Hiking in Cape Town is a truly rewarding experience with numerous marked paths, all providing splendid views of the surrounds. Table Mountain provides plentiful opportunities for some great hikes within a stones throw of your door step. From easy strolls to challenging climbs, it has it all.
A few things to remember when hiking:
1. Never climb alone. Safety is a concern on the mountain and a group is a much less likely target for attacks than a single female. Added to this, should any member of the party have an accident it is vital that there are others around to help.
2. Go with someone who knows the route well, or use a map or guidebook with detailed descriptions. Not all the routes and paths are well marked and it is easy to get lost.
3. Take plenty of water. Many of the routes are quite exposed and during the summer months it can get extremely hot. There is not always water available along the way.
4. Take warm clothes with you. It can often be chilly on the mountain top and the weather can change abruptly from a nice hot day to cold, windy misty condition. If you see the weather changing head down immediately.
5. Tell some-one where you are going and stick to this plan. If you get into trouble stay put.
6. If you have a cell phone, take it with you. Should you have an accident or get lost you can call mountain rescue who will assist you. Their numbers are (021) 94809900 or 10177.
7. For those worried about snakes, there are only five species that you need to be concerned about: the Puff Adder, Berg Adder, Cape Cobra, Rinkhals and Boomslang. Having said that, the chances of encountering a snake while hiking is slim and most will flee rather than attacking you. If some-one is bitten, apply a firm pressure bandage over the bite and seek medical assistance immediately.
Keeping the above points in mind will make any walk or hike around or up the mountain a truly unforgettable experience.
We are recommending the following Hike Trails:
From Camps Bay side:
Pipetrack
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 3 hours return for the total length of the track
Views: Camps Bay and Atlantic Ocean
Kasteelspoort
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2 hours from car park to top of mountain
Views: Camps Bay and Atlantic Ocean
From Tafelberg Road:
Platteklip Gorge
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2½ hours from Tafelberg Road (one way)
Views: City Bowl, Table Bay
Lower to Upper cable car stations
Difficulty: Fairly difficult
Time: 3½ hours from lower to upper cable car station
Views: City Bowl, Table Bay, Mountain face close up, Camps Bay, Lions Head
From Southern Suburbs:
Contour Path (Rhodes memorial to Kirstenbosch)
Difficulty: Fairly easy
Time: 3 hrs one way from Kirstenbosch to Rhodes Memorial (one way)
Views: Southern Suburbs, Cape Flats and Stellenbosch mountains
Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2 hrs (up)
Views: Shaded in sections, otherwise City Southern Suburbs, Cape Flats and Stellenbosch Mountains
From Upper Cable Way Station:
Lions Head
Difficulty: Fairly easy/moderate
Time: 2½ hrs (up and down)
Views: City Bowl, Camps Bay, Sea Point, Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain
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