Hikers urged to check fitness levels before tackling Helderberg Nature Reserve

The City of Cape Town has encouraged hikers and outdoor enthusiasts visiting the Helderberg Nature Reserve to choose hikes suitable to their fitness and experience levels.

According to the City, visitors can choose easy shorter walks, longer hikes that are more challenging, and paths for advanced hikers which involve scrambling on the upper ranges of the Helderberg.

This comes after teams from the Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) assisted a local hiker after falling an estimated 15 to 20 metres from a trail in the Helderberg Nature Reserve last week.

In a statement, WSAR spokesperson David Nel says the rescue began following reports of screams echoing from the mountain. Teams worked to prevent further heat loss by using heating blankets and a sleeping bag to warm the patient before the patient was carefully secured in a stretcher and carried down the mountain.

The City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, has called on visitors to prepare thoroughly, never hike alone, make sure their phone battery is fully charged, and that they have emergency contact details saved.

hikers - Helderberg Nature Reserve

Andrews added that the reception is generally good along the majority of trails, but steep topography and deep valleys frequently block signals.

“The weather is an unknown factor that dictates safety. Extreme weather can turn a friendly and inviting mountain into a harsh terrain where the risk of severe medical emergencies such as hypothermia or heat exhaustion can happen quickly.”

The trails are open during the reserve’s official operating hours from 1 April to 31 October; between 07:30 and 17:30. For a wilderness emergency or accident in the Western Cape, call the WSAR emergency number at 021 937 0300, or contact the City’s emergency number on 107 or 021 480 7700 from a mobile phone.

“Our Helderberg Nature Reserve is one of these gems, but we need visitors to be cautious when choosing a hike, and to come prepared. The obvious things are enough food, water, a first aid kit, proper hiking shoes, and clothing for all weather.”