Barking spiders and an exciting walk along Noordhoek Ridge

As the weather was good, but the Alpha M still recovering from a cold, and Dougal still recovering from a bite in the back leg during a dog fight, we decided to do a gentle walk above the Silvermine Dam. We set off, most promisingly, past lots of dogs and along a nice path overlooking the dam and car park. Then the humans started losing it. A bark spider they said. But they didn't know it was that car-load of crazy spaniels they could hear barking way down below at the dam. NOT a spider. Even though it was a mammoth spider, it was not barking!

We carried on and found a nice tea spot at a trig beacon (at 689 m) with two black (or Verreaux') eagles soaring below.

The humans were quite excited. They said that a black eagle could take Dougal and me out but just let it try! We would snap its ugly yellow face off.
The Foodlady did an Easter egg hunt for us (you know all that stuff about surrogate children...) but we don't really like chocolate and preferred the Beano biscuits and rusks.

Then things got out of hand. I think it was the lovely cool fresh air and being 689 m high but they set off along this path that took us down into dips and up quite sheer rocky cliffs (for scotties anyway). We got to Noordhoek Peak (754 m!) and continued along till we came to the viewing platform above Blackburn ravine.
In the end I was the one who got tired - and the Alpha Male and Dougal were fine.

The Foodlady was puzzled by some ericas she had never seen before and took some photos. They turned out to be Erica nevillei that is found only on Noordhoek ridge and one or two other spots nearby.