Is it worth climbing up Table Mountain if it

 is a cloudy day?

You can hike every day for 5 days on Table Mountain and see something different every time.

After a stunning week in Cape Town a big cold front is approaching for the weekend with quite a bit of rain expected. Although the forecast was for rain yesterday, the morning was sunny with clear blue skies and no rain. I picked up Ellen at 1pm in blazing sunshine and we set off for a quick hike up Table Mountain. By the time we reached Tafelberg Rd a few clouds were creeping around Lions Head and Signal Hill.

The cloud bank sneaking in past Lions Head

We set off up the gorge with the usual stunning views of the city and Table Bay behind us. However before we were half way up the city disappeared into the clouds.

The city disappearing in the clouds

Continuing up the gorge in the thick cloud is quite an eerie experience. The wind started to pick up about half way up, and as the steep cliffs of the gorge began to close in we got glimpses of the sunlight at the top attempting to burn through the cloud.

Looking up Platteklip Gorge

At the top it was chilly and quite windy, but still completely dry. As we walked towards the cableway station the clouds parted giving glimpses of the back Table and 12 Apostles. Once were at the main station a little bit of patience paid off and we were rewarded by the clouds parting and showing us the entire Atlantic seaboard and Camps Bay.

However, once the clouds returned over the sea the sunlight created the most marvellous reflections giving us the best view of the day.   

The sun and clouds created a fantastic sight

We opted to walk back down Platteklip Gorge and were rewarded with beautiful views the whole way down.

Looking for rainbows on a Table

 Mountain hike

Today the South Easter howled in Cape Town. If you were in the Southern suburbs or town itself you might not have realised how strong it was. But on top of the mountain it was strong and even brought a sprinkle of rain in the mid morning.

I spent the morning hiking ip Lions Head with a family from States. We decided to go up Lions Head as the South Easter cloud on the mountain would have obscured any views. As we set off the light sprinkling of rain made its presence known, but luckily the apprarance of a rainbow over the 12 Apostels made sure no one allowed the little shower to upset us.

The rain quickly disappeared so we were able to carry on the top. 

Running through my photos I’ve found a few other occasions when I’ve been lucky enough to see a rainbow on Table Mountain. Here are a few of them:

This photo is taken from Eagles Nest. This is a small peak on the back Table.

This beautiful double rainbow is also taken from the Back Table. This time from Constantia Corner.

>

This photo was taken on the way to a hike from the Southern suburbs. Again we had a lovely hike with just a smattering of rain.

 This final photo was taken from the contour path. We were perfectly dry but could see the conditions at the cable car were not great

Walk on Table Mountain at sunrise or

 sunset

Whatever time of day you walk on Table Mountain, it will be the highlight of your trip to South Africa

It has been a week of Platteklip Gorge hikes. Yesterday I climbed the gorge twice. Once in the early morning and once in the afternoon. Both times I was able to cheat and take the cable car back down, hence my legs are still functioning today!

The first hike began at 7.45 am. Therefore we were driving along Tafelberg Rd at 7.30, just as the sun was rising over the Hottentot Holland and Stellenbosch mountains. What a beautiful sight.

At that time in the morning numerous people are out running or cycling and just enjoying the beautiful scenary on a beautiful winters morning.

The afternoon hike began at 2.45 so we were on top of the mountain by 5pm, and caught the cable car down at 5.30. The sunset over Camps Bay as seen from the cable car was terrific.

 What a perfect day for hiking on Table Mountain

Did the ash cloud effect the hiking

on Table Mountain?

Compared the iclandic ash cloud of June 2010, the effects of the ash cloud from the chilean volcano Puyehue has really been quite mild. Of course if you were stuck either trying to get in and out of New Zealand or Australia you would disagree with me. However in Cape Town we only had a very short disruption to flights in and out of the city on the 19th June. (15 days after the volacano began erupting)

Walking on Table Mountain on the 19th was no different to any other day. I searched the skys for signs of any ash, but nothing was visible to the naked (and uneducated) eye. There were some clouds around but they looked very normal to me. We did a low level walk along the contour path. Nice and relaxing. Beautiful waterfalls and rivers.

Spotting Klipspringers on a Table

Mountain hike

One of the most exciting sights on a Table Mountain hike is a Klipspringer. This beautiful little antelope was found here naturally but hunted to extinction in the 1930′s. A small group were reintroduced in 1999 and then again in 2003 and 2005.

Very shy they are a rare sight, and always a treat.

A Klipspringer on Table Mountain

I have recently seen a group in the distance inbetween Maclears Beacon and the main Table. I have also often seen their footprints on the cliff edge path here. I was surprised to see them here as it is the busiest place on the mountain. The picture above was taken in valley of the red gods. We were able to watch her quite a while as she was upwind and didn’t seem at all disturbed by our presence. Her agility on the rocks was quite incredible.

Hiking in the winter on Table

Mountain

We are lucky in Cape Town in that we really don’t get many miserable days. Throughout the winter we get many wonderful hiking days with clear horizons and perfect temperatures.

However yesterday and today are just plain wet. Table Mountain is shrouded in a thick cloud and the North Westerly wind is gale force, so whilst its fairly mild in town I would guess it is freezing on the Table Top.

The waterfalls gushing down the slopes of Table Mountain

If you are like me (and have dogs needing excercise) there are still opportunities for really enjoyable walks even in this weather! The Kirstenbosch (South Easterly) side of the mountain is out of the wind, and the trees offer a semblance of shelter of the rain. 

Obviously in this weather going to the top of the mountain would probably not be pleasant but walking along the contour path can be really beautiful. The best place to start is at Kirstenbosch Rycroft gate. (dogs can’t enter Kirstenbosch at the main gate) Follow the paths where dogs are permitted and you join the contour path where it leaves Cecelia Forest. Turn right and just follow the path. It winds along the side of the mountain passing numerous streams and small waterfalls. After really heavy rain you might have to get your feet wet at a couple of river crossings but this all adds to the fun.

Waterfalls cascade down the mountain

There are numerous paths down into Kirstenbosch from the contour path. If you have dogs with you you will have to continue as far as Newlands forest (about an hours hike) or turn around and retrace your steps.

You will be wet by the end of the hike. But with the right company a walk in the rain can still be fun.

An easy walk in the Cape Peninsula

The cement path from Muizenberg to St James is an easy and relaxing stroll along the False Bay coastline. Certainly not a walk to test your stamina or endurance this is a stroll for a lazy Sunday, or for when the weather is too bad for a hike on Table Mountain. Often when it is pouring with rain in the Southern suburbs and on the mountain the weather is a lot better further down the peninsula.

I always prefer to start this walk at Muizenberg though of course you can start at either end. Park at Muizenberg surfers corner beach and start walking along the beach there. Here you will see the brightly coloured bathing huts of the Victorian era. The beach here is usually busy as it is one of the most popular surfing beaches in the area.

The view around the coast from Muizenberg Beach

At the end of the beach go up the stone steps which lead you onto the pathway. It is well marked and leads between the railway line and the coast for around 2km to St James.

The coastal path between Muizenberg and St James

 On your left you can observe the surfers and waves, whilst on your right (on the other side of the railway line) there are numerous interesting and historic houses. For example the South African police museum and the Het Posthuis which dates back to the 1700′s and is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa.

Looking to the right and over the railway line

The walkway ends at St James and should take you less than 20 minutes one way.

Hiking on Table Mountain -

Newlands Ravine

Explore Table Mountain on a guided hike with Ridgway Ramblers

Newlands ravine is the gorge that leads from the Southern Suburbs up to the saddle that lies between Devils Peak and Table Mountain. There are other routes from the Southern suburbs but this is the only non technical hiking route that takes you onto the saddle from this side of the mountain.

 The top of the gorge is at a height of 680 metres so although steep it is a relatively short gorge. To get there you park at the Newlands Forest station and head up the road towards towards the mountain. At the T junction turn left. After 2 minutes you cross a small stream, turn right into the forest here. Follow the path up to where it joins with another forest road, Turn right and at the next junction (almost immediately) take the path that leads straight up through the forest. Continue along this path for 20 minutes and then bear left. At the next forest trail continue up the hill until reaching a path that is signed “contour path” head up here.

You reach the contour path about an hour after leaving your car. Turn right and follow the path until reaching a circular wooden picnic spot. This marks the start of the ravine.

The picnic spot marks the start of Newland Ravine

The first part of the ravine follows some rocky steps through the forest.

The first part of the ravine is shaded by the forest

After 20 minutes you leave the trees behind you and begin to zig zag up towards the saddle. The path is quite clear although in summer it can be dry and dusty. Another 20 minutes and you reach the saddle.

The top of Newlands Ravine

Once at the top you have a number of choices. You can cross the saddle and drop down onto Tafelberg Road, summit Devils Peak or follow the middle traverse path that will lead you around Devils Peak to Rhodes memorial. All are wonderful walks offering a variety of views.

Hiking in the Helderberg Nature

Reserve

The Helderberg Nature Reserve is found in Somerset West. That is about an hours drive from Cape Town. Surrounded by beautiful wine farms and with wonderful views over False Bay, The Helderberg offers some wonderful walks and hikes suitable for everyone.

Entry to the reserve costs R10 per person and R5 per vehicle. Once inside you are reminded of Kirstenbosch gardens as there are well manicured lawns, picnic areas, a tea shop and a gift shop. On a weekend there are numerous family picnics taking place whilst in the evenings there are a number of concerts on offer. Also like Kirstenbosch is the mountain in the backdrop.

Once past the picnic and parking areas, you are in the reserve itself. There are 7 main hiking trails which are well marked by different coloured feet. Most are circular and most interlink. So you don’t need to decide which path you will follow right at the beginning.

The initial part of all the trails leads you through a maze of smaller paths on the lower slopes of the mountain. After 15 minutes (if you go straight up) you come to the main gate to the reserve.

From here the views over False Bay are already terrific.

To get to the top of the mountain you follow the jeep track straight up. This is an out and back walk that should take you around 4 to 5 hours to complete. Most of the trails take a left turn here and follow a jeep track up the mountain. Depending on the time you want to spend walking you can take a right hand turn and follow a circular route back to the gate.

Hiking in the Matroosberg

The Matroosberg Nature Reserve is found 35km beyond Ceres. This is about a 3 hour drive from Cape Town. The reserve is found on Erfdeel farm and holds 1000 hectares of the most amazing mountains. The highest peak is the Matroosberg peak which reaches 2249m. However there are numerous other peaks in the region making this one of the most astounding places to hike in the Western Cape.

A view from the hiking trail in Matroosberg

The route from the farm to the Matroosberg peak is a 13km. The route is on a well worn trail and rises from a height of 1250m. So the total climb is around 1000m. There and back in one day should take you in the region of 8 to 10 hours. However as camping is permitted in the reserve it is truly wonderful to hike in and camp overnight in the reserve.

A cold summers morning in Matroosberg

At this height it can be severely cold even in the middle of summer so you do need to be prepared. Also be warned that there is a 4×4 trail leading to the peak. So I would avoid the area over public holidays as your peace could well be disturbed by spinning wheels and exhaust fumes. Don’t be dismayed though, if you can only get away over weekends it is possible to avoid the crowds by climbing one of the other peaks.

Climbers are also drawn to the mountains here