Photographer Alex Aitkenhead

Alex Aikenhead enjoys photography as a hobby, but Im sure at the right price tag he could consider a career change.


His pictures are really special as he always takes them from an angle not many would consider. Which is why I enjoy taking these strange photo's of him in weird places (my best one so far was catchin him in a tree once! - as you will see in the last image in this article.)

Most of the desktop and wallpaper images on this blog are his and I hope you get great pleasure in viewing his pictures now and in time to come.



Alex uses a Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 10.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera

Should you wish to make use of any of his pictures for commercial use, please contact The Hiking Guide.

More about Alex's pictures on his new blog:

http://aitkenheadphotography.blogspot.com

My Favourite Pictures

I will update this post regularly to share with you my favourite pictures of our hikes.

You can click on the images for a larger view or to save as a desktop wall paper.

Steenbras River waterfall

(Pic taken by Alex)

This water comes directly from the Steenbras Dam which is one of the main water sources for the Western Cape. They have closed the dam to the public now, which is sad because there are some amazing plantations and paths waiting to be explored. This picture is good 'energy' of water flowing towards you. I like it because it looks very peaceful here.

Clover Leaves in Cecilia Forrest
(Pic taken by Juanita)

The fun part of being able to take pictures is the fact that you start to notice the small things. You notice shapes, textures and colours, balance and imbalance. Sometimes a picture just captures a moment. These little heart shaped leaves caught my eye, but the contrast in the colours was really what made me stop and try to capture this shot.

Karbonkelberg Mountain, Houtbay.

(Pic taken by Juanita)

The above picture was taken ontop of the Karbonkelberg, looking down at the ocean towards Sandy Bay and Llandudno. I like this picture because of the awesome view as well as the way the dobies are lookin very concerned on to their owner sitting on the edge of the cliff.

Old Fisherman's Lady

(Pic taken by Alex)

We stopped over at the Houtbay Harbour, not expecting to see much. Both Alex and I were screaming for the camera the moment we got out of the car. Neither of us noticed this old lady's glasses untill we actually viewed the pictures afterwards. This picture entertains my mind every time I look at it.

Photographer Juanita Welgemoed

Juanita Welgemoed is the owner of this blog. This blog came about for her combined passion for hiking and photography.

Juanita used to take pictures with her Nokia N82 cell phone.

But since 2010, Juanita has been using her Canon 5D Mark II to capture her images.

Find out the weather before you go on your hike

Windguru

is our preferred hiking weather prediction website.

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Being a good hiker means you need to also know how to read your environment and an accurate weather forecast.

You need to know what the weather is going to be before you start your hike:

• If its going to be very hot, you might want to do a hike which is less exposed to the sun
• If there is going to be a strong wind, you might want to be on a hike which is hidden from the specific wind direction
• On a cold day, you might want to go on a hike which will let you enjoy the heat of the sun.

We have found that walking around a mountain (or even a small hill) the temperature can change by about 6 - 8 degrees just by walking in or out of the shade. This is why knowing the weather is a major factor you need to take into consideration when you are about to go and explore the unknown.

We use Windguru as our best and most accurate weather forecaster for anywhere around the world. This link will take you to the forecast for Cape Town in South Africa. You can change it by choosing your location in the drop down arrows.

(Click on the above image to go directly to Windguru)

How do you read the forecast above?

The following keys (as indicated in the image above) will give you a very accurate immediate to 6 day forecast:

Wind speed: wind speed in 10 meters above surface.

Wind direction: Wind gets its name from the direction it comes. A good map will always show NORTH at the top.


Temperature: Temperature is measured 2 meters above ground.

Cloud cover: High / middle / low cloud cover in percent.

Rain: measured in milimeters.

Windguru rating: What the wind conditions will be like.
1 Star is light wind, 2 stars is strong wind, 3 stars is very strong wind.
Yellow stars are warm wind conditions, blue stars are cold wind conditions.

Wave: Significant wave height in meters. It is the average height (from wave crest to trough) of the one-third highest waves at a location.

Wave period: Peak wave period in seconds. It is the period of the dominant wave system derived from the wave energy spectrum.

Wave direction: Direction of the dominant waves.

Colors used in forecasts determine the actual conditions:

10 Hiking Commandments

1. Never Hike alone. If you get lost, injured or mugged during a hike, there is little chance for you to be helped or rescued. Join a hiking club if you do not have a partner to go with.
   


2. Know the Route. Take a map or a guide book or someone that knows the way. If you get lost, find immediate shelter (from rain, wind, sunlight or the evening cold), stay in 1 place, keep calm, try to make yourself visible with means of a mirror or bright object.


3. Time your route well. Start as early as possible (especially in summer). Make sure you have enough time to be back at your starting point by the time it gets dark.


4. Take your cell phone. Numbers to save are the following: Mountain Rescue Cape Town (021 948 9900), Attacks or Suspicious Behaviour (086 110 6417). Make sure your phone is charged before you go.


5. Never go off the path. Do not split your group and retrace your steps if you need to.


6. Know the Weather Forecast. Make sure you know the conditions and prepare yourself for all 4 seasons in 1 day. Click here for a weather forecast.
   


7. Go as fast as the slowest person. Know your abilities and try to stick with a group of similar fitness. It is not a pleasure for you or your team if you can not keep up with them.


8. Hiking Gear / Items you can not go without The minimum requirements for things to take along with you are: Sunblock, hat for summer, beanie for winter, dry-mac type jacket, safety blanket, comfortable shoes, matches, water, enough snacks like dried fruit, nuts and sweets, bandage.


9. Notify Someone of your Hike Route: Tell someone where you are going and when they can expect you to be back.


10. Respect Nature: Stay on the pathways (avoid creating new ones or trampling the terrain). Keep your litter in your bag. Do not pick the flowers. Do not feed the animals or leave food behind for them to find in the bins. Fires are only allowed in designated pick-nick spots.
    
    
    

Our First Hike - Karbonkelberg, Houtbay

Being inspired by a few pictures of a friends' hike to The Karbonkelberg in Hout Bay, we decided to take the plunge and head off to Houtbay ourselves and see what the mountain had to offer us.

Our biggest concern was the safety aspect, so we armed ourselves with Alex's 2 beautiful dobermans - Zues and Zinedean and ventured in a southerly direction.

Hiking Trail: Kapteins Peak
Name of Reserve / Area: Table Mountain National Park, Karbonkelberg
Nearest Town: Houtbay and Llundudno
Province: Western Cape
Country: South Africa

Best time to go: May - Sept (No shade available for hot days)
Fresh Water: No fresh water on this route, bring your own.
Difficulty: Easy incline, can also be a nice easy mountain bike route to the top.
Pets: Can take your old dog on a slow stroll all the way to the top.
How safe is it: It is not recommended that you go alone. Keep a mace spray on you for extra protection. Do not display your gadgets too publically.
Directions to get there:

• Once you in Houtbay, drive towards the Houtbay Harbour.
  
• When you have reached the Houtbay Harbour, take the first road right up towards the mountain.
  
• At T-junction turn right into Karbonkelberg Road.
• 2nd road right again into Bayview Road. Follow Bayview Road all the way to the top. This road is very windey, but follow your nose in a upward direction and you should not go too far wrong.

Pics taken by: Alex Aitkenhead, Juanita Welgemoed.
Hikers Ratings:
Juanita - Easy walk and stunning views
Alex - (awaiting comment)


The hike starts at the top end of Bayview road. There are no set markers as it is a easy jeep style track to follow all the way to the top.


This hike became the first of many more for us. The beauty and the unknown drew us into this new sport, and to this day we can not seem to get enough of what it has to offer us.

As soon as the Jeep Track ended, we veered off towards the ocean on a single track to enjoy the stunning views.

Another great place to visit before or after your hike, is the harbour area in Houtbay. Spending a short time walking around the harbour, we enjoyed many interesting sights of the locals (including the dogs and the seals!).

Please click on the images for a larger view.

Hiking stories and pictures

My friends and I have been on the most beautiful hikes recently and we have taken so many awesome pictures. I look forward to sharing all our experiences with you on this blog.

Make sure you click on the link on the right of this page and continue to follow us as we travel all over and experience the best that nature has to offer.

Photographer Brian Spratley

Brain Spratley takes pictures as a hobby only. He has started to enjoy hiking and photography with The Hiking Guide team. He has taken many pictures for us and we hope to publish many more of his pictures in the future.

Brain uses a Kodak EasyShare P850

Thanks to Brian for sharing his pictures with us!

Photographer Iva Lopes de Sarria

Iva Lopes de Sarria is an avid hiking member of Our Hiking Guide and does not often take too many pictures. I do however catch her grabbing a camera somewhere from someone and getting trigger happy. It is a funny sight to see. She really gets carried away.

Iva enjoys taking pictures and we hope that she will soon be joining us photographers in our quest for the perfect shot.

Thanks to Iva for always sharing her shots with us!

Submit Your Hike

We would love to hear about your hikes and adventures!

Copy and paste the following information into a blank email, then complete the missing information and send it to us. Dont forget to submit your pictures too!

Location:
Name of Reserve / Area:
Nearest Town:
Province:
Country:

Directions to get there: (give as much detail, including road names etc)

Duration of hike: (how long did it take to complete the hike?)

Best time of year to go: (what levels of shade are on this hike? what is the climate like?)

Fresh Water: (Is there fresh water and if so, is it drinkable?)

Difficulty: (talk about the inclines, exposure to hights, rock scrambling, how fit do you need to be?)

You might also want to give your version of the Mike Lundy rating which is a combination of the following two grades:
1 = Easy stroll;
2 = Moderate;
3 = Streunous excersise;
4 = Only for the very fit
plus
A = No exposure to heights;
B = Mild exposure to heights;
C = Moderate exposure to heights;
D = Very exposed to heights;

Pets: (are pets allowed? is it safe for them?)

How safe is it: (what are the crime levels like?)

What costs did you incurr to do this hike: ( overnight accom / gate entry fees / etc )

Pics taken by: (who owns the pictures?)

Hikers Ratings: (Who are the hikers and what did they think about their experience on this hike?)

Describe the hike from beginning to end: (if you can!)


Submit your hikes here.