Table Mountain Plateau
The Table Mountain rises 1086 metre from the sea and is with that the further visible landmark of Cape Town. To the city of Cape Town a 500 metre steep wall forms the grand final of the table mountain. The impressive façade has been flanked with the 668 metre high Lions Head and the 1000 metre high Devils Peak. At the beginning of the steep face leads up to 1200 metre a cable railway which turns in itself. Another option to reach the top of the mountain is to use the various trails. The western flank has been formed by the steep face of the 12 Apostel which is not less imposing. Towards the south the plateau drops gradually but in the east exists a gigantic view to the False Bay, the southern districts including the Townships and the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the background.
The view from upstairs down to Cape Town is indescribably beautiful. After leaving the mountain railway it is possible to enjoy calmly the view to the city centre with the Signal Hill and the districts at the Atlantic coast. In some distance away you can see Robben Island. If you turn some metre towards the West you can see the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton. Now most of the visitors realize with what beauty the city is blessed. A lot of photos will be taken.
While the short stay, most of the holiday-makers focuse on the immediate area around the cable railway. Naturally you can visit the most important areas within one hour but it is really recommendable to have a window of time of several hours to explore this plateau. But the focus on this plateau is a shame because only some hundred metres away you can explore the rough beauty of the mountain landscape. Immediately you notice the vegetation between many boulders. The massif mainly consists of granite and slate, the upper stratum consists of sandstone. In millions of years the erosion resulted in distinctive carvings on the surface of the plateau.The surface of the plateau is now covered with more than 1400 plants which you can just find here. It´s about Fynbos the typical vegetation of Cape Town. The whole area is about 6500 hectare tall. Several trails make it possible to discover this jewel of nature for hours. In the background you can discern different reservoirs. The whole plateau is full of rocks.
Table Mountain and Lions Head
There are 3 marked trails. The so-called “Dassie Walk” leads to one of the most important viewpoints and it is with 15 minutes the shortest trail. The 30-minute “Agama Walk” makes a 360 degree view to Cape Town and the peninsula possible for visitors. The long “Klipspringer Walk” leads the hiker along the rock face until the climb along the Platteklip ravine. Naturally there are lots of more trails but these trails should be occurred only in company with a person who knows his way around.
For most of the tourists a visit in Cape Town will not be perfect without the climb onto the Table Mountain. Every tourist memorized the picture of the Table Mountain in front of a light blue sky. During the South African summer bad weather regularly tampers the tourists’ ability to climb. In the summer of South Africa are again and again weathers who don’t allow a climb. The famous south-east wind can reach wind peaks of 130 km/h. But most of the locals appreciate the wind because it drives smog and heat away from the city. Another side effect is that the streets are clean after the wind. The name of the wind is Cape Doctor. Such winds run up against the hindrance “table mountain.” The only possibility is the climb of masses of air up to the level of the plateau. Because of the low temperatures on 1000 metres it makes condensation with the known band of cloud, the “table cloth”. That can happen within a very short time. Holiday-makers who are on this mountain at this time will be asked with alarm signals to go immediately to the mountain railway. The rising winds and the low visibility in combination with existing ravines are extremely dangerous.
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The nature reserve is famous for its biodiversity due to its varied landscape, which includes sandy flats, craggy cliffs and sheer slopes.