The Sentinel or Hangberg is a peak marking the western end of the mouth of

Hout Bay Hout Bay (, meaning "Wood Bay") is a seaside suburb of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of the Central business district of ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. It has a sheer cliff dropping towards the sea, and a coastal hiking path is accessible at low tide. It is adjacent to Hout Bay Harbour and the

Hangberg Hangberg is a neighbourhood of Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated on the mountain slopes between Hout Bay Harbour and The Sentinel peak, and many of the residents are employed in fishing and other industries related to the harbo ...

settlement, and to the higher

Karbonkelberg Karbonkelberg is a small peak forming part of the Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa. Geography It forms a prominent landmark overlooking the harbour at Hout Bay. An unusual feature is that sand has been blown up it by the ...

peak. Just offshore to the south is a colony of

Cape fur seals The brown fur seal (''Arctocephalus pusillus''), also known as the Cape fur seal, and Afro-Australian fur seal, is a species of fur seal. Description The brown fur seal is the largest and most robust member of the fur seals. It has a large an ...

known as Seal Island, and a

big wave Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves that are at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. The size of the board needed to successfully surf these w ...

surf spot known as "Dungeons", which has hosted the

Red Bull Big Wave Africa The Red Bull Big Wave Africa is a surfing competition held annually in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The event is held at "Dungeons", just east of The Sentinel, a peak in Hout Bay, Cape Town. The reef has been known since the 80's as a ...

competition.

Possible sale

The mountain has been privately owned since 1901. In 2008, the mountain was advertised for sale by G&R Marine Services CC, who purchased it in 2003. The potential sale led to protests by the local Hangberg community. The land is zoned rural, which in theory would allow a single dwelling to be built, but it is surrounded by national park land, and

SANParks South African National Parks (SANParks) is the body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks. SANParks was formed in 1926, and currently manages 19 parks consisting of , over 3% of the total area of South Africa. Many parks offer ...

, which wishes to see the peak incorporated into the

Table Mountain National Park Table Mountain National Park, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park, is a national park in Cape Town, South Africa, proclaimed on 29 May 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain chain, and ...

, indicated that it would not allow an access road under any circumstances.

References

Mountains of the Western Cape {{SouthAfrica-geo-stub