Travel

We're off to Cape Town at the beggining of March and looking to spend a day hiking up Table Mountain so looking for opions and info on any of the main routes that folks have done.

Don't underestimate it - if you take tracks away from the main tourist summit it can be a long, dry and very hot day.

You can plan a great route that takes in all the Seven Apostles behind the main summit, but you need to think about a path off at the end that might coincide with transport. I found that a way off isn't as simple as it seemed, and completely parched and not too sure where I was heading, I found myself clambering down a very steep gully only to end up at someone's high security fence - and the dogs sounded particularly nasty! I was so knackered I risked life and limb and clambered under the fence and ran for the road! Then phoned a friend! And had cramp all night long! There are plenty of paths on top, but didn't see many people. Moral - take a decent map and plenty of water.

A good way up to the top away from the cable car is to ascend a reasonably popular path rising from near or in (can't remember which) the famous Kirstenbosch botanic gardens.

Thanks for the advice TT, unfortunately didn't get to see it in time!

Friends I was travelling with bottled it at the last minute so I ended up hiring a guide and we went up Skeleton Gorge (via Kirstenbosch), fantastic fun, first hour or so was fairly steep with a few minor scrambles before culminating in a couple of ladders all through the forest as the sun was coming up!

We then continued to have the mountain to ourselves for the next couple hours as we made our way up to and across the table top enjoying just enough cloud inversion to allow a view of Cape Town beneath as the temperatures soared to high 30's!

After making our way through the tourist hoardes at the cable car station (looking appropriately rugged in comparison) to reload the water bottles we started our descent via Pletterclip Gorge.  As soon as we entered I knew this was going to be a challange as the heat beared down in the still air and the entire path down consisted of big stone blocks forming a staircase that rarely offered the secure footing it appeared to promise!

A popular route with the locals it was amazing how many we saw making their way up in the heat of the day, without water and in one case wearing a solitary flip flop (better than none my guide offered)!

Finally with my legs shaking and the promise of just 15 more minutes the road below came into view and I could  just about make out our hire car along with the missus (and skivving friends) waiting for us, summoning my reserves I did my best to bound of the mountain to sweep her up into my arms (I think it came of as more of a stagger and collapse into but I've yet to see the video) before heading off for a well earned coke!

As we returned the guide to her car she asked if, knowing then what I knew now would I have opted for the cable car down? 

"Probably" was my honest reply,

"but I'm bloody glad I didn't!".