Back from the Inca Trail

October 6, 2008 – 7:06 pm

I arrived back from Peru and Ecuador last Monday 29th September.   Still busy adjusting to being back although Cape Town being such a beautiful city one always feels  lucky to live here and be so close to Table Mountain.  Thanks to Craig who looked after Table Mountain Walks while I was away.  It turned out to be the wettest September on record which seriously curtailed business but it seems now Table Mountain is drying out although there are still waterfalls and streams in full flow making the mountain even more attractive! This time I led a group of walkers from South Africa on the Inca Trail having done it myself last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.   By all accounts everyone agreed with me and although we had quite an age range everyone completed the trail with relative ease.    The scenery, culture and of course the magnificent ruins of Macchu ...

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Walking in the rain?

August 28, 2008 – 4:16 pm

As one might expect the weather in Cape Town in winter is somewhat unpredicatable.  One can experience the best of the Cape winter - clear blue skies, windless and a temperature of 21C.  On the other hand it can be 12C, pouring with rain and gale force winds.   Obviously if the latter prevails on the day walking up Table Mountain is out of the question.  There is also somewhere in between when - if you have the right gear  - you can walk but visibility and therefore the views may be restricted. I will of course advise you whether you should or shouldn't walk but it does depend to a large extent of what clothing you have with you.   Today 28th August two Japanese visitors had to have their walk canceled due to extreme weather.  If they had had some flexibility they could have rescheduled  - yesterday was the perfect ...

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Table Mountain cablecar reopens

July 30, 2008 – 5:55 pm

Good news for many people is that the cablecar reopens on Monday 4 August.  It has been a hard slog up the mountain for some who were not prepared to have to walk.   However hopefully it was in many ways more rewarding and satisfying to have done it the hard way. This year the cableway was closed for three weeks instead of the normal two weeks and next year it will also be for the same period of time.   This is in preparation for all the visitors we are expecting for the Soccer World Cup in 2010. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company has been operating since 1929.  In all those years they have a 100% safety record.  Extensive refurbishment was undertaken in 1997 with the installation of the current revolving cablecar.  This greatly improved efficiency and lessened the queue time for those not keen to walk. Many people who walk up ...

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Check your Table Mountain guide and operator

July 15, 2008 – 6:07 pm

Unfortunately it is the case that guides who are not qualified to guide on Table Mountain are doing so.  This is obviously unfair to you as a client as you are paying for the skill and knowledge of someone who has specialised in this area.  It is also not safe as unqualified and unskilled guides will be less familiar with the routes (if they are familiar at all!) and unable to make important decisions in regard to the  weather and making judgments about your ability to tackle the various routes.  Rather choose a company that is not offering all kinds of tours and excursions and you will have a better chance of getting the appropriate person but be sure and ask if you are in any doubt. Hiking Table Mountain (as hiking does anywhere) carries a certain amount of risk - minimal though it might be - but rather put yourself ...

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Wet, Wet, Wet

July 9, 2008 – 6:48 pm

Although this time of year is the rainy season in Cape Town and the Western Cape it seems like the last eight days has broken all records.   However the plus factor is lots of water pouring off Table Mountain and some spectacular waterfalls where normally there is just a trickle. Two brave souls from Spain decided to brave the elements on 8th July and luckily the rain ceased and the mountain cleared for almost all of the walk across Table Mountain.  Starting at Cecilia Forest conditions and visibility were good and with the cableway open just after midday we decided to press on to the Front Table and hopefully see the views over the city and Table Bay.   However luck temporarily ran out at Maclear's Beacon and the heavens opened with hailstones bouncing off the rocks.  We must have covered the normal hour's walk to the cable station in less ...

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Booking a Table Mountain hike - no deposit!

June 27, 2008 – 12:01 pm

If you choose to book a hike with us either on Table Mountain or elsewhere on the Cape Peninsula we do not require that you place a deposit.  In other words you only pay after the walk has taken place.  This policy has always been in place - and it works!  We understand that sometimes through no fault of your own travel plans can change and that you might have to cancel you walk.  If this happens then all we ask is that you notify us as soon as possible so that we can open that date for other people. Obviously when it comes to hiking in the mountains, particularly Table Mountain, the weather plays a major role.  This may mean that the walk has to be canceled and then it saves us the hassle of having to refund your money - so it easier for us too! In over 11 years ...

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Flora of Table Mountain

February 10, 2008 – 5:30 pm

The flora that is found on Table Mountain is referred to as fynbos.  This word is a collective term for the vegetation that is found predominantly within the Western Cape.   It is also one of the six floral kingdoms in the world and for its size (it is the smallest) it is the most diverse. There are over 8500 different species of plant that fall within the Cape Floral  Kingdom and over 1500 of these are found on Table Mountain - that is more than is found in the British Isles!  So when hiking on Table Mountain bear in mind that the plants you are looking at are really something special. In January and February those prepared to hike up the mountain are in for a treat.  The red disas which is a type of orchid, are flowering and depending on what route you take up you will see a magnificent display ...

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Other hikes in the Table Mountain National Park

December 8, 2007 – 4:27 pm

As well as Table Mountain itself there are many other great places to hike in the Cape Peninsula.   Mentioned on the website are Silvermine Nature Reserve and the Karbonkelberg in Hout Bay.  Silvermine others a wide variety of options with great scenery and views and a fascinating landscape of rock formations and fynbos.  Walk beside the Silvermine River before heading upwards to Noordhoek peak, one of the best view points in the peninsula.  Detour on the way down to the Elephant's Eye cave and look down the the Constantia Valley.   Return to the beautiful Silvermine Reservoir for a swim before returning to the river for a shady walk back to the start point. The Karbonkelberg offers a relatively easy walk to see a shipwreck and also enjoy the incredible sight of the Atlantic coastline  all the way through to Table Bay and beyond.  Look across the whole of Table Mountain and ...

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Table Mountain hike down?

November 4, 2007 – 4:08 pm

Many people having walked up Table Mountain then opt to take the cableway down - nothing wrong with that!   However one should always be prepared to hike down as the cableway does not always operate and sometimes closes due to high winds. If you choose to hike on the Back Table of Table Mountain then obviously you are not close to the cableway and you can walk down either Nursery Ravine or Constantia Nek and then through Cecilia Forest which is an easier option.  However from the Front Table there is only one safe route down particularly in high winds and that is Platteklip Gorge. Hiking down Table Mountain is for some people more difficult than hiking up.   Different skills are required and different muscles are used.   Some people find sticks, either one or two are a great help and they certainly assist with balance and take a significant amount ...

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The Best Hike up Table Mountain

October 14, 2007 – 3:24 pm

People often wonder which route to choose to hike up Table Mountain.  Much depends on how much time you have available.  If you can set aside 5-6 hours then perhaps the most scenic and varied route is Skeleton Gorge.  This route starts from Kirstenbosch Gardens and winds its way up gradually (or fairly gradually!) through the indigenous forest, up a couple of ladders and some easy rock scrambling, to the top of the Back Table.  Here the forest thins out and you may wish to take the short detour to view Hely Hutchinson dam (one of 5 on Table Mountain) and its sandy beach.  Yes, a beach on top of a mountain! The route from the top of the gorge follows the eastern flank of the mountain.  Here the views are spectacular and there is dense and varied fynbos to admire.  Look out for  birds of prey hovering overhead and often ...

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