Zandre one of our newer guides just completed a South Africa Rainbow Route SAa17 with Cronje and hiked up Table mountain in Cape Town at the end of the tour. He had the following to say: Table Mountain the majestic mountain that towers over the city of Cape Town, exuding a powerful but inviting presence that can be seen from up to 40km out at see. It is a flat top mountain that every once in a while has its table cloth laid meaning you can not go up..
Adventurers will feel compelled to conquer the giant by reaching its summit on foot. And so much so it is recommended to take the cable car back to the bottom if your legs are too tired to descend on foot. For adventurers interested to hike up Table Mountain instead of taking the cable car, the Platteklip Gorge route is the most direct route, although it's one of the most challenging routes and surely not for the faint hearted, so up we went.
The Platteklip Gorge hiking route starts a few meters from the main car park and bus stop. The entire route is clearly signposted.
The first section of the Table Mountain hike is a strong gradual incline and provides a great warm-up for hikers. From where it then gets interesting, a meandering route then awaits making sure to add some distance and extra challenges along the way.
It takes anything from 1 hour to 2 hours to reach the Top.
On clear days the Platteklip Gorge route presents hikers with excellent views of the Cape Town coastline, city centre and southern suburbs and if you are lucky a nice view of Robin Island as well. At the upper cable station there is a restaurant, a café and a curio shop. Tickets to use the cable car are available at the shops should your legs be too tired to make it down. A variety of lookout points provide a beautiful panorama view.
The highest point on Table Mountain (1 086m above sea level) can be reached on foot, although it is advisable to avoid this section in bad weather.
There are more plant species on Table Mountain than there are in the entire United Kingdom, and hikers are likely to encounter some critters in the form of rock hyraxes, colourful lizards and a variety of birdlife.
