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Skeleton and Nursery Ravines (Suburban Side).

Of the ravines by which the suburban side of the mountain is fluted, virtually only two are feasible without indulging in a certain amount of rock scrambling. These are the “Skeleton” and the “Nursery.” Access to the former is obtained through the gate at Kirstenbosch, bearing a little to the right but keeping throughout on the left-hand side of the water-course. The Nursery Ravine lies immediately to the south of the Skeleton, and is also reached from Kirstenbosch, bearing to the left. In both cases some humpy ground is traversed before actually getting into these ravines. Both are interesting walks, bringing one out opposite the Cape Town reservoirs on the lower plateau of the mountain. But while Nursery is less frequented and may commend

itself on that score, the Skeleton is the more direct route to the plateau, and is the finer of the two ravines. It is the route most favoured on the suburban side; but traffic, fire and vandalism among the ferns have all spoiled its charms in the upper reaches. From the top a path diverges to the right up to the head of the Window Gorge and the Table, the main track continuing a little way through the first round the south side of the reservoirs, whence one may either cross the lower side of the wall to Kasteels Poort or continue in a southerly direction past the Wynberg reservoirs down the Diamond Spring route , or still further south down the Bridle Path to Constantia Nek.