Table Mountain Waterfalls

The Symphony of Water

Every Cape Townian should do this winter hike. Its really short, really beautiful and really easy to access.

All you need to do is wait for a sunny winter's morning after some good rain. Then pack some muffins and a thermos, drive up to Tafelberg Road, park at Platteklip Gorge and set your sites to just before the zigzags. When you get to a junction about a third of the way up (there is a sign board there), hang a left towards devils peak and follow that path. It will take you straight to a beautiful waterfall and just after it is the perfect spot to sit and have your breakfast and watch the rest of Cape Town wake up. 

Table Mountain Classic

We did a quick hike up Table Mountain from Platteklip Gorge and down via India Venster, ending underneath the Cable Car to show Austrian cousin Sash and girlfriend Julz the sites of our beautiful mountain.

This is a classic route up with a very easy, clear path to follow. Its always busy, there is a security hut at the bottom, plenty of parking and always crystal clear streams to drink from.

The Bat Run

The Bat Run is an epic 30km nightime trail run up 3 peaks of Table Mountain, held annually on a full moon night in February. Its been on my wish to-do list for ages but with 1700m of climbing, I thought it was way out of my reach. Somehow one thing led to another and I managed to do the training and get an entry (and one for Chris too, who was busy training for ironman anyway).

The race starts at the bottom of Tafelberg Road at dusk and winds up to the very top of Devil's Peak, any route you like. There is a check point at the top where you can see the whole of Table Bay, the setting sun and the rising moon. Then it's head torches on and a scramble back down the mountain.

Cape Town fire: Table Mountain up in smoke...

I spent much of yesterday afternoon watching Table Mountain disappear behind a curtain of thick smoke. The pictures below are taken from our flat's balcony in Tamboerskloof - the 3rd photo is 10 minutes after the first - that's how quickly the fire was spreading. The flames were fanned by gale-force winds which aided its devastation and hampered dousing efforts.