Introduction

Table Mountain is Cape Town’s, perhaps even South Africa’s (the world’s..?), most famous natural attraction. If you are in Cape Town for a day or a year, a visit up Table Mountain should be on your itinerary, and is well worth the money to get the best view in South Africa.

Luckily there are many ways to get up and down Table Mountain, including the Cable Car, Hiking, Walking and Climbing. The weather needs to be good, so keep an eye out and watch the weather so you can make a break when it’s clear up top. Luckily Cape Town is blessed with 300 sunny days a year so we hear

Useful Tip: If you are planning to take the Cable Car up or down, make sure to check if the Cable Car is running on their website or by calling the contact number. The cable car can be closed due to high winds (the Cape Doctor), heavy rain, or maintenance which is usually scheduled in August.

Useful Tip 2: Take a jumper, even on the warmest day! The very top of table mountain is 1,086 M (3,563 FT) above sea level, and the air can be quite chilly and the wind can sometimes be a lot stronger up top.

Table Mountain

Getting Up – The Cable Car

The easiest and quickest way to get up and down Table Mountain is with the Cable Car. Cable cars commute every 10-15 minutes, and while one is on the way up, another is on the way down. Once in the cable car, the floor rotates, giving everyone a fair share of the view on your 10 minute trip up or down.

Getting Up – Walking or Hiking

Walking up Table Mountain is a a brilliant day out. It’s about 1 hour to about 3 hours each way, but if you are of average fitness and want to stop to enjoy the sights every 5 minutes, budget about 2:30hrs. You won’t feel bad if you take a little bit longer, you get a real sense of accomplishment when you reach the top!

The easiest, safest and busiest route is through Plateklipp Gorge, and is the only one recommended by the Table Mountain company. If you are planning a walk up, you drive to the lower cable car station, then keep going for a few minutes (1.5km). There is a sign post and a small car park, which denotes the start of the trail. Keep these things in mind if you plan on hiking up:

• Always take plenty of  water, especially if the weather is hot
• The path is made up of well constructed with stone steps, with very few big steps where using your hands is necessary
• The walk is steep and the best way to tackle Platteklip Gorge is slowly. You’ll want to enjoy the view anyway
• There is not much shade until you reach the top of the gorge, where you enter the belly of Table Mountain
• Stick to the path, as venturing out of the demarcated areas will increase erosion
• The walk down twice as tough as the walk up (and harsh on the thighs and knees)
• Unless you are planning to walk down again remember to take money for the cableway.
• If you plan on taking the cable car down check that they are operating the cableway
• The temperature at the top can be much lower than on the road where you started. You will get very hot, and dragging extra clothes is not fun, but at the top there can be an icy wind blowing, even in January and February.
• Always take enough water, a hat, sunblock and warm, windproof clothing with you – even on hot summer days!
• Safety: Go in a group, 4 is a good size and take a cell phone

The View Up Plateklipp Gorge on Table Mountain

The Top Of Table Mountain

There are few words that can describe how magnificent the views are from the top of table mountain, so you’ll have to take a look yourself. Apart from the view you can take a look at all the wonderful wildlife – apparently there are more plant species on Table Mountain than in the whole of England.

Don't be fooled, these critters (Dassies) are cute, but all they want are your snacks!

There are over 2km of pathways leading you to views over Cape Town, Table Bay, Robben Island the Cape Flats and the Cape Peninsula. There are also short walks available or you can join one of free guided tours daily at 10h00 and 12h00. The short walks on top include

• Dassie Walk: Offers you spectacular views north, west and south.
• Agama Walk: This popular route has been specially chosen to give you spectacular 360 degree views of Cape Town and Cape Peninsula.
• Klipspringer Walk: This walk offers wonderful views, along the plateau edge to above Platteklip Gorge. In summer you can see the sunshine conebush in full flower

Drinks anyone?

One of the best things you do atop Table Mountain is simply buy a drink, find somewhere to sit and simply soak it all up. While you are having your drink, why not look down, and think about which lovely restaurant in Cape Town you might visit for supper!

About The Author

Nicko

Nicko Soper (21 Posts So Far )

Born in England, Nick has been living in Cape Town on and off for quite a while and even spent a year here and there at a few local schools. While doing his degree, at the University of Plymouth in England, he decided that a good lifestyle was more important than a stable job.

Having spent some childhood years in Cape Town, there wasn’t much of a descision to be made and when he had the opportunity to work in Cape Town for a year, he jumped at the chance. One of Nick’s early ambitions was to learn more about the heart of Cape Town, the streets, the places and get a job! Another of Nick’s passions is surfing, which is probably the real reason he came to Cape Town, so if there are any articles on beaches and the word surf pops up a lot, you will know why! Always looking for new things to do, new people, new restaurants and places to go, we hope Nick will keep the website fresh and fun.

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