The single most amazing thing about Table Mountain for me is the fact that it offers so much nature a stone’s throw, or rock fall, away from a bustling city. That island of civilization known as the upper cable station occupies the north-western tip of the mountain, and the hordes who flock there remain in its precincts – thankfully. The rest of the mountain – the remaining 99% – is nature in all its splendour, parts of which my well be referred to as a wilderness for its remoteness and wildness. Take for example the iconic tabletop summit of Table Mountain. Measuring only 2.4 kilometres in length, its ends are in stark contrast with each other: droves of people on the western tip (where the upper cable station is located) and perfect peace and solitude on the eastern edge.
I’ve topped out on Table Mountain after a long, hard climb feeling a bit like Indiana Jones, only to find perfumed women prancing along manicured walkways in high heels. Routes directly beneath the upper cable station can give you this experience, but that majority of routes top out on unspoiled summits and plateaus, ravines and knolls, where only a lone cairn greets you. Hiking Table Mountain allows you to immerse yourself in nature: to bid farewell to civilization and the bustle of the city for a few hours. Table Mountain hikes exist for every level of fitness and experience as well as sense of adventure. Be amazed by the views, thrilled by the terrain and enchanted by the nature.
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