On Sunday (June 26, 2011) I took another trip up Table Mountain. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to go at first, as I had some work I wanted to get done. However, Frankie managed to convince me and I also decided to take my laptop with me. I figured that the top of Table Mountain would be a gorgeous place to do some writing. Little did I know that the route we were taking this time would take a fair bit longer than my last trip...
Frankie and I grabbed a taxi with fellow volunteers Sébastien (France), Marcella (United States), and Kelly (Australia). We started in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, a gorgeous park along part of the base of Table Mountain. We spent a little while walking around and checking out some of the sights.
Soon we started our trip up Stinkwood Trail towards Skeleton Gorge. It was interesting to note that this hike contrasted quite a bit with my first trip up Table Mountain. On the prior hike, I do not remember having much tree cover - much of the plant life seemed to be bushes and the like. This resulted in a generally unobstructed view of the city. Here, however, there was fairly dense forest, creating a sense that we were far away.
It was neat to experience a different side of Table Mountain. Anyway, we ran into a waterfall along the way and took a break for photos.
Along Skeleton Gorge, the hike got more interesting as we began to navigate our way up ladders and at points up what was essentially a small brook of sorts. It was pretty fun!
Eventually, we cleared Skeleton Gorge and decided to take the shortest route to the mountain-top restaurant and cable car station. Along the way, there were some nice spots to stop and take in the view, as well as take some photos to remember it.
To be honest, somehwere around this point we realized we had lost the trail and were a bit unsure of where to head. :P
However, after scouting around a bit Frankie spotted a fence and soon we were back on the trail!
Soon we reached our first landmark along the route: Maclear's Beacon. The view was gorgeous!
From here we could see the cable car - we were getting pretty close. :D Ready to reach food and a ride back down, we headed back onto the trail.
At one point, there was a nice spot to look out over Cape Town. We could even see the World Cup Stadium.
Eventually, we reached the end of our hike and were at the restaurant and cable car station. At the restaurant we met up with another group of volunteers who had hiked up Platteklip Gorge and we all ate together. On a side note, we also met a group of volunteers with Cross Cultural Solutions, one of whom was another Duke student!
Anyway, once we had finished eating, we took the last cable car down that day. The view on the ride down was quite nice as the sun was setting on Cape Town.
At the bottom we waited for our taxi ride back as nightfall descended and the city came alive with a dazzling array of lights.
It had been fun to go on another trip up Table Mountain and enjoy the all beautiful views!
Frankie and I grabbed a taxi with fellow volunteers Sébastien (France), Marcella (United States), and Kelly (Australia). We started in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, a gorgeous park along part of the base of Table Mountain. We spent a little while walking around and checking out some of the sights.
Soon we started our trip up Stinkwood Trail towards Skeleton Gorge. It was interesting to note that this hike contrasted quite a bit with my first trip up Table Mountain. On the prior hike, I do not remember having much tree cover - much of the plant life seemed to be bushes and the like. This resulted in a generally unobstructed view of the city. Here, however, there was fairly dense forest, creating a sense that we were far away.
It was neat to experience a different side of Table Mountain. Anyway, we ran into a waterfall along the way and took a break for photos.
Along Skeleton Gorge, the hike got more interesting as we began to navigate our way up ladders and at points up what was essentially a small brook of sorts. It was pretty fun!
Eventually, we cleared Skeleton Gorge and decided to take the shortest route to the mountain-top restaurant and cable car station. Along the way, there were some nice spots to stop and take in the view, as well as take some photos to remember it.
To be honest, somehwere around this point we realized we had lost the trail and were a bit unsure of where to head. :P
However, after scouting around a bit Frankie spotted a fence and soon we were back on the trail!
Soon we reached our first landmark along the route: Maclear's Beacon. The view was gorgeous!
From here we could see the cable car - we were getting pretty close. :D Ready to reach food and a ride back down, we headed back onto the trail.
At one point, there was a nice spot to look out over Cape Town. We could even see the World Cup Stadium.
Eventually, we reached the end of our hike and were at the restaurant and cable car station. At the restaurant we met up with another group of volunteers who had hiked up Platteklip Gorge and we all ate together. On a side note, we also met a group of volunteers with Cross Cultural Solutions, one of whom was another Duke student!
Anyway, once we had finished eating, we took the last cable car down that day. The view on the ride down was quite nice as the sun was setting on Cape Town.
At the bottom we waited for our taxi ride back as nightfall descended and the city came alive with a dazzling array of lights.
It had been fun to go on another trip up Table Mountain and enjoy the all beautiful views!
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