Easy Hike They Said . . . .

On By ScottIn Uncategorized

With some time to kill, this post consists mainly of pictures of our “lovely hike.” Table Mountain is Cape Town’s crown jewel. Many hiking paths criss-cross this spectacular mountain- each giving a different perspective on the equally fantastic views. But, if you are a mid-50s guy who is somewhat out of shape and don’t’ have five hours to spare for the “easy trail” to the top, you can simply use a meat tenderizing hammer on your testicles and then google “views from table mountain.” Whatever works for you.

The Mountain

Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain sitting on the south side of Cape Town. The flat portion is 2 miles across. The cliffs and rocks are scenic as heck from a distance. No matter where you are in Cape Town, Table Mountain looms above.

The Hike

We planned the hike for Sunday morning so we would not be alone on the trail. Locals told us it was best to be at Table Mountain during busy times due to some crime on the trails recently. All we saw were happy folks hiking a fairly easy trail along the base of the mountain. Well, that was true until we came to the fork in the road, which is where the happiest people all seemed to continue along the base of Table Mountain.

Even on the mountain base trail, we gained elevation pretty quickly.

Once on the initial path to the top of Table Mountain, there were only occasional groups near us. This next path was pretty rocky and we spent a solid 45 minutes watching our feet with every step. And then this happened at the next fork in the road.

This bit of rock is the trail that splits off from the moderate trail (as opposed to the easy path we left some time ago), running around the base and heading up the mountain. 90 % of the trail was as narrow and rocky as this. The other 10% was worse.
Scrambling over rocks and up small walls quickly became the norm. Turns out getting my fat ass up is a bit of work.
I was amazed at how rough the trail was for most of the hike up. The lack of guard rails and uneven rocks made the walk a bit dodgy by my delicate American sensibilities -but it was fun when I could breathe.
Once we got to the top -a huge feat – we realized that there was a giant valley between us and the part of Table Mountain we wanted to be on. Oh crap!!!!
We descended all the way into the valley and then back up. There are no pictures of the descent, and then climb back up as I was too busy trying to remember to breathe and keep moving. This pic is after much of the climb back up — though not all. Also not pictured are the several permanent ladders affixed to parts of the canyon wall.
Ultimately, the view at the top is amazing. The pain in my legs, feet, back, and ego made the view a bit sweeter.
And finally- my favorite part- the cable car descent. Below was an Uber waiting to take us to the only bar we found with good beer (Chimay, St. Bernardus, etc)

Back to boat stuff soon. Promise.

5 thoughts on “Easy Hike They Said . . . .”

  1. Ann T Thebaut

    Well done!!–I’m sure the beer hit the spot!–love the pic’s and the updates–what an adventure!

    Reply
  2. Francois/Jenny

    We normally use this “easy” trail to brake in newbys to the Cape in order to prepare them for the tough trials that lies ahead. Well done!! Few people achieve this.

    Reply

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