One of the ‘New Seven Natural Wonders of the World’

            For those of you who are unaware (which is probably most of you), Table Mountain was just voted one of the ‘New Seven Natural Wonders of the World’.  Everyone here says that you should climb the mountain before you leave Cape Town.  As I have already hiked up Devil’s Peak, the highest peak in Cape Town, and Lion’s Head, the only mountain left was Table Mountain.  Everyone said it was a cinch, a short and beautiful hike.  People also said the view from the cable cars, which can take you up and down Table Mountain, were well worth the money.  Thus, SarahCatherine and I decided we would climb up the mountain, then take the cable car down it.

            Monday morning we made our way to the bottom of the mountain via the Kirstenbosch Gardens.  The first fault of the day was our transport to the gardens, and as luck would have it, faults would continue to roll in this day.  We were oblivious to the fact that the gardens were not on Main Road, so were forced to shell out real money for a taxi.  Then, we had to pay entrance into the gardens, only to leave them almost immediately after finding the trail out.  The morning was extremely cloudy and it would surely rain, but we knew if we didn’t climb the mountain the day we said we would, then we never would.  Plus, we figured since it was a moderate hike that we would then have plenty of time to shower and then make it to a brewery tour at 2 pm.

            At 9:20 am, our hike of Table Mountain began.  We started on Smuts Track, which turned into ­­­Yellowwood Trail, and eventually Skeleton Gorge. 

(Start of the hike)

The beginning was completely uphill, almost vertical.  There were steep steps and ladders, and we found ourselves already drenched in sweat and craving water some 10 minutes in.  The uphill was grueling, but I was still excited for the view on the top, and about the fact that we were climbing a new wonder of the world. 

(Ladders galore)

By the time we reached the spot where the gorge really began, we were lost.  The trail of ladders and steps ended, and in front of us was a small stream coming down the mountain.  A few girls in front of us had stopped as well, and we all began searching for the continuation of the trail.  Luckily, SarahCatherine and I had briefly said hello to a group of hikers behind us, who had hired a guide, and so waited for them to reach us and followed them on the hike.  Turns out the trail continued up through the stream of what looked like beer. 

(Climbing up the stream)

We climbed from rock to rock up the stream, getting our feet wet as we ascended, finally reaching the path again after a bit.  While we all rested, the guide warned SarahCatherine and I about walking around on the mountain on our own, and basically told us we were stupid to be hiking alone and on a super cloudy day.

(Beer water)

            Alas, despite the guide’s advice, we continued.  At the top of Skeleton Gorge there was a map of all the routes on Table Mountain.  Oddly, however, the map showed also the time it would take an average person to get from A to B.  We thought it a bit curious that people had told us the hike was so easy, but that it took 3 hours from where we stood to get to the cable car. 

(The map that saved our lives)

We continued on, although our prospects of an easy hike were dwindling, choosing the route that would take us to the Atlantic Ocean side of the mountain.  Soon we came to a reservoir, made of the same beer water. 

(Reservoir on the mountain)

At first it was ‘Wow, this is so serene and beautiful.  How odd that there is another set of mountain ranges on top of this mountain.’  But after a few hours it became ‘Who the fuck told us this was easy?  Why is there no one else around?  Where is the trail?  Why is the mountain so hilly and not a literal table?’

            Now don’t get me wrong.  The hike really was beautiful.  There was greenery everywhere, these beautiful rocks of gray and white, and at some points of the hike we could see not only the Atlantic Ocean, but also the Indian. 

(Indian Ocean)

It was a gorgeous hike and it was very serene, as it seemed like we were the only civilization on the mountain, but it wasn’t what we signed up for.  At one point on the hike we actually got lost.  Couldn’t find where the trail continued and so turned off and walked through a marshy path until we realized there was not way it was the path.  Honest to God I was thinking to myself ‘Why didn’t I tell anyone we were coming up here?  Why has God chosen to punish me less than a week before I leave?’  Thankfully we had taken a picture of the map and were able to look back on it multiple times during the hike.

(There is a small trial in the picture, the last we had to climb before we reached civilization)

            At last, after four hours of almost non-stop uphill hiking, as it turns out we didn’t really get to the ‘table’ part of Table Mountain until about the last five minutes, we reached the cable cars. 

(Four hours later)

There were families picnicking on the mountain, walking around in their jeans and flats, and eating their delicious snacks.  SarahCatherine and I gawked.  We had just climbed for four hours to get here while others were eating in the extremely fancy dining area and shopping at the stores.  We took a quick look at the view from the top, which really was amazing, and then finally took the cable car down the mountain, which had an amazing view as well.

(View from the top)

(Cape Town from the bottom of the cable cars)

(Cable car)

Our feet back on the real ground, we taxied to the UCT campus in the city and then took a Jammie back to our apartment, napped and showered, and then headed to a dinner of lasagna, salad, and garlic bread and some friends’ house.  I think it’s pretty obvious we didn’t make it back in time for the brewery tour.