Climbing Table Mountain is one of the most iconic things to do in Cape Town, and it was high on our list of must-dos.1 Our visit to Cape Town was punctuated by occasional drizzling rain and fog, and, because climbing the mountain is a multi-hour outdoor endeavor, we put off our climb until the forecast showed little chance of precipitation.
As it happened, that rainless day happened to be Election Day. As we have mentioned before, this April marked the twentieth anniversary of South Africa’s first free election, and we had been witnessing the lead-up to the country’s fifth national election in the post-apartheid era, which took place on May 7. Unsurprisingly, South Africans take their elections very seriously, and Election Day is a public holiday.
From the balcony of our apartment, the streets of the city center looked like a ghost town. When we asked the taxi driver we hired to take us to the base of the mountain why no one was out, he confirmed that Election Day was the cause. Marc joked that we were climbing Table Mountain on Election Day because “we can’t vote.” Our driver, not having picked up our accents and mistaken us for South Africans, was indignant on our behalf about our possible disenfranchisement until we explained that we were Americans. Then he had a good, hearty laugh. Table Mountain, which is popular with locals and tourists alike, was occupied that day almost exclusively by foreigners like us.
One of the nice aspects of Table Mountain is that it is accessible to almost everyone. Depending on your available time, energy, and general interest, you can either climb up the mountain or take the Table Mountain Cableway to the top. We planned to make use of both options: climb up, and then take the cableway down.
People of varying levels of ability climb Table Mountain, and there are correspondingly numerous options to reach the top, ranging from straightforward paths up to technical climbs. No matter which route you choose, you are reminded that climbing Table Mountain can be dangerous and is not an activity to be taken lightly. Fun fact: More people die on Table Mountain every year than on Mount Everest. Table Mountain’s coastal location belies its size, and with an elevation exceeding 1,000 meters, conditions can change quickly on the mountain, and it can become easy to get lost, especially when the top becomes covered in clouds (called a “tablecloth”).
We opted to climb Platteklip Gorge, the most direct route to the top of the mountain.
It’s an easy climb in the sense that it is non-technical (if you can climb stairs, you can climb Table Mountain via Platteklip Gorge), but it is a long, steep way to the top. It took us two hours to reach the top, including plenty of breaks to admire the scenery and/or catch our breath.
In the fifteen minutes that elapsed between leaving our apartment and arriving at the Platteklip Gorge trailhead, however, the city bowl of Cape Town had gone from clear to being largely obscured by fog. Aware of the danger the mountain posed, and mindful of the possibility that conditions could further deteriorate, we had armed ourselves with plenty of warm clothing, food, and water.
Luckily, the mountain itself remained clear throughout our hike and, as we climbed, the coastal fog began to dissipate, leaving us with an almost unobstructed view of the city below.
Once we reached the top of the Platteklip Gorge path, we continued on another trail that circled the largely flat top of Table Mountain and led to its highest point, Maclear’s Beacon. Although the hike to Maclear’s Beacon takes only an estimated 45 minutes, we extended our time on the trail by stopping for a picnic lunch that we had preassembled at the apartment and hauled up the mountain. We lingered for a while, enjoying the sweeping views over the city and surrounding coast and mountains.
Once at the top, we were glad to have the aforementioned warm clothing. Although our climb up had been hot,2 the top of the mountain was cool and breezy.
It was so breezy, in fact, that another hiker told us they would probably be closing the cableway, which can’t operate in high winds, early. On our hike from Maclear’s Beacon to the upper cableway station, the wind became stronger and stronger. It would have been concerning in some places, especially along the mountains’ sheer north side facing Cape Town, had it not been blowing us toward the mountain.
Once at the upper cableway station, we purchased our tickets for the ride down and had a look around the various viewpoints until they announced that the cableway would be closing at 4:30 p.m. rather than 6:00 p.m.
The ride in the cableway is a trip in and of itself – the car is circular and rotates 360 degrees as it travels along the cable, providing everyone with amazing views of Cape Town and the mountain.
We enjoyed everything about our day at Table Mountain, from the climb, to the walk around the top, to the cableway ride down. The view from the top alone is incredible and well worth the effort (or cost of the cableway ticket).
1 As our Durban post noted: “If you don’t go to Table Mountain, you haven’t been to Cape Town.”
2 Pro tip: Platteklip Gorge is north-facing and thus fully exposed to direct sunlight, so make sure that bring plenty of sunscreen.
Everything about that mountain climb looks awesome, but what is really awesome is the fact that the adventure pants were also able to make the hike.
They were adventure SHORTS for a while on the way up!