Remember Devil’s Peak. It stands tall as part of Cape Town’s mountainous backdrop. When you look at Table Mountain from the city centre, Devil’s Peak is to the left. Lion’s Head and Signal Hill are on the right.
The city of Cape Town grew from a settlement founded in 1652. Jan van Riebeeck founded it for the Dutch East India Company. Some of the first farms were on Devil’s Peak’s slopes. They were along the Liesbeek River.
Devil’s Peak reaches 1000 metres high. That is less than Table Mountain’s 1087 metres. Many hiking routes lead to the summit.
Rhodes Memorial and the University of Cape Town are on the eastern slopes. Other landmarks there include Mostert’s Mill. Also there are Groote Schuur Hospital, and the Groote Schuur estate. Presidential and ministerial residences are included too.
Historic military blockhouses stand on Devil’s Peak. Cannons were intended to defend the city from the south. An abandoned fire lookout is high on Mowbray Ridge.
Many easy walks exist on the mountain’s lower slopes. A popular short hike goes from Rhodes Memorial to the King’s blockhouse. The only easy ascent to the peak is from the Saddle. The Saddle is between Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain. You can reach the Saddle from Tafelberg Road. You can also go up Newlands Ravine from Newlands Forest. Or take the upper contour path from Mowbray Ridge and Minor Peak. A straightforward path climbs to the summit. It gives you a 360-degree view of Cape Town and Table Mountain. Some gorges on the west side are steep and dangerous.
The northern slopes overlook the city centre. They are covered in typical Cape Peninsula Shale Fynbos. These slopes are hot and prone to fires. This results in low vegetation. A small stretch of Peninsula Shale Renosterveld grows here too. This endemic vegetation used to dominate the Cape Town City Bowl. Now it is mostly lost because of urban development.
The southern slopes are naturally wetter. They are more protected from fires. Originally, deep indigenous forests partially covered these slopes. Some Afro-montane forests still remain in the gorges. Most were cut down for commercial pine plantations. Near Rhodes Memorial are native silver trees. This is one of the few remaining areas where they grow wild.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, cluster pines were planted. These non-indigenous trees became a problem. Recently, authorities and volunteers felled the pines from the higher slopes. Pine and gum plantations remain in Newlands Forest for recreation. The original Afro-montane forest is slowly re-growing on the southern slopes. Programmes continue to remove pines and other alien vegetation. Stone pines remain around Rhodes Memorial.
Indigenous animals live here. They include porcupines and caracals. Also present are small grey mongoose and rock hyraxes. Many bird species are found here as well. Near Rhodes Memorial, some slopes were maintained as savanna. Eland, wildebeest and zebra were kept there. These animals were removed in early 2018 due to water supply issues.
In the 1930s, Himalayan tahrs escaped from a zoo. Their population grew to over 700. A culling programme eliminated most of them. A few still remain. Some local antelope species are being re-introduced. Fallow deer were once kept near Rhodes Memorial. They were removed starting in 2006.
The upper parts of Devil’s Peak consist of hard sandstone. It is known as Table Mountain sandstone. This sandstone rests upon a basal shale. The shale lies upon older rocks. The shale and older rocks weather faster than the sandstone. This makes the lower slopes smoother.
Devil’s Peak was originally known as Windberg or Charles Mountain. The name Devil’s Peak comes from the Dutch Duivels Kop. The story involves Jan van Hunks. He was a pipe smoker who lived at the foot of the mountain around 1700. He had a smoking contest with a stranger. The stranger was the devil. The smoke they made covered the mountain forming the table cloth cloud.
Some say the name is a corruption of Duifespiek to Duivelspiek. Others believe it comes from a map created by Fra Mauro. He named the southernmost tip of Africa Cabo de Diab the Devil’s Cape.
In 1971, three South African Air Force aircraft crashed into Devil’s Peak. All 11 on board died. The aircraft were practicing for a fly-past. A low cloud base was a factor. The impact was heard throughout the area.