The India Venster Path. Table Mountain

The India Venster path on Table Mountain is a challenging but really fun route. You don’t need any experience but do need to be relatively fit and not be terrified of heights as there is a little bit of easy scrambling. I wouldn’t recommend doing it without someone who knows the trail as there are a number of paths leading off it that lead to climbing routes where you definitely do need ropes and other equipment so you don’t want to get lost.

The hike is named as it takes you along the top of the green triangle on the mountain underneath the cable car. With a bit of imagination it seems the same shape as the continent of India.

Venster is a window in Afrikaans. The window on this route is a rock that seems to balance precariously (but has been there for years) offering an amazing view along the face of the mountain.

The venster on the India Venster path

The first half of the climb is relatively straight forward. Very steep and a couple of easy places that need you to use your hands to get up. Then, having walked along the top of “India” you come to the real scrambles. The most difficult of which now has some staples to assist you.

After about 2 hours you come to a big outcrop directly under the cable car. This is a great place for photos and a break.

The outcrop under the cable car

From here you walk on Fountain ledge around the mountain above Campe Bay. Not technical at all but a couple of steep drops. Until you finally emerge at the top almost directly opposite where Platteklip Gorge reaches the top from the city side.

Contact Ridgway Ramblers to find out more about guided hikes on this exciting trail