The Manganese Mine

Time: 4 1/2 hours

Grade: - Click here for The Lundy Grading Scale

Water: None available in summer
Remember to take a torch

This walk is strenuous only as regards its duration and affords some of the most splendid land and sea views in the Peninsula. In addition you can explore a fascinating old mine, which penetrates all of 84 m into the mountainside. It is inadvisable to enter the shafts in winter, as they are often wet and slippery.

If you are in a hurry and are prepared to skip the views, you can reach the mine and walk back in about 2 hours, provided you start at the Chapman’s Peak Drive end of this walk. By far the better alternative, though, is to use two cars. Leave one at the end of the forestry road just beyond East Fort on Chapman’s Peak Drive and the other under the trees at Constantia Nek. Walk down from Constantia Nek about
150m in the direction of Hout Bay until you reach a sign indicating a footpath to Vlakkenberg. Go through the fence at this point and follow the road around the reservoir. Another sign shows the way through the fence at the top left-hand corner of the reservoir area. Now turn left and follow the fence for about 75 m, after which the path veers away and starts to climb first down then up the slope. At the top of the slope it swings sharply to the right after skirting around a fenced off area. The path is very clear, as it has only recently been cut through the dense wattle and hakea infestation. The Long-leafed Wattle (Acacia lon gifoila) on the way up the slope is showing highly encouraging evidence of successful biological control.

About half an hour after starting out you will reach a stile and river crossing where there is a notice stating that you need a permit. Don’t be too concerned - hordes of hikers use this route every weekend without anybody seeming to bother very much.

Cross over the stream and head for the gap to the left of the beaconed peak high on the skyline. This is Vlakkenberg Nek. You should reach the top within an hour of leaving Constantia Nek.

If you’re in this area in spring or summer, once over the nek you’ll be amazed at the breathtaking display of wild flowers, particularly the white Everlastings. Now make your way down to the Vlakkenberg Forest, where you need to cross another stream. In winter this stream tends to he a bit slushy, and you may have to cross higher up. Once across, continue on the path up the other side of the valley. After ascending for about 15 minutes, the path suddenly deposits you onto a tarred road - the service road to the Constantiaberg mast.

Follow this road for about 2 minutes to where it turns to the left. At this point leave the road again, following a clear, narrow path to the right (south) which seems to be heading for a point just to the right of the Constantiaberg mast.

Soon the Sentinel comes into view, and along with it a superb view of Hout Bay harbour. You will shortly reach a 2rn high rock next to the path and to the left of it which marks a 4-way intersection. Carry straight on, resisting the temptation to go down to the right. Years ago I was tempted and ended up in impenetrable bush. Ever since, I have known this landmark as ‘Wrongway Rock’.

From here it’s an easy and pleasant walk, mostly on the level or downhill. Some 15 minutes beyond Wrongway Rock the path takes you into a deep ravine where (in winter) you will find the last source of water on this walk. From the other side of this deep ravine, look back and note the strange rock formation with its vertical rather than horizontal strata. Meantime, below you, Hout Bay continues to present its many varied and beautiful faces.

About 25 minutes later, just before the path descends on a zigzag route down to Chapman’s Peak Drive, you’ll come across the first of the manganese ore dumps. Continue past them and begin tackling the zigzags down towards the sea. Beyond the fourth bend, and only a few metres before reaching the fifth, a path doubles back. One could almost mistake it for the fifth bend, except that it does not carry on down. Instead it takes you to a gaping hole - No 7 shaft - a couple of hundred metres around the corner in the direction of Hout Bay. Of the eight shafts that make up the Manganese Mine, this has the most impressive entrance by far. It must be all of 15 m high and 3 m wide. However, don’t judge this shaft by its entrance: somewhat disappointingly, it penetrates only some 20 m into the mountain. You don’t even need a torch.

To reach the deepest shaft (No 4), scramble up to the left of No 7. The shaft you are heading for is about 100 m above and directly in line with No 7. The entrance is large although partly hidden by undergrowth. In the entrance there are three holes, but two of these go straight down to No 6 shaft below and should be avoided. The third hole is No 4 shaft - at 84m the longest of them all. You will need a torch to explore it. Even though at the time of writing there were no hidden holes to fall into in the dark, you do enter at your own risk. Considering the primitive tools available in 1909, when the shaft was sunk, it is quite a remarkable feat of tunnelling.

As the manganese was found rather high up on the mountain, an economical means of transporting the ore down to the waiting ships below had to be devised. To get the ore down to the jetty below, the remains of which can still be clearly seen, a chute of corrugated iron was built. This primitive and often rather ineffective construction was over 750 m in length and must have been quite impressive. However, all didn’t go as the designers would have liked, because the steep gradient often caused the ore to go out of control.

A popular Hout Bay legend has it that the first load of ore went careering down the chute and straight through the bottom of the waiting ship. Alas, while colourful and amusing, it is simply not true. An examination of the angle of the jetty and its construction shows up the story for what it is - a local myth. Early photographs show that the ore was transported along the jetty in cocopans, quite apart from which there is the notable absence of a wreck to substantiate the tale.

The manganese content of the ore varied greatly. In some cases the iron content (which occurs together with manganese) made a mockery of any reference to a manganese mine. One assay in the largest shaft revealed ore with 43 per cent iron and no manganese at all. A combination of transport problems and the decreasing grade of ore caused the mine to close down in 1911, after only two years’ operation.

Find your way back to the zigzag path by which you came down. It will soon lead you to the gravel forestry road below, and to your waiting car parked on Chapman’s Peak Drive.

From Mike Lundy's Best Walks in the Cape Peninsula