Viewed from above, the Table Mountain massif resembles a molar tooth in shape, with the famous and iconic tabletop summit forming the crown, the eastern buttresses forming the right root and the 12 Apostles the left root. Hout Bay Corner is a delightful little adventure route that gains the top of the 12 Apostles at its southern-most extremity – or the bottom end of the left root. Table Mountain hikes do not always top out on the “Table”, and Hout Bay Corner is one such route. But the views are as good, if not better. There are lots more nature and solitude, if that’s what you enjoy, while the route itself offers challenge and adventure in the form of scrambling and heights – nothing extreme, but you need a fairly good head for heights and a sense of adventure. The first half of the route follows the Llandudno Ravine route, the easiest route up this corner of the mountain. Midway up, you leave behind the beaten track and continue up an indistinct trail. Several bits of scrambling brings you to the main section of the route: a recessed corner that involves multiple scramble pitches over a considerable drop. The summit is soon reached and a pleasant walk through pretty landscape takes you to the top of Llandudno Ravine.
Table Mountain hiking does not get any better than what Hout Bay Corner offers: adventure, superb views, nature – all in a half-day route. If you’ve already hiked to the tabletop summit of Table Mountain, or you’ve taken the cable car, and you’re up for a challenge, then hiking Table Mountain up Hout Bay Corner will leave you with long-lasting memories.
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