WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Justin Hawthorne

November included many days drinking wine in the sun, a short trip to London, countless days on the mountain and many hours behind my camera lens. Very busy, but seriously fun!

After an enjoyable day out in the winelands we returned home via Chapman’s Peak Drive to catch sunset with a picnic. We’d been at Babylonstoren for the afternoon stuffing our mouths with freshly baked Cinnamon Buns, tasting their wines and snacking on a cheese & breadboard. After a lazy stroll around the beautiful gardens, and a snooze in one of the many courtyards we reluctantly dragged out feet out of there.

The wind was blowing strongly but that didn’t deter us from breaking into the loaves of fresh breads and devouring even more cheeses as we watched the sun glow orange across Hout Bay. A classic spot for sunset, and it never gets old.

In early November I hopped on a British Airways flight to London where I attended WTM London on behalf of Table Mountain Treks & Tours. It was a blitz week-long trip and the bulk of my time was geared toward the travel event. My schedule was hectic, but I made an effort to get in early morning walks, nighttime strolls to grab a few long exposure shots and an evening at Canary Wharf. On my final day I explored the heart of the city and wandered many of London’s green spaces where autumn was in full swing. Tower Bridge captured my attention, and the Plane Trees along the Thames added such prettiness to the scene.

After returning from London I was back in the swing of mountain guiding and one of my hikes had us scaling Table Mountain via the incredibly spectacular Ferny Gully variation of Hiddingh-Ascension. Such a gorgeous part of the mountain, but not for the faint-hearted nor inexperienced mountain adventurer. The route involves smart navigation, tough rock scrambling and plenty of exposure to vertical drops.

A month after the big #12ApostlesFire I was on a hike that took us to the center of the burn area. This was the shot from Tranquility Cracks, which of course, was not affected by the fire. The vicinity surrounding the rocky outcrop got burnt clean, and adds quite the contrast to the coastal views. Fire Lilies were out in numbers, adding a spectacular burst of red to the landscape. I continue to frequent the burn site to observe regeneration progress, and I’m excited to hike there next spring when there is color aplenty!

*A monthly series of four highlights from my work and play, shared via all social platforms.