History of Caving in the Western Cape
A record of exploration, discovery, and the people who mapped the mountains
The caves of the Western Cape have been explored, named, and studied by a remarkable succession of individuals and clubs over more than a century. This section brings together historical articles on the pioneers of Cape Peninsula caving, the organisations they formed, and the wider story of speleaology in the region.
Articles
The caves above Kalk Bay and Muizenberg are among the most historically significant in South Africa. This article traces their exploration from early newspaper reports and the discoveries of Johan Meyer (1924–1952) and his companions “The Moles,” through the systematic surveys of the South African Spelaeological Association, to the modern era.
The South African Spelaeological Association (SASA) was the country’s first national caving body. Founded in the 1950s, its members carried out the first systematic surveys of the Kalk Bay caves and published a bulletin that documented many of the early discoveries. This article covers the Association’s history and its contributions to Western Cape speleaology.
The Cape Peninsula Spelaeological Society (CPSS) is the active caving club for the Cape Peninsula. This article covers the Society’s founding, its exploration programme, and its role in promoting safe and responsible caving on the Cape Peninsula.
The Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn are the most celebrated cave system in South Africa. Discovered in 1780, they have attracted explorers, scientists, and tourists for over two centuries. This article traces the history of the caves from their first recorded exploration to the present day.
Key figures
Johan Meyer (c. 1854–1952) was a retired schoolteacher who moved to Kalk Bay in 1924 and spent the next 28 years systematically exploring the mountain above the town. He discovered or named the majority of the known caves, painted their names at their entrances, and kept meticulous diaries of every climb. He was, by any measure, one of South Africa’s first dedicated spelaeologists.
J.C.W. Moore was one of the first authors to document the Kalk Bay caves in print, publishing a detailed guide in the Journal of the Mountain Club of South Africa in 1944, with later articles in the SASA Bulletin.
Anthony Hitchcock, together with Peter Swart and Christopher Larkin, undertook the first systematic survey of all the Kalk Bay caves in the early 1980s. Much of that survey material forms the basis of the Darklife cave library.
Chronology
- 1780
- First recorded exploration of the Cango Caves (van Zyl / Craven).
- c. 1873
- Early graffiti recorded in Muizenberg Cave.
- 1911
- Boomslang Cave discovered (newspaper record).
- 1913
- Mountain Club of South Africa asked by Kalk Bay municipality to investigate Muizenberg Cave for tourist potential.
- 1923–1924
- Cape Argus articles describe Aladdin’s Cave (Boomslang) and early Kalk Bay cave visits.
- 1924
- Johan Meyer retires to Kalk Bay and begins systematic mountain exploration.
- 1941
- Meyer and companions discover Oread Halls.
- 1944
- J.C.W. Moore publishes his cave guide in the MCSA Journal.
- 1948
- Eric H. Little’s newspaper account of caving with Meyer appears in the Cape Argus.
- 1952
- Johan Meyer dies. End of the first era of Cape Peninsula cave exploration.
- 1957–1958
- Michael McAdam pushes through the narrows of Ronan’s Well, extending the known cave from 75 yards to 1200 feet.
- 1967–1969
- SASA members use radio beacons to locate Robin Hood’s Cavern and connect it to Ronan’s Well.
- 1983
- Peter Swart, Anthony Hitchcock and Christopher Larkin begin systematic survey of all Kalk Bay caves.