Discovering Lion's Head – Cape Town's Majestic Hiking Gem

Fatima was a wonderful guide. She is well-versed in the terrain and appropriately reminded me to take rest and hydrate. She took plenty of pictures and gave helpful updates about the trail. Had a wonderful experience.

Fatima is the queen of this mountain. I booked last minute to go up the India Venster route and down Platteklip gorge since the cable car wasn't running and her communication and organisation was perfect, even making sure I had a warm jacket in the morning as it was windy on top (the weather is SO variable in winter) you can tell she's a highly qualified mountain leader. What made this hike so unique was her knowledge and genuine care for the mountain, I learnt about all the flowers and finbos, the wildlife, and the local area. We took a steady pace up and she got some great pictures videos too which was an added bonus! The weather wasn't great on top (pretty grim actually 😅), but that didn't dim her mindset, instead we both laughed and had fun the whole way up. The hike is pretty relentless, you go up and up some more. You're scrambling over rocks pretty much all the way up and there's some staples and chains higher up, she'll spot you on the tricky bits as you do feel 'on the edge' sometimes. Definitely a route for experienced and fit hikers, don't underestimate it if you don't hike regularly. We got up and down in 4hours which was very speedy! (We didn't linger at the top as there was no views and it was cold) It's about 5km the whole route and 700m elevation. Respect the mountain. Couldn't recommend Fatima and Captivate the Cape enough, one of my best days in Cape Town for sure!

Wonderful guide!

When your guide is obsessed with safety, you know you are in good hands…and Fatima was exactly that safe pair of hands you want when bouldering is not what you do on daily basis. We did both Lion’s Head and Table Mountain hikes on consecutive days and it was an enjoyable experience with knowledgeable guide on both occasions. Wholeheartedly recommended 👍

I went hiking with Fatima early in the morning along the Kasteelspoort Route (down Woody Ravine) and absolutely loved it! Fatima is a fantastic hiking guide with a wealth of knowledge about the flora and fauna. The coffee she brought along and the local snack for our breakfast stop was an additional special treat. 10/10 (or 5/5 in terms of Google review stars 😀) – highly recommended!