Table Mountain and Cape Town

On Sunday we took a flight from Durban to Cape Town and got settled into our huge luxury villa that Terri had organised for us. Later that evening, the others joined us from Edinburgh and we soon had a cracking BBQ (or braai - as they say here!) on the go. We had a great view from our balcony of Lion's Head and enjoyed an amazing evening sunset.

Lion's Head, Cape Town, South Africa

Terri had arranged a driver / tour guide for our time in Cape Town and he called round to discuss the itinerary and the plan for the next few days. We were planning to pack a lot in and we were going to start with Table Mountain. I had been reading a few guidebooks and quite fancied walking up and then taking the cable-car back down. I figured that this was a good balance between doing the tourist and making the most of the chance to climb one of the most iconic mountains in the world. As we didn't have any proper gear and were short of time, any non-tourist route up the mountain was out of the question. So the sensible option was the straightforward route up Platteklip Gorge. I knew that we would have to leave early (before sunrise) because the sun would bake us on the way up. Emily and I made a plan and arranged to meet the others up on the summit; they were planning to get the 9am cable-car to the top. I spoke to our guide about it and he looked at me as if I was nuts but after explaining my background and experience to him, he seemed more accommodating and understanding. He arranged a taxi for us for 5am and then he drove me up the road to show me where the start of the walk was and he also picked me up a map from the information centre - well... it was more of a leaflet actually! Feeling good about the plan we made sure we were packed and ready to go.

Sunset from our villa, Cape Town, South Africa

The taxi collected us on time at 5am and dropped us at the start of the walk on Tafelberg Road. The air was very hot and humid but it was still pitch black. As we headed up the excellent stoney path, we had an amazing view over the city in the dark with the lights twinkling in the dark. Every time we paused and looked back, the view changed slightly as the sun started to come up. As we climbed higher, the light got brighter (as the sun got higher) and the views got even better. There was a slight haze in the air over the city as the sun came up and the temperature quickly rose. We were very glad that we left early and weren't walking the whole time in the baking sun. We were soon entering the gorge and nearing the top. We passed a few folk coming down from their daily jaunt around the mountain - not a bad way to start every day. The route up Platteklip shouldn't be underestimated; it was rather steep in places up large stone steps and would certainly be tough in the heat of the midday sun. When we reached the top of the gorge we looked back and had a great view down to the city, framed by the gorge on either side. There was a trig-point style marker at the top of the gorge to mark the junction in a few of the trails on the mountain - we turned right and headed towards the summit and the cable-car station. The path was still good and very obvious until things got a little more interesting as we approached some smooth rocky slabs. There were chains for us to hold onto as we made our way onto the flat summit ridge. A little further and we were sitting on the benches at the summit lookout admiring the breathtaking vista that lay before us. The best thing was that we had the whole summit to ourselves - not a tourist or even another soul to be seen - we had beaten the first of the cable-cars of the day. It was a great moment to share and we both felt it was well worth the effort and the early start. The view was simply mind-blowing and the pictures just don't do it justice. Soon the first cable-car arrived carrying the others and after many more photos and a quick coffee we all headed down in the cable-car. What a start to the day!

Cape Town before the sunrise from Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Watching the sunrise over Cape Town from Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, South Africa

Nearing the top of Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Our guide congratulated us at the bottom and we all loaded into his mini van to begin our tour of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. Our first stop was Hout Bay and a short boat trip out to seal island and back again. I wasn't that bothered about the seals to be honest and I spent most of the time staring up at the very impressive face of The Sentinel and wondering if there were climbing routes up it. If there are then they must be up there with one of the most amazing settings in the world.
We headed on towards the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point for a spot of lunch and some more stunning views towards Cape Hangklip.
After lunch we visited the Penguins on the beach at Boulders, which was a total tourist trap and not very natural in the slightest - but still a nice place to see. We finished the day's tour with a dip in the sea at Muizenberg... without the sharks thankfully! What an amazing day.

Looking down through Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Lion's Head and Signal Hill from the summit of Table Mountain with Robben Island in Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

On the summit of Table Mountain with Lion's Head behind, Cape Town, South Africa

Emily and I at the Hout Bay viewpoint with The Sentinel behind, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Hangklip from Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

After yesterday's early start and rather energetic intro, today was far more leisurely and relaxing. It basically involved being driven around vineyards and wineries to taste lots of different South African wines - a great time to have a driver! It was clear that wine was becoming big business in Cape Town and in particular the areas around Stellenbosch. Ernie Els even had his own winery and I managed to find some rock to climb there! Our final stop for the day was at the Spier winery and this was a particularly amazing place as it has a Cheetah Sanctuary where we were able to meet and stroke tamed Cheetahs - an unbelievable experience. We finished the night with an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet at Moyo.

Ernie Els' vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

A spot of chimney climbing practice at Ernie Els' vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Emily and I with our new friend at Spier Cheetah Sanctuary, Cape Town, South Africa

Today we were heading back to Durban so that Terri and Bini could finally get married but before we jumped on our plane we made a quick visit to Robben Island to learn a bit about South African history. It was a very interesting place and full of history and terrible tales - well worth a visit.

Table Mountain and Lion's Head from Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is one of the most amazing cities I have been to so far but couldn't be more different to the South Africa we had experienced so far - very different to Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Certainly a more westernised, busy and expensive place; somewhere I would jump at the chance to revisit later in life.