Hiking Beyond Cape Town opens a gateway to the myriad trails and tracks that await hikers ? young and old, novice and experienced ? beyond the confines of the city. This collection of day trips outside of Cape Town features 40 trails, fanning out from the south coast to the west and covering a range of varied hikes in between. Ranging between 2 to 7 hours, the hikes are tailored for single-day trips, although a handful will require overnighting. Each hike entry includes an accurate, up-to-date route description, a map of the trail, and directions for getting to the start. In each case, an upfront summary outlines the distance, duration, grade of difficulty, and elevation of the hike, as well as other details. Striking colour photographs and observations about the plant and animal life along the route add lively interest. A brief introduction provides expert advice on gear, planning and preparation. Sales points: Offers 40 day excursions to suit different levels of hiking fitness. Includes detailed full-colour route maps. Covers Helderberg, Overberg, Winelands, West Coast, and Groot Winterhoek wilderness area. An exciting addition to hiking books in the region.

Nina du Plessis, daughter of travel and hiking author Willie Olivier, spends most of her weekends on a trail somewhere in the mountains of the Western Cape, or further afield. She lives in Gordon's Bay with her husband, Gideon, and two children.