FIELD TRIP: Geology walk with Professor Compton, from Rhodes Memorial to King’s Blockhouse
DETAILS:
Date: Sunday 11 October 2026
Leader: Professor John Compton
Time: 7:30 am to 12pm
Cost pp: R2 150
Min pax: min 10, max 20
DESCRIPTION:
The scenic and beautifully exposed rocks and mountains of Cape Town provide the perfect place to explore and learn about geology. This walking tour commences at the Rhodes Memorial with an introduction to its scenic vistas. We proceed on foot up to the King’s Blockhouse, with several stops to catch our breath, looking at the views and the contact between the highly deformed Malmesbury bedrock and the overlying horizontal Table Mountain Group sandstone beds. From the King’s Blockhouse we traverse the contour trail to exposures of the maroon muddy sandstone beds of the Graafwater Formation and a recent rock fall from the nearby cliffs of Peninsula Formation sandstone. We then walk back along the same route to Rhodes Memorial.
NB: Participants need to be fit enough to go on a 4-hour hike up steep slopes (you should be able to climb 6 flights of stairs in 20 minutes, repeated 4 times).
ITINERARY:
7h30 – 08h00: Collection at Lagoon Beach Hotel and transit to Rhodes Memorial
8h00 – 8h30: Assemble at Rhodes Memorial at the overlook platform at the foot of the granite steps of the memorial for an introduction to the excursion.
8h30 – 10h00: Hike from Rhodes Memorial to the King’s Blockhouse, with several stops along the way.
10h00 – 10h30: Walk from King’s Blockhouse to Tafelberg Road along the contour path, with several stops along the way.
10h30– 12h00: Hike from Tafelberg Road back to Rhodes Memorial, no stops. Enjoy your snack pack and water on this route before descent.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- All participants will receive a copy of Compton’s The Rocks & Mountains of Cape Town as a field guide (if you already own a copy you can use the R150 credit toward another of Compton’s books).
- Snack pack
- Bus transfers from Lagoon Beach Hotel and return.
WHAT TO WEAR:
Participants need to wear appropriate foot gear and clothing for the weather conditions and they need to bring a minimum of a litre of water.