Chapmans Peak

There are very few motorways in the Western Cape that can match the grandeur of Chapman's Peak Drive.

It began in the mind of those who planned it as "The Hout Bay - Noordhoek Road" but that appellation just did not seem to give justice to the magnificent feat of engineering it is; so it rightly carries the name of the cliffs it skirts.

Chapman's peak is named after John Chapman the first mate of an English Ship the "Consent" that found itself becalmed near Hout Bay in 1606. The Captain sent Chapman ashore to look for a safe anchorage and fresh water. The peak above the bay was given its name. This was, in fact, the first English name to be given to a geographical feature in the Cape; until then it was the Portuguese and Dutch that filled the charts with their chosen names.

Sir Frederick de Waal, the first administrator of the Cape Province, ordered the construction of a road linking Cape Town and the Southern Suburbs. This roadway was very well received; fired with the enthusiasm of success he called for another road linking Hout Bay and Noordhoek. There were two possible routes under consideration, one was a road over the nek between Chapman's Peak and Noordhoek Peak while the other alternative was to pass along the cliffs beside the sea. In 1915 the cliff road seemed an impossible task. "In regard to the proposed road from Hout Bay along the coast to Noordhoek, it is found that the route via the coast unfortunately presents features of extreme difficulty, there being in one section over a mile of perpendicular cliffs to contend with. These cliffs drop from some two to three hundred feet sheer into the sea and deep water, and, from enquiries made, it would appear that no passage over this part is practicable even on foot. The construction of a road would therefore be a matter entailing enormous outlay."

The project seemed too difficult and much too expensive, but de Waal would not accept the opinion of his detractors; the plans to build the road went ahead. The surveyors who explored the route over the nek reported very steep unstable slopes. In places they had to crawl on hands and knees as they worked on the hillside above Noordhoek. The ground, they predicted, would not support a road, mud slides and rock falls would be a constant hazard. The vertical cliffs on Chapman's Peak seemed a better prospect!

Charl Marias was the surveyor in charge of the survey work during the construction of the road. Born in the Cape in 1862 he traveled to the Transvaal and Mozambique. In those days the Lowveld was a death trap for explorers who were not accustomed to the malarial bite of the mosquito. White men went there and died by the score. Charl Marias was on of the few to survive and expedition to find the route of the Komati-Selati railway. He was horrified by the slaughter of game in the Selati district and it was he who brought this to the attention of President Kruger; herein lay seeds of one of the greatest game reserves of the world.

Despite the excitement of his surveying years, Charl Marias was most proud of the work he did on the "round the mountain road scheme". He did fall once, but as he fell towards the granite boulders below, he was saved by a protea bush that did not come out by the roots when he grabbed hold of it.

The initial survey work was difficult, the engineering work was nearly impossible. It involved amazing engineering expertise and mountaineering skills. " Equipment had to be hauled up steep cliff faces by rope, men were roped to each other as they clung to the rock. Pounding surf and granite boulders waited below, for a false move.

After its completion it was hailed throughout the world as a feat of great engineering skill. The project was completed at a cost of GBP 40,000.

The extensive road cuttings through the cliffs of Chapman's Peak reveal a story that goes back millions of years. There is the 600 million old granite platform upon which the overlying sedimentary rocks were probably deposited about 450 million years ago. These were deposited on a vast coastal plane between a highland area in the north and the sea to the south. Rivers draining the highlands flowed southwards towards the sea that lay far beyond our current coastline. Shallow streams flowing across the coastal plane deposited sand, silt and mud at different times to create the many layers that can be seen beside the road. As the climate was warm and dry the mud would dry and crack, then the sand would fill the cracks. These sand-filled cracks, can be seen where they were exposed by the men who built the road. The coastal plane at times was inundated by sea. Marine organisms emerged and played a part in shaping the rocks on Chapman's Peak. There are burrows and traces that are thought to have been made by primitive, extinct marine crustaceans (trilobites) as they crawled across the soft wet mud in search of food and a better place to go. Just as the water and sun shaped the rocks of Chapman's Peak those many million years ago, so it is today that fire and water have changed what man has done to Chapman's Peak.

The New Chapmans Peak

Chapman's Peak was closed in Jan 2000 after a huge rock fell on the car of a Noordhoek resident, killing them. Their death was the last of 5 deaths since 1987 that eventually forced the Western Cape administration to close the route for major road works. (It is interesting to note that there had been 8 fatalities from motor accidents since 1994 on Ou Kaapse Weg, the alternative route to Kommetjie, Noordhoek, and Cape Point.)

Extensive work at a cost of R156million has been done on the cliffs, road surface and bridges to make the road safe. Capstone 252, a specialist department of the Concor consortium, carried out the work. Capstone has since changed its name to Entabeni.

Measures to contain the loose rock and soil on the mountain side include concrete cladding of the mountain side, catch nets, and a half-tunnel excavation.

The catch nets are of Swiss design and constructed of intertwined steel rings with fiction grips and can hold a 10-ton rock rolling at a speed of 30m/second.

The half-tunnel, or overhang, is the first in the country. It allows falling soil and rocks to overshoot the road and roll down the steep mountainside.

There was a question of whether the project would be affordable. Statistics showed that by making the route a toll road the fees would pay for the road over the next 30 years, and provide for road maintenance and ongoing rehabilitation of the mountainside.


Home Our Schedule Private Cruises Our Boats Cape Fur Seals The Shipwreck Chapmans Peak Contact Details Redbull BWA	Chapmans Peak There are very few motorways in the Western Cape that can match the grandeur of Chapman's Peak Drive. It began in the mind of those who planned it as "The Hout Bay - Noordhoek Road" but that appellation just did not seem to give justice to the magnificent feat of engineering it is; so it rightly carries the name of the cliffs it skirts. Chapman's peak is named after John Chapman the first mate of an English Ship the "Consent" that found itself becalmed near Hout Bay in 1606. The Captain sent Chapman ashore to look for a safe anchorage and fresh water. The peak above the bay was given its name. This was, in fact, the first English name to be given to a geographical feature in the Cape; until then it was the Portuguese and Dutch that filled the charts with their chosen names. Sir Frederick de Waal, the first administrator of the Cape Province, ordered the construction of a road linking Cape Town and the Southern Suburbs. This roadway was very well received; fired with the enthusiasm of success he called for another road linking Hout Bay and Noordhoek. There were two possible routes under consideration, one was a road over the nek between Chapman's Peak and Noordhoek Peak while the other alternative was to pass along the cliffs beside the sea. In 1915 the cliff road seemed an impossible task. "In regard to the proposed road from Hout Bay along the coast to Noordhoek, it is found that the route via the coast unfortunately presents features of extreme difficulty, there being in one section over a mile of perpendicular cliffs to contend with. These cliffs drop from some two to three hundred feet sheer into the sea and deep water, and, from enquiries made, it would appear that no passage over this part is practicable even on foot. The construction of a road would therefore be a matter entailing enormous outlay." The project seemed too difficult and much too expensive, but de Waal would not accept the opinion of his detractors; the plans to build the road went ahead. The surveyors who explored the route over the nek reported very steep unstable slopes. In places they had to crawl on hands and knees as they worked on the hillside above Noordhoek. The ground, they predicted, would not support a road, mud slides and rock falls would be a constant hazard. The vertical cliffs on Chapman's Peak seemed a better prospect! Charl Marias was the surveyor in charge of the survey work during the construction of the road. Born in the Cape in 1862 he traveled to the Transvaal and Mozambique. In those days the Lowveld was a death trap for explorers who were not accustomed to the malarial bite of the mosquito. White men went there and died by the score. Charl Marias was on of the few to survive and expedition to find the route of the Komati-Selati railway. He was horrified by the slaughter of game in the Selati district and it was he who brought this to the attention of President Kruger; herein lay seeds of one of the greatest game reserves of the world. Despite the excitement of his surveying years, Charl Marias was most proud of the work he did on the "round the mountain road scheme". He did fall once, but as he fell towards the granite boulders below, he was saved by a protea bush that did not come out by the roots when he grabbed hold of it. The initial survey work was difficult, the engineering work was nearly impossible. It involved amazing engineering expertise and mountaineering skills. " Equipment had to be hauled up steep cliff faces by rope, men were roped to each other as they clung to the rock. Pounding surf and granite boulders waited below, for a false move. After its completion it was hailed throughout the world as a feat of great engineering skill. The project was completed at a cost of GBP 40,000. The extensive road cuttings through the cliffs of Chapman's Peak reveal a story that goes back millions of years. There is the 600 million old granite platform upon which the overlying sedimentary rocks were probably deposited about 450 million years ago. These were deposited on a vast coastal plane between a highland area in the north and the sea to the south. Rivers draining the highlands flowed southwards towards the sea that lay far beyond our current coastline. Shallow streams flowing across the coastal plane deposited sand, silt and mud at different times to create the many layers that can be seen beside the road. As the climate was warm and dry the mud would dry and crack, then the sand would fill the cracks. These sand-filled cracks, can be seen where they were exposed by the men who built the road. The coastal plane at times was inundated by sea. Marine organisms emerged and played a part in shaping the rocks on Chapman's Peak. There are burrows and traces that are thought to have been made by primitive, extinct marine crustaceans (trilobites) as they crawled across the soft wet mud in search of food and a better place to go. Just as the water and sun shaped the rocks of Chapman's Peak those many million years ago, so it is today that fire and water have changed what man has done to Chapman's Peak. The New Chapmans Peak Chapman's Peak was closed in Jan 2000 after a huge rock fell on the car of a Noordhoek resident, killing them. Their death was the last of 5 deaths since 1987 that eventually forced the Western Cape administration to close the route for major road works. (It is interesting to note that there had been 8 fatalities from motor accidents since 1994 on Ou Kaapse Weg, the alternative route to Kommetjie, Noordhoek, and Cape Point.) Extensive work at a cost of R156million has been done on the cliffs, road surface and bridges to make the road safe. Capstone 252, a specialist department of the Concor consortium, carried out the work. Capstone has since changed its name to Entabeni. Measures to contain the loose rock and soil on the mountain side include concrete cladding of the mountain side, catch nets, and a half-tunnel excavation. The catch nets are of Swiss design and constructed of intertwined steel rings with fiction grips and can hold a 10-ton rock rolling at a speed of 30m/second. The half-tunnel, or overhang, is the first in the country. It allows falling soil and rocks to overshoot the road and roll down the steep mountainside. There was a question of whether the project would be affordable. Statistics showed that by making the route a toll road the fees would pay for the road over the next 30 years, and provide for road maintenance and ongoing rehabilitation of the mountainside.
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