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George-Peak Circle, Anticlockwise

 
Created: 2020jul16thu


Updated: 2024jan23tue

 
Circular​​​

Google Map​​

Garmin eTrex 22x Route Data:

Maximum Altitude: 1337m
Total Distance: 13.99km
Total Ascent: 1171m

Max Elev-Angle: 75.6deg
Slope Length: 41m

Qualitative Danger: 4.5/5

Approximate Waypoints:

Railway Line #1       1.5km
Pylon #1              1.7km
Cross                 2.0km

Real Climb Start      2.9km
Heartbreak Hill Start 3.4km
     (last rock-climb before the top)
George Peak           3.9km

T-Junction            4.9km
     (on the saddle between George and Cradock Peaks)
Drink Puddle      ?   5.1km
Breakfast Rock        6.7km
Zigzags               7.0km
Railway Line #2       8.4km
Pylon #2              9.3km
Stream #1             9.5km
Stream #2             9.6km

Two-Track Road       10.1km
Turn-Off             10.6km
Bosvark              12.2km
Bottom Contour-Road  13.4km
Arbour Road          14.0km

A "Vertical Kilometre" involves a vertical ascent of 1km over a total pathlength-distance of less than 5km, yielding a minimum slope of ~11.5deg. This angle does not sound like much, but, maintained for a distance of 5km, it is significant. (The hill climb at the Kaaimans Weir/Pumphouse ranges between ~10 and ~20 degrees.) Besides, no real-world hiking trail ever follows a rectilinear / straight-line path; there are usually many much-steeper sections along the way.

The clockwise direction around this route is slightly more dangerous due to the increased difficulty of the down climb on the steeper slopes on the Vertical Kilometre down the front of George Peak.
 
Look at the numbers, and at the position in the list on the Trails homepage, and realise what it all means before you decide to try to engage this one. I try to sketch a bleak picture on purpose. If you pass out along the way, it's going to be a mission to get you back home safely again. You take full and sole responsibility for the consequences of your own decisions.

Under the "More" menu button at the top of the page, click the "News" option, and read the articles, and follow the links for the George Herald "Vrou op Cradockpiek gered" news article of 2020aug28fri. From what I understand of what I've been told, the group of four hikers, referred to in the article, came down the steep front of George Peak, and that's where the lady fell, and suffered certain head injuries.

According to my Garmin eTrex 22x, the T-junction on the neck ("saddle") between George and Cradock Peaks is actually 3m higher than George Peak itself, and the highest point on this particular trail. Of course, Cradock Peak is higher. However, the Garmin merely indicates 1296.5m altitude for the trackpoint that is stored in its own database as "George Peak, 1336 M". Also, GTR (Garden-Route Trail Running) placed a marker on the trigonometric beacon at the top of George Peak indicating an altitude of 1336m as well. On the other hand, openstreetmap.org indicates George Peak at a topographical altitude of 1337m. This fact is UB3R-1337! :D

Berg-en-Dal Info

Take a look at Carl de Campos' YouTube channel. You can read more about how I got to climb George Peak with Carl on the Why page at "New Friends VI".

The signpost at the cross itself indicates 2.2km. This trail to the cross has an elevation gain of a little more than 300m, according to the small signposts along the way. If a hiker can make it to the cross in an hour, or an hour and a half at most, and back to Arbour Rd. in another hour, then they might be fit enough for any day-hike recorded on this site. If you want to become hiking fit, keep on climbing that route until you can make it in time. However, this is work, not relaxation and fun. Decide for yourself what you want to do, and how you want to do it, and then take the responsibility to deal with the consequences yourself.
 

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