Klaassenbosch – the summer trail

It’s confirmed! The Klaassenbosch Trail in the Constantia greenbelt is my No. 1 choice for walking on a hot summer’s day. Despite having walked there some 6 times in the last 5 years, my records indicate that we did it mostly in winter, when the leaves had fallen and lay thick on the forest floor, muffling our footsteps as we traipsed up the trail in cool weather that required no shade. The stream would flow strongly then, tumbling over weirs and gathering in pools where dogs would gambol and shake themselves indiscriminately over whoever stood closest. Sometimes we would walk in early summer when the heat was not so oppressive that the need for shade was obvious. Then we admired the lush tree ferns standing with their feet in the muddy banks, the bright orange watsonias, and the occasional fig tree seeded decades ago by birds.

Friday turned out to be one of the cooler days we have had in this latter part of summer, when even the thought of stepping outside into the sunshine makes one think twice, but it was still easy to appreciate the dense shade that was interspersed by very short bits of sunny path. The stream is dry now, and dogs only kick up the dust, which hangs glittering in the filtered sunlight, shadows of tree trunks casting interesting patterns in the air. We stand aside to let horses past – a magnificent gelding of possibly 17 hands (needing all of it to carry his fairly robust rider) and a slightly daintier grey with a lady in the saddle. I was reminded of my horseriding days and how far away the ground was when in the saddle – a big incentive to have a good seat!

Although a steady uphill (the trail combines with the Alphen Trail starting at the Alphen Hotel), it is undemanding and can be done at whatever pace you fancy. Fascinating granite boulders dot the trail, reminding us that the Peninsula is perched on a granite bed, and this is one of the few places on the east side of the mountains where they protrude. These trails are the most popular for exercise, dogwalking, picnics and socialising in nature, and are the perfect outing for both young and old, being adaptable to whatever distance you wish to cover. The paths are on both sides of the stream and so a circular route can be taken, as it never looks the same going the other way! There are many fallen trees to provide seating for a coffee break and there are few pleasanter places to pass a few hours on a warm summer’s day.