Difficulty Grading
All of these hikes would be regarded as easy for the hiking fit. This grading system is intended for regular hikers who are comfortable hiking for 3–4 hours but are not necessarily very fit.
The grading system is inspired by the Shenandoah Hiking Difficulty Equation, with additional adjustments for steepness, distance interaction, and terrain difficulty.
Hiking Difficulty Calculator
[+] How this calculator works
This calculator estimates hiking difficulty using distance, elevation gain and terrain type.
Non-linear Scaling
- The calculator adjusts the effort based on elevation relative to distance using a non-linear ratio.
- Elevation gain contributes more strongly to the final score than distance, reflecting the greater physical effort of sustained climbing.
- This means that short steep climbs are more heavily weighted than long gradual ones.
- The terrain factor modifies the score relative to a standard uneven rocky trail.
- Firm Path / Track (~0.93) – flat sandy paths, jeep tracks, hard-packed soil
- Uneven Rocky Trail (1.00) – typical mountain trail with rocks, steps, roots
- Rough Trail / Light Scrambling (~1.12) – unstable footing, occasional hand use
- Scrambling / Off-Trail (~1.20) – frequent hand use, boulder hopping, route finding
Difficulty Grades
- 1–4 Easy
- 5–6 Moderate
- 7–9 Moderately Strenuous
- 10+ Strenuous
Easy Hikes
- Trappieskop (2.8)
- The Shipwreck Trail (3.7)
- Elsies Peak Climbing Traverse (3.9)
- Elsies Peak Circular Route (4.0)
- Steenberg Peak via Wolfkop (4.0)
- Gifkommetjie Cliffs and Beach (4.1)
- Antoniesgat (4.2)
Moderate Hikes
- Woodcutters Trail (5.1)
- Vlakkenberg from Price Drive (5.2)
- The Amphitheatre Trail (5.3)
- Sirkelsvlei Trail (5.6)
- Cave Peak Loop (6.4)
- Silvermine River and Steenberg Ridge (6.4)
- Alfies Path from East Fort (6.4)
- Newlands to Kirstenbosch Contour (6.6)
- Cecilia Waterfall and Contour Path (6.6)
- Chapman’s Drive Contour to East Fort (6.6)
- Cave Peak Echo Valley and the Rock Arch Loop (6.8)
- Lakeside to Muizenberg Peak, St James Peak and Ou Kraal (6.9)
Moderately Strenuous Hikes
- Olifantsbos from Smitswinkel Viewpoint (7.0)
- High and Lower Steenberg (7.1)
- Farmers Cliff (7.1)
- Kirstenbosch Contour Path (7.4)
- Kalk Bay Peak and Spes Bona from Ou Kraal (7.5)
- Kanonkop and Venus Pool (7.5)
- Klein Tuinkop via Dassieskasteel Traverse (7.7)
- Camel Rock from Constantia Corner (7.8)
- Silvermine Skyline Path (8.0)
- Blokhuiskop (8.2)
- Vlakkenberg to Baviaanskloof (8.2)
- Chapman’s Peak from Noordhoek Beach (8.8)
Strenuous Hikes
See route maps for all these hikes on AllTrails – Hiking in the South
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