Table Mountain has many faces, each unrecognizable from the other and offering unique views, vegetation, topography and moods. Table Mountain hikes differ greatly in character, depending on the side of the mountain. The iconic north side overlooks the city and Table Bay, while indigenous jungle carpets the east side and sea views delights you on the pristine west side. Few other mountains can compete with
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Monthly Archives February 2014
Hiking Table Mountain via Hout Bay Corner – 27 February 2014
If you’re not bothered about topping out on the iconic tabletop summit of Table Mountain, and if you’re up for a challenge, then Hout Bay Corner is a delightful way up the mountain. It leads up the southwest extremity of the Table Mountain massif, on the southernmost Apostle, and offer glorious views across Hout Bay and the Atlantic Seaboard. Nature, views and adventure all combine
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Table Mountain hiking: In search of elusive orchids – 17 February 2014
When it comes to floral delights on a Table Mountain hike, one of the finest must surely be an orchid in bloom. The month of February sees no less than three species on display: the Cluster Disa (Disa ferruginea), the Blue Disa (Disa graminifolia) and the Red Disa (Disa Uniflora), also known as the Pride of Table Mountain. On days when the mountain is covered
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Photo of the week – February week #3: Pinnacles and Needles
One of the joys about hiking Table Mountain is perching yourself on a free-standing rock mass. Several needles – or pinnacles – exist on Table Mountain, one as alluring as the other. Surmounting a pinnacle gives you the sense of topping out on a peak, and it usually requires a scramble to gain its summit, providing a sense of achievement. Then there’s the views, the
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Hiking Table Mountain via Skeleton Gorge – 11 February 2014
It’s not the first time that I write about Skeleton Gorge and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s one of the most popular routes up Table Mountain, but not necessarily the best. Then why is it so popular? Because it has some attractive features that make it a good option for the average hiker. Let’s look at what they are: – Starting point is
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Photo of the week – February week #2: Bosch Kloof
Tucked away in Table Mountain’s back of beyond and located near its middle of nowhere is Bosch Kloof, a humble ravine with no claim to fame and no significance other than the mapmaker’s dutiful use of its name to indicate its existence. And far from evoking scenes of grandeur or thoughts of adventure and discovery, its name – old Dutch for ‘wooded ravine’ – merely
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The most amazing thing about Table Mountain – 5 February 2014
Apart from its triple status as a National Park, a World Heritage sight and one of the World’s New 7 Natural Wonders, Table Mountain to me is, more than anything, a wilderness. And that for me is the most amazing fact about it: that it encompasses areas where no one ever, ever sets foot; where the environment has remained unchanged since time immemorial and where
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Photo of the week – February week #1: Southern Apostles
Hiking Table Mountain allows you to experience raw nature. Parts of the mountain is still a wilderness, pristine and rarely if ever visited. Grootkop is such a place. As one of the most prominent Apostles, its summit offers some of the best views on Table Mountain. Few people bother with the strenuous trek required to get there, but the place amply compensates for the energy
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