Please note that the Table Mountain cableway will be closed from the 23rd to the 28th August 2010 for routine maintenance.
You can still hike to the top of Table Mountain though. Give me a call to organise a guided hike up one of the magnificent gorges found on Table Mountain.
Kirstenbosch Gardens is ideally suited to the display of various forms of art. From the summer concerts, to art exhibitions to Greek theatre For the next 12 months the untamed exhibition is well worth a visit for the whole family. I wandered in there by accident and ended up spending a whole afternoon. The writings expecially “speak” to me. But the living wall is impressive, and the sculptures dramatic. If you have a free afternoon in Cape Town, I highly recommend a vist to the gardens in general, but make sure you take time to visit this outstanding exhibition while you are there.
Untamed, is a collaberative display including sculpture, architecture and poetry. Its aim is to “explore the lost balance between humankind and nature” The exhibition, inludes sculptures by Dylan Lewis. These explore the wild nature of within and without us. The poems and writings on display are by Ian McCallum, and explore humans unconcious connection with nature and the natural world. These writings and sculptures are housed in a temporary structure with includes a living wall, or vertical garden concept, in which indigenous plants held in recycled plastic containers are held in a steel vertical frame.
One of Ian McCallums poems on display in Kirstenbosch gardens
A sculpture on display at the untamed exhibition
What a week for Cape Town. Not only did we host a couple of world cup soccer games. We also hosted quite a bit of snow on Table Mountain!! Although not totally unheard of, it is nevertheless unusual, and a very special sight for anyone who saw it.
The snow on Table Mountain
In the early morning, there was a thin carpet over the entire main table, and even by 3pm there were large patches left. Enough to make a snow ball anyway!! For those who hiked up, apart from the beauty, there was the additional hazard of icy rocks. The top of Platteklip gorge in particular, resembled an ice rink in places.
Elsewhere in the Western Cape, a much thicker blanket of snow can be seen from Maclears Beacon. The white tipped mountains of the winelands, can clearly be seen from the top of Table Mountain.
Snow on the mountains of the Western Cape
With the world cup being based in South Africa, Cape Town has a sudden influx of visitors, many of whom may want to climb Table Mountain. As a Cape Town resident and regular walker, I definitely encourage tourists to do this. Table Mountain offers a multitude of wonderful walk and hikes, of a variety of length and difficulty.
However, although it is the middle of a large and cosmopolitan city. Table Mountain is still a mountain and needs to be respected as such. Weather conditions on the mountain can be totally different to those in the city, and can change dramatically in just a couple of minutes. It is important that anyone planning a walk sticks to a couple of basic rules.
Cape Town is a wonderful city. It must be the only city in the world with a true wilderness area, slap bang in its middle. Once on the mountain you can escape the sounds and smells of the city, see rare fynbos, take in the magnificent scenery, and altogether have the best day of your holiday. But it is important that you take into consideration, the very basic rules above, in order to ensure that your day is safe and enjoyable.
Contact: Binny: 082 522 6056 to book a guided hike on Table Mountain.We can provide wet and warm weather gear if you have not brought with you.
Table Mountain, is one of the 28 natural sites worldwide, that are competing, to be one of the final 7 to be selected as finalists, in the competition to find the natural wonders of the world. The finalists will be announced in Zurich, on the 11 November 2011. (11/11/11)
The decision will be based on the number of online votes.
Whether you are a regular walker on Table Mountain, live in Cape Town the city that is shadowed by this wonderful natural feature, or have visited us, and witnessed the natural beauty of the area. You cannot fail to appreciate why this area deserves to be a finalist.
So please log in, and place your vote.
On the 17th April 2010 nearly 100 mad runners/hikers had a race to see who could ascend Platteklip Gorge the most times in an 11 hour period (between sunrise and sunset). The entire 5.5km lap to be completed each time was up Platteklip, along the top to the cable car, down in the car (short rest), then jog along the road to start going up the gorge again. In distance, it may not seem too bad, but if you think about the 800 steps that go into making the 760m climb up Platteklip gorge, a rather different story is told.
Whilst most entrants managed an astonishing 5 laps, a few intrepid runners completed 7. Tatum Prins (now “Mrs Mark Loftus” – see pic of poor hubby trying to catch her below) completed 9 laps. The main aim of the event was to raise money for an orphanage and was a huge success.
Still able to smile on the first lap!
Early March of this year (2010) has been marked by soaring temperatures in the Western Cape. Most days in the first week of the month, have had temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, and in many cases exceeding 35 degrees. For Cape Town, this is pretty hot weather.
In these kinds of temperatures, anyone planning to take excercise needs to plan ahead. No need to avoid excercise, but be prepared, and listen to your body!! This weekend, 2 people had to be airlifted from Table Mountain after collapsing from heatstroke, whilst the Cape Argus, Pick and Pay mountain bike ride was shortened to ensure the riders safety.
Some basic safety rules are:
Keeping all these rules in mind. A walk on Table Mountain in a heatwave, can be a wonderful experience. Why not see the sunrise from up there?
During the Summer months of November to February, the last cable car down from the mountain is at 8pm. This allows the opprotunity to see the sunset from the mountain top. After 6pm, the tickets are half prace. Making this a well worth while trip.
Can you imagine a more perfect way to spend the evening. Either walk up, or get the cable car. Meet some friends up there, and have a glass of wine, or a full blown picnic, whilst the sun sinks below the horizon over Camps Bay.
The 3rd and 4th October are the weekend of the 75km, non stop hike in aid of the SPCA.
There are 12 walkers, completing the entire distance.
We will begin at Cape Point at 9am on the Saturday morning. The first 14 km will be straight through Cape Point, to the entrance gate. The next 20km, we will follow the main road, through Simons Town, and Fish Hoek to Kalk Bay. Although all along the road, this is a beautiful walk, alongside the coast all the way.
From here into the mountain. From Kalk Bay, we go up the Oukraal Path, and over into Silvermine. Accross Ou Kaapse Weg, and into Silvermine North. Around the side of Constantiaberg, over Vlakkenberg and onto Constantia Nek. (we think we should be here about 4am)
The final 16km, will take us from Constantia Nek, up the mountain, past the dams along Smuts Track to Maclears Beacon. (the highest point on Table Mountain) The last section is the toughest. Down Platteklip gorge. For those familiar with this route, you will know we are going to suffer getting our tired legs down that “unrelenting staircase”
We will be joined at various points along the way, by a variety of dogs and wellwishers. All support is very welcome.
We finish at the bottom of Platteklip.
During the late winter and spring, whale spotting in the waters around Cape Town becomes a large tourist attraction. It is during these months, (June to November) that the Southern Right whales, return from Antartica, to the South African waters in order to breed.
The scenic drive from Cape Town through Gordons Bay to Hermanus along the coastal road, is famous for having some of the best land based whale watching in the world.
The Southern Right whale, is so named because it is found in the Southern hemisphere, and in the past was the “right” whale to hunt. This was because it was a slow swimmer, and due to the large amounts of blubber, seldom sunk once killed. Due to this extensive hunting, by the early 20th century, the species was almost driven to extinction.
Luckily, common sense prevailed, and in 1937, a complete ban on right whale hunting was agreed.
Hermanus from the tidal pool
The coastal Town of Hermanus, celebrates the arrival of the whales each year with the “whale festival”