“For we are indeed one with Nature, her genetic fibres run through all our being, our physical organs connect us with millions of years of her history; our minds are full of immemorial paths of pre-human experience.
For the overwrought mind there is no peace like nature’s, for the wounded spirit there is no healing like hers. There are indeed times when human companionship becomes unbearable, and we fly to nature for that silent sympathy and communion which she alone can give.
The intimate rapport with nature is one of the most precious things in life. Nature is indeed very close to us; sometimes closer than hands and feet, of which in truth she is but the extension. The emotional appeal of nature is tremendous, sometimes almost more than one can bear.”
– ‘Holism and Evolution’ by Jan C. Smuts –
Jan Christiaan Smuts (1870 – 1950), South African statesman, military leader, philosopher and mountain lover, spent many days on his beloved Table Mountain, drinking in the serenity and grandeur found among the buttresses, plateaus, forests and ravines of the mountain. He loved to connect with nature, and on Table Mountain it was easy, then as it is today. Hiking Table Mountain becomes a meaningful experience only when the hiker senses a connection with the mountain; this can happen intentionally or spontaneously. Either way, it adds a new dimension to climbing the mountain. No more is it just a burst of energy to gain the summit, but rather a communion with nature. There are many different Table Mountain walks and hikes, and they meet different people on different levels, unburdening the mind and invigorating the spirit.
(c) www.hiketablemountain.co.za