morning we were fortunate to find a shell painted with a whale and some colourful coral. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic there aren’t many painted rocks being hidden.
If you've enjoyed reading this blog, feel free to recommend this trail to someone by clicking the share button. Or leave a comment or a reaction :)
You can also follow our adventures on Kygo's Instagram or Facebook.
Be safe and happy walking!
Imtithaal
A must try!
ReplyDeleteI've just learnt about a new trail and I'm mindblown! Have done Alphen trail for year and never ever knew this one even existed! Thank you!
ReplyDelete