I guess solitude does not rank very high on most people’s list of what defines Table Mountain hiking. And as a mountain within a city, you might be forgiven for thinking Table Mountain has been stripped of all its peace and quiet; and you’d be right if you take the cable car to the summit and experience the civilized and commercialized western tip of the tabletop. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Much of the mountain lies undisturbed and silent, the surroundings blanketed by solitude, where you feel far removed from civilization and the doings of man. Hiking Table Mountain allows you to experience this medicine of nature, for it revitalizes the weary soul. For the true nature lover, there is something better than the most fantastic view: complete silence in nature, rippled only by sounds like the burble of a stream, the clicking of frogs, the sough of gentle wind through grasses. Surrounded by sculpted rock-formations, you suddenly find yourself in the hollow of Mother Nature’s hand. Table Mountain hikes abound with solitudes: secluded hollows cut off from the outside world, seemingly undisturbed since time immemorial. In many ways, it’s these environments and experiences that define Table Mountain hiking for me.
