Table Mountain is an absolute MUST when visiting Cape Town. It is the city’s most beautiful natural asset and you get amazing panoramic views over the Atlantic coastline of South Africa. These are my top tips for making this climb:
For those that are pressed for time you can take the cable car both ways, but you would miss out on part of the experience. We chose to hike up and catch the cable car down to get the best of both worlds, and also save a bit of time.
There are several routes you can take from a few hours to a few days. The quickest and most straightforward route to the top is the Platteklip Gorge route. Even though most people estimate it to take around 2 hours, don’t be fooled. It is strenuous, even for relatively active people. We were both relatively fit girls in our 20s and we took a few breaks to stop and catch our breath along the way…well that and take lots of photos. I specifically chose this route, not because it is the most scenic (there are other tracks that are more visually appealing) but because it is signposted and easy to navigate (which is great considering it is such a large mountain and we were doing it self guided without a map). It is also quite straightforward and I knew we would have a limited amount of time hiking in the afternoon; and I certainly did not want to miss the last cable car and be stuck climbing back down on rocks in the dark.
Getting there and back
To access the walking tracks you need to get yourself to the base point on Tafelberg Road. We caught the hop-on-hop-off bus here from the centre of the city and it takes around 30min (leaving from Long Street in the CBD). You could also drive here if you have a rental car or scooter. There are also public buses that run from the Civic Centre. You would catch either route 106 or 107 and get off at stop ‘Kloof Nek 11’. Here you switch to the 110 that takes you directly down the side road that gets you to the lower cable car station. I never caught a public bus during my stay but I have heard on many expat sites that they are usually quite safe and efficient. However, I will always be a huge fan of the hop on/off buses as they are regular, provide you with a basic map of the city and give you a commentary along the way (in several different languages).
From the bus drop off point we simply continued walking down the road for roughly a kilometre until we came to the start of the Platteklip Gorge track. This was clearly signposted on our right hand side…you can’t miss it!
The start of the trail
Important things to remember…
Monitor the weather
Table Mountain does get a lot of cloud cover and this can affect visibility at the summit. Aim to do the climb early in your trip, in case you need to push it back a few days. One thing to note is that the cloud can actually give a surreal experience and picturesque views that can make for some great photos.
Speaking of weather, the cable car does not operate in wind. If it is rather windy then you will need to allow extra time to do the walk both ways.
Be wary of Cable Car times
Allow plenty of time to get up and down. Don’t want to get stuck in adverse conditions or come back in the dark.
Take plenty of water!!
You will definitely work up a sweat.
Take a few snacks just in case
Things like nuts, muesli bars and jelly beans would be good options. It is always good to be on the safe side and make sure you have enough energy. This is especially important if you are hiking in the middle of the day or the afternoon.
Wear sturdy and appropriate footwear
I am so glad both of us opted to wear our hiking boots instead of trainers as the extra comfort, support and grip was definitely a blessing. You could manage it in trainers but I would definitely recommend a quality pair of boots.
Have fun and SMILE!! It is such a great experience with beautiful rock formations and diverse vegetation.
What are you favourite cities to hike in? Let me know in the comments below!
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