9:00 AM_Departure from Radisson Blu Hotel

• Briefing: Introduction to the day’s goals and an overview of the Cape Peninsula’s geological features, with a special focus on the anatomy of Table Mountain

• On the bus: Explanation of topography and geology en route

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10:00 AM_Stop 1: Hout Bay Beach ~30 km southwest of the V&A Waterfront

Duration: 2 hours (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Activities:

1. Start with the basement 10:10 AM - 10:40 AM:

• Walk to the eastern end of the beach and observe the outcrops of the Cape Granite Suite.

• Task: Describe granite outcrops (e.g., shape, fractures) using a mineral description table with observations on mineral colour, grain size, and texture.

2. Observation of modern fluvial and costal processes and products 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

• Examine the Disa River estuary and its channel planform.

• Identify two modern sedimentary features on the beach, such as ripples or sand dunes, and.

• Task: Sketch the estuary, noting channel planform, floodplain, beach, and Atlantic shoreline; Use sedimentary features to infer the dominant wind direction in Hout Bay. Sketch one sedimentary feature in cross-section

3. Sediment sample collection and analysis 11:40 AM - 12:20 PM

• Take samples of Disa River sediment and beach sediment.

• Task: Use tables to analyze sediment grain size, composition, sorting, and angularity, comparing river and beach sediment characteristics.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM – Lunch Break

• Lunch on the beach (Lunch packs will be provided) 

2:00 PM_Stop 2: Chapman’s Peak Lookout Point

Duration: 2 hours (2:00 PM - 4:00 PM)

Activities:

1. Examination of Cape Granite Suite

• Observe and describe granite exposed along the road cut, noting differences from Hout Bay beach granite.

• Task: Discuss one consequence of the observed differences in granite texture and composition.

2. Longshore drift and wave direction

• Note and interpret wave approach direction and estimate the direction of longshore drift along Hout Bay beach.

• Task: Record findings and discuss implications for sediment transport along the coast.

3. Analysis of dune system and human impact

• View the Hout Bay aeolian dune system from the lookout point and discuss human interventions, including dune stabilization and its effects on nearby beaches (e.g., sand supply to Sandy Bay and Clifton Beach).

• Task: Evaluate the advisability of building on floodplains and beaches and explain how these decisions impact natural sand movement.

4. Study of Graafwater Formation sedimentary structures

• Examine rock types, sedimentary structures in the Graafwater Formation (e.g., bedding, cross-bedding, mud cracks, ripple marks).

Participate in a guided discussion on the likely depositional environment of the Graafwater Formation and geological history of the area.

4:00 PM_From Chapman’s Peak via M64, M3 (~ 40 km)

On the bus: Explanation of topography and geology on this world-class panoramic drive along a stratigraphic gap of ~60 million years, a thrilling feature of the Cape Peninsula, along with the geoengineering feats that maintain the road infrastructure along this rugged coastline

5:30 PM_Expected Arrival at Radisson Blu Hotel