Bet you didn’t know the flat top peak aka Table Mountain in South Africa was one of the new seven wonders of nature in the world. One million global votes went into the ranking. Actually, the authoritative Travel Channel says ‘nup’, it’s not on there, but that’s just the seven wonders of the world. Different list. Confusing, yes. Table Mountains is among the top for nature, definitely. Even made it onto the World Heritage list.
It’s worth a look-in. There’s a reason why this crest of more than 1,080 metres (and growing) is on Cape Town’s flag. Former South African President Nelson Mandela called it “a gift to the Earth’”. ‘Hoerikwaggo’ is its name in the Khoisan language, meaning ‘mountain in the sea’. Often it’s topped with clouds that seem to pour off it, which the locals call ‘the tablecloth’. The mount offers magic views over Cape Town, rich biodiversity (home to 8,200 plant species many unique to South Africa) rock hopping aplenty and there’s that gorgeous cable car to whisk you back down if your knees give out. En route, check out the Table Mountain Dassie, a chubby, furry, almost likeable (hmm, may be not) ‘rock rabbit’, that’s the African elephant’s closet relative.
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Granddaddy to the Himalayas
Table Mountain has a jaw-dropping 30,000-year history of human habitation with evidence going back to the Stone Age. At 600 million years old, it’s the granddaddy compared to The Rockies (a junior 300 million years old) and whippersnapper Himalayas which notches just 47 million years. (According to news.com.au, Table Mountain claims the lives of more climbers most years than Everest). A Portuguese navigator Admiral Antonio de Saldanha was the first person to officially climb to the top of Table Mountain when he did so in 1503. Here’s an array of myths and legends about Table Mountain. This is a mountain that gets geologists’ toes curling – there’s shale, granite, sandstone as well as micaceous basal shale. The Table Mountain National Park spans 25,000 hectares and the South African National Parks (SANS) organisation is looking to expand it by another 5,000 hectares. One million people visit Table Mountain each year.
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The down sides
In for mega-adventure? This is the country for you. The official advice is to exercise a high degree of caution, according to the Smart Traveller website. That’s for the whole country, by the way, and we don’t often see that. It’s earned that mantle due to much serious crime, terrorism threats and high HIV/AIDS infection rates. Other health risks are Yellow Fever, Malaria, Cholera plus water-borne or food-borne infectious diseases. Get more detail here.
You would have heard about the severe drought and water restrictions in the Western Cape (which includes the City of Cape Town – visit this page for updates). Fifty litres is the maximum amount of water a person is allowed to use each day – for everything such as washing, drinking, whether you’re at home, work or travelling. The average US resident uses 380 litres per day, by the way. Despite this, South Africa Tourism says the country is still open for business. You do get used to the unflushed toilets in public amenities and having to use a hand sanitizer. This is one place you’ll definitely need travel insurance. Oh, and don’t get me started on the attacks on white farmers (whites make up 9% of the population) or the ball-tampering shemozzle with Aussie cricketers in March, 2018. Sheesh. This is a country where things happen in bucket loads. Forgot to mention that Africa’s most venomous snake, the cape cobra, lives on and around Table Mountain … and it can climb trees. This site has distilled 20 common sense safety rules when travelling in South Africa. Worth a glimpse.
Australian, UK, US and Canadian passport-holders won’t need a passport if visiting for up to 90 days. If you’re bringing junior along, you’ll always need to have their full birth certificate and valid travel document – their passport – wherever you travel in South Africa. Single parents travelling with their child or children have extra conditions.
Considering a Table Mountain Hiking Trip?
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Where to hike
Table Mountain offers a myriad of hiking options. As it’s a national park, you’ll need to pay the South African National Parks organisation a fee to do so. You’ll get info overload Googling hiking routes like we did before we left. Pretty soon we realised descriptions like ‘this walk starts somewhere near the cable car station’ were vague, and the same walk could be rated as easy or tough. Hmmm. Almost nudges you in the direction of tour companies.
So, let’s start with the easiest way up. Cut to the chase and take the cable car, which leaves every 10 to 15 minutes. It felt a bit weird when the cable car slowly spun 360 degrees while gliding up on this five-minute trip. It costs $AUD32 or $AUD30 return depending on whether you go in the morning or afternoon. The vistas were superb as these epic Istagram pics show. You can even do three “visitor walks” – Agama, Klipspringer for the easiest ones or take a short guided walk from the Twelve Apostles Terrace (book at the Shop at the Top or Table Mountain Café). The walks leave on the hour from 9am to 3pm and are free.
Next easiest option is to tackle one of five short walks as recommended by the Cape Town tourist office. They range from 1.5 to four hours and go up or around the mount. The one that goes around Table Mountain is Pipe Track where you still get the majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Lion’s Head. It’s 6km long and could take you one and a half to three hours. Start the walk at the first carpark on Tafelberg Road, go towards the right and climb the concrete stairs. The track starts there and takes you to the Twelve Apostles then to Corridor Ravine. Near the Twelve Apostles, there’s a “hidden secret hike”, the kid-friendly Tranquillity Cracks – secret caverns and caves inside Table Mountain National Park. Get the inside info from vlogger Adam Spires. Other easy walk options are Woodstock Caves, Skeleton Gorge that takes you into a botanic garden so be prepared to cough up for an entry fee and there’s Kasteelspoort.
But maybe you’re there to do a ‘real’ hike or two and not afraid of steps, lots of them. You’ll need to be relatively fit, but let’s back up a bit.
It’s serious walking
Sadly, some tourists have actually hiked wearing thongs and carrying no water. Lost, dehydrated or injured tourists hiking Table Mountain account for seven out of 10 calls to Wilderness Search and Rescue. In 2016, four people died at the site and 50 others were injured; on New Year’s Day 2018, two more died and a third had to be rescued. Your best bet to do the hike unscathed is to have proper clothing and footwear, a charged mobile phone with a battery backup (even though coverage can be patchy), sunscreen, high-energy snacks, drinking water, a paper map (visit a Cape Town Tourist office, download the Cape Town area map here, or for the authoritative maps, check out Slingsby Maps) plus warm gear. It’s simple – you could experience the cold, wet, hot and gale force winds all on the same day. That’s the go even for Platteklip Gorge. Perhaps hikes only, folks, just for your safety.
You don’t need a guide as this blogger writes or this YouTube vid shows. It’s not ideal for solo wolf hiking, but if that’s your style let someone on the ground know your route and time you’re expecting to return. Leave valuables like wads of cash, valuable jewellery and even your passport (if possible) at your lodgings. Forget about taking your drone as they’re forbidden anywhere on and around Table Mountain, according to South African National Parks. Yep, you’ll be in the Table Mountain National Park itself. Check out this site for a list of handy emergency numbers, too.
Routes on offer
Not put off yet? Ok, here’s our tip. Once you get a taxi or shuttle bus to the start of your trek, here’s what to do. The most direct route is the Platteklip Gorge Trail. Actually, it zig zags up a ravine to the top, so it’s not straight. Here’s a map and another one to give you an overview for the trail you could do in one or three hours, depending on your fitness. Start it from the Platteklip carpark (Tafelberg Road), not the carpark at the Cape Town cable car station (unless you want to add a couple of kilometres to your trek). Stick to the stone steps – if the path has grass growing over it, you’ve probably gone off track. However, given how popular (and dog friendly?) it is, there will others to usher you back. Once you’re near the top of Table Mountain, the route on the right will lead you to the crest. The cable car and restaurant won’t be far then.
Chances are you might like to combine a few walks, like meander up there. Start your trek at Kirstenbosch Gardens (entry fee is payable) to the end of Skeleton Gorge (up to two hours), take Smuts Track to Maclear’s Beacon (another hour, but faster if you run it) then it’s just 45 minutes to the Upper Cable Station. For the trek less travelled these days (but the oldest one), go for a four-hour return (without stops) route on the other side of Table Mountain. (Only one side looks flat). It takes in Woody Ravine (it’s on the same side as the Twelve Apostles) and Kasteelspoort (Afrikaans for ‘Castle Gate’). Take the Pipe Track, go past the Diagonal and Kasteelspoort turn off until you see an old iron sign marking the start of Woody Ravine. This is damp, jungle-like country that gets you trotting (and sometimes going on all fours, scrambling-style) through a forest of yesteryear. Once the path takes you onto the mountain plateau, turn left taking the Twelve Apostles Spine Route (they had a fire there last October), which gets you to the top of Kasteelspoort. It’s steep. After you’ve soaked in the view, look for the sign to the 1893-built cableway for more vistas. Take the track down and you’re done. If you go a little further before you descent, there’s dams to discover, the Waterworks Museum and you’ll end up at the cable car station.
However, if time’s of the essence, here’s a blog post to help you decide between doing Platteklip Gorge or Skeleton Gorge. Not sure, too, about going on a guided tour? Get the lowdown about your options from TripAdvisor. And here, someone’s even bothered to collect and display the worst reviews.
Get your timing right
Southern hemisphere means summer is December-January-February, so best to avoid that unless you’re prepared for the 30-degree-Celcius-plus heat. The Hike Addicts’ site gives lots of detail about the weather for each season to help you choose your timing. Consider getting going on your trek just after dawn to avoid the crowds, but depending on your route you could be elbowing others mornings or afternoons.
Considering a Table Mountain Hiking Trip?
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Where to stay
Travelground offers a range of stays near Table Mountain National Park. Some tours offer an overnight stay on the mount in a private tented camp, but if you go through the South African National Parks, this link will give you the small print about booking units or camping sites at Table Mountain National Park. You have to pay in full to reserve your spot. Options include a two-bedroom glamping tent for $AUD64 or a four-bedroom unit for just over $AUD100 a night and more. This is their maps’ page to help you find the accommo.
When you’ve kicked off your hiking shoes
Where to find out what else is happening in Cape Town when you’re visiting? Here’s the events calendar from the tourist office. Or if you just want to tick off your list a visit to the top attractions, here’s a site to delve into. There’s the V&A Waterfront hub, Malay culture, walks in town, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (get inside with this vid), the Company’s Garden, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Bo-Kaap, the country’s oldest wine producing estate Groot Constantia Wine Estate, Boulders Beach for the penguins and much more. For a decent feed, here’s the top 10 restaurants reviewed on TripAdvisor. Luxury outfit Cape Grace has even more offerings with a ‘curated’ app available on the App Store and Google Playstore. There’s also the South African Museum in Cape Town. We’ve got to mention, too, the fynbos vegetation which you’ll find on Table Mountain, lowland valleys as well as coastal plains. The most famous is the country’s national flower, the king protea. The World Wide Fund for nature has devoted a website page to fynbos as many species are nudging towards extinction.
At the end of your trip, you’ll continue to be drawn to the sight of the rugged mountain lording over Cape Town and know that you, too, have lorded over Table Mountain.
