Two young hikers were rescued from cliff ledges on Devil’s Peak after a planned hike turned into a dangerous night-time operation in cold and wet weather.

Wilderness Search and Rescue teams were called out on Friday night after the pair became stranded above the contour path near First Waterfall Ravine, one of the more demanding routes on the Table Mountain range.

Devil’s Peak hikers rescued after route decision goes wrong

The Devil’s Peak hikers rescued on Friday had started from Rhodes Memorial at about 1pm, according to WSAR spokesperson David Nel. The pair, aged 22 and 20, planned to climb First Waterfall Ravine, a steep route on the mountain’s eastern slopes.

However, they abandoned the climb during the ascent. Instead of returning the way they had come, they tried to traverse out of the ravine and then down-climb a cliff face.

Nel said that decision placed them in “extreme danger”. One hiker stopped on a ledge about one metre wide, while the other slipped and ended up on a ledge estimated to be only 10cm wide.

With no safe route up or down, they called the WSAR emergency number. Rescue teams, including Metro EMS, High Angle Rescue, Delta SAR, TrailSAR and Mountain Club of South Africa rescue volunteers, were mobilised.

Technical rescue teams battled brittle rock and bad weather

Technical rescuer Brent Russell, from the Mountain Club of South Africa Search and Rescue, said the male hiker appeared to be minutes from falling when teams arrived. He said the mud shale rock face was soft and brittle, making anchor placement and climbing difficult.

Rescuers made several attempts to reach the hikers from above and below as conditions deteriorated. Eventually, a rescue climber moved above the stranded male hiker, abseiled down, secured him in a harness and helped him down the cliff.

The rescuer then returned up the rope and repeated the operation for the second hiker. The rescue ended at 10:37pm, with both hikers safely off the mountain and no injuries reported.

WSAR urges hikers to call early in emergencies

WSAR says rescue services in South Africa are free and urges people in difficulty not to delay calling for help. Its emergency guidance lists 021 937 0300 as the key wilderness emergency number for the Western Cape.

The organisation also describes itself as a partnership between government agencies, including Western Cape EMS, and volunteer rescue organisations. It says rising numbers of people in Western Cape wilderness areas have led to more emergency callouts.

Nel warned that First Waterfall Ravine is not a casual hiking route. It includes waterfalls, narrow ledges, dangerous drops and steep scrambles near the 700-metre traverse close to Minor Peak.

Responses and reactions

WSAR said the incident showed the danger of shortcuts, poor route-finding and attempts to descend unfamiliar exposed terrain. The organisation urged hikers to plan carefully, turn back early when conditions worsen and call for help before a situation becomes critical.