The most extreme hike up Table Mountain, must be kloof corner ridge. This route is commonly followed by many, without ropes or any other climbing gear. But we warned. This is no easy route. It has some severe exposure and long chains.

Initially you follow the path either behind the  lower cable station and turn right when you reach the contour path, or follow the path signposted Kloof corner, at the last switchback before the cable station off Tafelberg Rd. Once on the contour path you need to look for the first chain leading off the path. This is a relatively short chain, which marks the start of the route. From here you follow a number of cairns and short scrambles before arriving at the “meat” of the climb. A 6 metre chain, followed by the 11 inch crack!!.

The chain is a long one, requiring some upper body strength, and something of a head for heights. If you freeze half way up, its a long way to fall!!

Scrambling up the chains

 A short time after this climb, you come to a sheer wall. Where to now? The answer is the 11 inch crack. Squeezing behind a large boulder, another chain is found to haul you up on top of the boulder. The easiest way to achieve this is to move to the far side of the rock, however here a sheer drop of several 100 feet can be nerve wracking.

Squeezing into the 11inch crack

Some more scrambling and you eventually arrive directly below the cablecar, where the India Venster route joins Fountain ledge. If you want to go to the top of the mountain, you can follow the ledge, or take the India Venster route down.