Cape Town gets most of its rain in winter (June to August). Table Mountain’s summit records about 4 times more rain than the city, so you’re quite likely to experience rain when hiking Table Mountain over this period. Not that you’re guaranteed to get dry conditions during the other months, but it’s more likely. While it’s possible to hike Table Mountain in the rain, it’s not as pleasant
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Posts by Riaan
Hiking Table Mountain in less-than-ideal conditions – 7 July 2016
As with all mountains, Table Mountain attracts lots of cloud and rain. It’s called orographic weather – micro-climates generated by topography – and it’s usually bad. Proximity to an ocean doesn’t help. Weather very much dictates the experience gained from hiking Table Mountain: hiking in the cloud as opposed to the clear is very different. Add wind and rain, both common occurrences on the mountain,
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Table Mountain hiking in winter – 30 June 2016
About 70% of Cape Town’s annual rainfall occurs June to August. Cold fronts lash the Cape over this period, bringing cold and stormy weather that lasts anything form 2 to 5 days. Table Mountain catches a lot of cloud and precipitation is higher than the surrounding area. Driving rain drenches the mountain, ravines gush with torrents of rainwater and waterfalls can be seen cascading down
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Hiking Table Mountain: how fit must you be – 16 June 2016
The short answer: you need to be in reasonable shape to enjoy hiking Table Mountain up one of the more scenic routes. The key words: enjoy and scenic routes. There are many Table Mountain hikes. Routes lead up all sides of the mountain, offering different views, topography, vegetation, technicality and adventure levels. Platteklip Gorge is the quickest and easiest route to the summit, but also
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Hiking Table Mountain up the Twelve Apostles – 8 June 2016
The Twelve Apostles is a chain of peaks extending behind the famous tabletop summit of Table Mountain. It’s considered part of Table Mountain despite being separated by a deep ravine. Each of the peaks represents an Apostle, though there are anything from 15 to 19 peaks, depending on what you count as a peak; most people agree on 17 peaks. Many Table Mountain hikes lead
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Table Mountain hiking: what is scrambling – 29 May 2016
Table Mountain rises sheer above Cape Town’s city center. Lined with cliffs, it seems impregnable to the hiker, scalable only to climbers. But hiking routes exist, threading through the cliffs and around overhangs, ingeniously outflanking impassable terrain. It should come then as no surprise that most Table Mountain hiking routes involve elementary climbing, commonly referred to as scrambling, at some points along the way. When it comes to Table
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Table Mountain hikes: what views do you want? – 20 May 2016
Different Table Mountain hikes offer different views. There are basically three views, on the ascent, and with hundreds of variations on these: sea views, city views and inland views / jungle setting. Let’s briefly look at each. Routes leading up the 12 Apostles (a chain of peals extending behind the famous table top summit of Table Mountain, and considered part of Table Mountain) offer sea
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Table Mountain hikes that involve exposure to heights – 6 May 2016
Exposure to heights is a phrase often used in route-descriptions of Table Mountain hikes. The majority of people I deal with only have a foggy idea what exactly it means. Most Table Mountain hiking routes involve exposure to heights, to some degree of severity, so it’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with the meaning. The first part of the phrase, ‘exposure’, means, as the
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Table Mountain hiking: A few practical tips – 28 April 2016
When it comes to hiking Table Mountain, people’s expectations vary greatly. Most anticipate a manicured trail and gentle gradient; others think of it as mildly strenuous with a few uphill bits to negotiate. Routes differ radically in technicality, physicality and terrain, so expectations need to be adjusted according to the route you’ve decided on. Table Mountain hikes come in all levels of challenge. But in
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Hiking Table Mountain via India Venster – 21 April 2016
Of the 60-odd Table Mountain hiking routes, India Venster in my opinion ranks as one of the best. It leads up an imposing part of the mountain, taking an ingenious line that offers varied views and engaging hiking. Routes like Skeleton Gorge and Platteklip Gorge might be more popular and well-known, but not necessarily better. Different Table Mountain hikes puts on display different facets of the mountain.
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