It was rather dry which was good for us because we didn't have to be carried across the river. 
In the forest it was lovely and cool. This is a real indigenous forest - having been reclaimed about 35 years ago from plantations of pines. (The original forest was cut down before the end of the seventeenth century - hence the name of this trail: The Woodcutter Trail.) 
There were not too many flowers as this is the time that the fynbos goes to sleep - in the hot and dry days at the end of summer - and just waits for the rains to come. This is a very tiny little lobelia - probably Lobelia erinus which is usually blue but can be other colours too. 
We emerged from the forest into a newly cleared area where the silver trees are coming up and the fynbos looking quite happy - if a bit sleepy and dry. 
The Alpha Male and Sue - with Dawnie close behind. 
And Capetonians who pine for the pine plantations of Cecilia Forest, come to Newlands! There are lots and lots still here so we hope that SANParks will let them stay until they fall down,
or get eaten by this bracket fungus, so that the sad and pining Capetonians don't have to waste money on silly adverts about shouting for shade. 
There is lovely shade here, not all of it sterile monocultured pines and gums either, and shady walks in tons of other places we have been in Cape Town. And one day, we are sure, Cecilia will be quite walkable again. But maybe just cool it SANParks - as our Alpha tells us regularly. Leave these pines to placate the piners and go to work on the gums on the other side. (Title with apologies to George Morris and others who followed ...)
They left a car at the Lower Cable Station - Devil's Peak in thick mist. 
Then they all piled into Alice's car and drove to Camps Bay where they left it Theresa Road, and set out up the mountain. Here is Phil checking that they are on the right track. 
Climbing up 
No view! Phil wondering if this hiking lark is all worth it. (His new shoes still going well.) 
Lion's Head sticking out of the mist - looking a bit like a shark's fin. 
More mist - with the Upper Cable Station just visible.
Mist billowing up 
Alice mustering the rather dejected looking troops. It WILL clear up soon.
And she was right. (Alice is 
Uh-oh, Phil seems to have wandered out onto a ledge. 
A very precarious one too - although I wouldn't mind being out there as I have no fear of heights and this is about 700 m high. But I don't think the Food Lady would allow ME up there! 
A quick re-fuel at the top of 
Close up of some of the ruins of the old 
Looking back: the mist rising up 
Was it heat exhaustion or was the Food Lady seeing things? This looks like a baby dinosaur! 
And, 
Still on the right track having negotiated the Valley of the Red Gods, 
the Valley of Isolation, 
Ark Valley and now Echo Valley. On the left of the gorge is a strange cartoon-dog face, and on the right, almost in the centre of the photo, you can just see the Upper Cable Station. But there was still a 
A little grasshopper on a cone of the endemic Peninsula 
Climbing the ladders. 
The King of 
Looking down at Camps Bay, 
and back to 
A 
Downing cold Castles. Not really to Phil's taste though. (He is keen on micro-brewery beers.) But the FL thought it was appropriate as we had climbed up a castle so it was time to down one. 
It was quite hot and the sun was blazing a bit as Phil, Lucy and Josie, our humans and us made our way up to the Higher Steenberg Peak.
Just look at our tongues hanging out! 
Poor Dawnie was the hottest as she has the thickest coat.
Back at home we didn't have time to rest after our walk because we had to chase the neighbour's cheeky ginger cat out of the garden,
