Page 26 - KBHA BULLETIN 3

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Johan Meyer

The person who without doubt has had the most influence on the caves, and on the mountain,

must be Johan Meyer (Fig. 3.2.) Meyer was a schoolteacher who retired to Kalk Bay in 1924.

He had spent a number of holidays at Kalk Bay, and had walked on the mountains during
these visits. When he moved to Kalk Bay, the mountains and the caves became his passion.

Between 1924 and 1950, he walked on the mountains 1433 times (Meyer, unpublished

diaries), and recorded each walk in his mountain diary. During these walks he systematically
explored the area and found many caves. (Figs. 3.3 – 3.5.) Although some of the caves were

already well-known by the time that Meyer found them, he took it upon himself to give them

all names that he thought were appropriate.

One of the most interesting discoveries that Meyer made was Oread Halls. Meyer found a

small hole in the ground and he, Phil Hitchcock, and Basil Harris rigged the entrance with a
rope ladder, and descended 10 m. into a large chamber. Three passages led off from the

chamber. One ended in a very narrow passage, the second ended in a low, sandy-floored

chamber that became known as Annie’s Hall, and the third led to a boulder-strewn chamber
that became known as the Grand Hall. On a subsequent visit, Phil Hitchcock and Basil Harris

opened a narrow crack in Annie’s Hall, and gave the cave a second entrance. Meyer passed

away in 1952 and with his passing ended the first era of serious spelaeological research on the
Cape Peninsula. No one before him had so actively searched for caves, documented their

findings, and promoted caves and caving. Meyer must qualify as one of South Africa’s

earliest spelaeologists.

The Moles

Meyer did not keep his knowledge of the mountain or of the caves to himself, but loved to

share his caves with anyone who would accompany him. Meyer eventually drew up a list of
all of the caves he knew, and chose twelve caves as being the most important. When one of

his regular climbing companions had visited all of the important caves they were awarded a

certificate, signed by Meyer, that accorded them the status of Mole, First Class. Over the
years the number of important caves grew from 12 to 16, and the number of people who

visited them grew as well. Thus ‘The Moles’ were not an organized club, but a group of