I have been travelling to Cape Town, in South Africa, every month of February for the past nine years, but I never had an opportunity to go on top of Table Mountain, which was voted one of the new seven wonders of nature in 2011.
Each time I flew to Cape Town, I had an opportunity to get a good aerial view of the Table Mountain, but I always wanted to go on top of this mountain, which is believed to be six times older than the Himalayas, making it one of the oldest mountains in the world.
It was misty the day I arrived in Cape Town and it continued like that for the better of the week.
At times it was very windy.
I had planned to go to Table Mountain on Friday the 7th of February and I was pleased to wake up to a sunny day and it wasn’t windy in the vicinity of the mountain.
If you are not driving or using a tour operator, you can get to the Table Mountain in a MY CITI bus from the central business district (CBD) or any part of the city that they service.
This is the cheapest option, however, the bus uses a pre-paid card system only and it will cost you R35 to get one and then load it with a minimum of R35.
So I opted for a MY CITI bus from the CBD and as I dropped off at the Lower Tafelberg bus stop, I was wondering how I was going to get to the Table Mountain cableway as you need to go uphill for five or so minutes when driving, which is quite a daunting task when walking.
I was, however, thrilled to notice that there was a free shuttle by MY CITI to and from the Mountain Cableway.
This service, I read a billboard, was sponsored by the Table Mountain Cableway and there was no need for a myconnect card.
When I got to the Mountain Cableway, I noticed that the place was so full of tourists and feared that I would spend the better part of my day just to get an opportunity to get into the cable car.
This was not the case, as you shall establish later, dear reader. Firstly, I had to join the queue to pay for my ticket, which went for R360 and this took about 10 minutes to get.
From there I joined a long winding queue for a turn to get into the cable car.
I was, however, surprised that the queue moved so fast than I had anticipated. The waiting time before I got an opportunity to get into the cable car was less than an hour. This was because there were two cable cars, each with a carrying capacity of 65 people, meaning they can transport about 800 people per hour. The cable cars are round so as to provide a 360° view and to be aerodynamic in high winds.
Similar rotating cable cars are said to be in use at Mount Titlis in Switzerland and in Palm Springs, in the U.S.
So my turn and about 60 others came just after mid-day.
We were told that the maximum speed of the cable car was 10 metres per second and the height of Table Mountain at its highest point was 1085 metresabove sea level.
However, we went up to 1067 metres above sea level.
“Ladies and gentlemen please keep your return tickets, there is a reason why we call them return tickets,” joked the cable driver as we reached the top of the mountain.
“No ticket, no return! It’s a long walk to freedom and for those folks who are afraid of heights congratulations you have made it…”
Riding the cable car, for just above two-minutes, is indeed not for the faint hearted, but a dazzling experience for those who are not afraid of the heights.
The Cape’s original Khoi inhabitants are believed to have named the mountain Huri ‡oaxa (or Hoerikwaggo) meaning “Mountain of the sea”.
Getting to the upper cable station was such a good feeling for me as this was my first time ever to reach the peak of a world famous mountain.
When you are on top you are treated to some breath-taking views that only a helicopter ride can match, albeit for much damage to your wallet.
I could be able to view Robben Island where Nelson Mandela and his sallow comrades were incarcerated for decades by the Apartheid regime.
It’s hard to see the island from the mountain top when its misty, however, as I noted earlier we were fortunate enough to have a sunny day, which allowed us to clearly see the beauty of Cape Town.
I also managed to see Clifton Beach, majestic Cape Town Stadium, The Castle, Table Bay, The National Parliament, V&A Waterfront and Sea Point.
You can buy souvenirs and dine at the top of the mountain.
There is also free WiFi access in the top station building.
The mountain is home to Rock Hyrax, also known as the Dassie, the medium-sized terrestrial mammal, which is native to Africa and the Middle East.
There are about 2,200 species of plants found and 1470 floral species on Table Mountain.
I spent close to two hours on mountain top and it was such a wonderful experience.
Descending the mountain also took just above two minutes and again the cable car rotated giving us a 360° view of Cape Town.
For those who prefer hiking than use of cable cars there are more than 350 trails that lead to the top for all types of hikers.
These range from casual strollers to the more experienced hikers.
Hiking the Table Mountain National Park is mostly free and easier trails include the Constantiaberg, the Silvermine or the Cape of Good Hope while the more difficult trails are the Platteklip Gorge, Nursery Ravine or Skeleton Gorge.
There are also free daily guided walks between 9am and 3pm from the Twelve Apostle Terrace.
There is Dassie Walk, which last for 15 minutes and this walks are said to offer spectacular views north, west and south of the mountain.
The Agama Walk, lasts for 30 minutes and it is said to be a popular route as it gives 360° views of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula.
The third one is the Klipspringer Walk and it lasts for 45 minute.
This walk is also said to offer “wonderful” views running along the plateau edge to above the Platteklip Gorge.
