Table Mountain - Capetown South Africa
Posted by: 
Windsocker
S 33° 56.839 E 018° 24.136
34H E 259925 N 6240644
The Pride of Cape Town Table Mountain.
The mountain that follows you everywhere and anywhere you are while visiting Cape Town.To go on Cableway is an absolute must,for the more energetic you can follow the trail at the listed coords to the mountain.
Waymark Code: WM38MG
Location: Western Cape, South Africa
Date Posted: 02/26/2008
Views: 62
When you reach the summit it is what I call the ultimate view of Cape Town, the view is absolutely breathtaking! On reaching the beginning of the road which leads up to the mountain please do not forget to visit the information centre and gather the weather information when you do intend to do some mountain climbing. This is very important as it can change quite quickly; at the bottom end of the mountain the view is also quite spectacular.
Platteklip Gorge to the Upper Cable Station is the recommended hiking route to get to the top of the mountain
The Cableway may close at any time due to strong winds. Do not rely on the Cableway being open when you get to the top. Always leave enough time and light to walk down again.
Taken from Table Mountain hiking site:
About the path
This path is well constructed with stone steps and anti-erosion gabions (wire baskets filled with rocks), and is not difficult to negotiate at any point. But it is steep and the best way to tackle Platteklip is slowly - don't try to rush it and frequent stops will also give you the chance to look back at the great view of Cape Town and Table Bay below.
To get to the start, leave your car at the parking area 1.5km past the Lower Cableway Station, opposite a huge retaining wall of gabions. The path starts on a modest incline with a series of big stone steps through a shaded area of Rooiels and other indigenous trees, alongside the stream that becomes a torrent after heavy rain. After 10 to 20 minutes, you will reach Breakfast Rock at the junction with the Contour Path, marked by a signpost - in summer this is your last chance for any decent shade until you get close to the top,so make the most of this opportunity.
Turn left here, follow the Contour Path for about 100 metres along a very stony section, and then turn right at the next intersection also clearly marked. From here on it's a steady climb. The path is built in a series of zig-zags to make the climb easier, although there are a few steeper sections. Please don't take any of the short-cuts, however tempting they may look - they cause serious erosion.
Eventually the gorge starts narrowing and you get the first welcome confirmation that the end is in sight. Finally, you reach the massive boulders that mark the top, with only a short set of stone steps left to negotiate. This last section of the gorge is dramatic, confirming Peter Mundy's 1634 description: "wonderous steep, the rocks on each side like monstrous walls."
At the top of the gorge, turn right for the Upper Cableway Station: the path here is unmistakable, with a series of poles and chains to help the easy ascent up the small rock face at the edge of the Western Table. The path leads directly towards the Cableway station. This part of the walk will take about 15 minutes, although its worth spending longer exploring the 21 excellent interpretive plaques on the network of paths around the cableway station.
Altitude in Feet: 3566
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