• Two young hikers stranded on vertical cliff
• Nearly four hours trapped on a small ledge
• Male hiker was “minutes from falling”
• Technical rope teams executed a harrowing night rescue
• Hikers praised for calling the correct emergency number – 021 937 0300
#SafeMyMate
Cape Town - Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) teams were called into action on Friday night after two hikers became stranded on cliffs above the contour path on Devil’s Peak, part of the Table Mountain range.
The pair, aged 22 and 20, had set out from Rhodes Memorial at approximately 13h00, intending to ascend First Waterfall Ravine, a steep and challenging route that climbs from the eastern slopes of the mountain toward the plateau.
At some point during their ascent, the hikers decided to abandon their attempt. Instead of retreating the way they had come, they attempted to traverse out of the ravine onto the neighbouring buttress, before trying to down-climb a sheer cliff face, a decision that quickly placed them in extreme danger.
The first hiker managed to reach a ledge approximately one metre wide, where she wisely stopped. Her companion, however, slipped while attempting to find a route down, coming to rest on an extremely narrow ledge estimated to be just 10cm wide, smaller than the length of a foot.
With no safe route up or down and exposed to a potentially fatal fall, he contacted the emergency number (021 937 0300) requesting urgent assistance.
Rescue teams, including technical rope specialists and rock climbers, were rapidly mobilised. However, deteriorating conditions and the complexity of the terrain made access to the stranded hikers exceptionally challenging. Teams made multiple attempts to approach from above and below in an effort to establish a safe rescue line.
Brent Russell, a technical rescuer and rock climber from the Mountain Club of SA - Search And Rescue, described the scene: “When we arrived, the situation was desperate. It looked like the male hiker was minutes from falling, he looked unstable and was already shaking.
“The rock face is made up of mud shale, a soft, brittle material that breaks easily and does not allow for safe anchor placement. It makes technical climbing and rescue extremely challenging.”
In a carefully coordinated technical operation, a rescue climber was able to climb above and abseil down to the stranded male hiker. He was swiftly secured into a harness and assisted down the remainder of the cliff to safety. The rescuer then climbed back up the rope and repeated the process for the female hiker, safely bringing her down from the ledge.
Rescuers reported that the male hiker was unstable after standing in place on the small ledge for nearly four hours, and both individuals were cold following their prolonged exposure on the cliff.
They carefully and quickly assisted to waiting vehicles for further assessment.
The incident was concluded at 22h37, with everyone safely off the mountain.
This incident underscores the serious risks of taking shortcuts, making route-finding errors, and attempting to descend unfamiliar or exposed terrain.
First Waterfall Ravine is not a casual hiking route. It requires experience, careful route selection, and a willingness to turn back early. Considered one of the more serious and treacherous trails on Devil’s Peak, it features a stream with waterfalls, narrow ledges with dangerous drops and steep scrambles that connect to the 700-metre traverse near Minor Peak. The terrain is unforgiving and conditions are made significantly worse when wet or following rains.
WSAR extends its thanks to all responding teams, including the technical specialists whose expertise made this rescue possible. The depth of skill across our volunteer network continues to be one of our greatest strengths.
• Delta Search & Rescue
• HAMNET
• High Angle Rescue & Access
• K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa
• Mountain Club of SA - Search And Rescue
• Off-Road Rescue Unit - ORRU
• SARZA - Western Cape
• The Hikers Network
• Trail SAR
Wherever your journey takes you, remember our call to action, and please be “Safe My Mate.”
• Save and share the correct Emergency Contact Number - 021 937 0300
• Please support us - https://wsar.org.za/support-us/
• Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) is a network of government agencies, and civilian volunteer organisations, who partner in search and rescue.
Photos by Naadirah te Water Naude, Axel Erwast, Ethan Cox and Daniel Vorster