Table Mountain, Cape Town

Table Mountain (1087m/3566ft), the flat-topped hill to the south of the city center, is the great landmark and emblem of Cape Town. Its summit plateau is frequently covered by a layer of clouds, the "tablecloth". Since weather conditions here are very changeable it is advisable to arrange your trip to the summit, either on foot or by road, immediately when you see it clear of clouds.

Picture - Distant view to Table Mountain.

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The ascent is rewarded by an immense prospect of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. On weekends Table Mountain is floodlit after dark. The best view, and the best place from which to take a photograph, is from the road up Signal Hill.

Table Mountain, built up from massive beds of sandstones and slates, forms the northern end of the Cape Peninsula. It is flanked on the east by Devil's Peak (1001m/3284ft) and on the west, beyond a wide depression, by the Lion's Head (669m/2195ft). It extends southward as a broad plateau and then falls steeply down to Orange Kloof (200m/650ft). To the east it rears above the suburb of Newlands and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; to the west, in the crags known as the Twelve Apostles, it looms over the bathing resorts on the Atlantic coast.

Situated as it is between the Atlantic and False Bay, Table Mountain has a mountain climate with high rainfall. Most of the annual rainfall of 1400mm/55in. occurs in the winter months, between May and September. Two reservoirs on Table Mountain (the source area of many streams) contribute to Cape Town's water supply. The particular climatic conditions have produced a varied flora (over 2200 species) and fauna. Sir Edmund Hillary, the celebrated climber, called Table Mountain one of the world's natural wonders. But it is threatened by soil erosion, the loss of native plants and invasion by alien species, uncontrolled bush fires and large numbers of visitors. In order to stop this deterioration the Table Mountain Nature Reserve was established, taking in, in addition to Table Mountain itself, Signal Hill and adjoining areas.

Official site: tablemountain.net/

Address: Box 730, Cape Town, Western Cape 8000, South Africa

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Related Attractions

Cape Point

Cape Point is the southernmost tip of the Tabletop Mountains range and known as one of the highest sea cliffs in the world. Visitors can enjoy the view from the Cape Point lighthouse by taking the Flying Dutchman funicular or walking the many stairs to the top.

There are about 250 species of birds, 1100 indigenous plants as well as wildlife such as bucks and baboons. Other activities include whale watching, shipwreck spotting from the beach, as well as nature walks.

Table Mountain Plateau

At the upper station of the cableway is a café/restaurant with a small viewing terrace. This is the starting-point of three short walks which give visitors some impression of the gigantic scale of the landscape. The Tortoise Walk (waymarked with a tortoise symbol) takes only 5-10 minutes; the Rock Dassie Walk, named after the comical little brown animals (rock hyraxes) which swarm round the restaurant, takes 10-20 minutes; and the Klipspringer Walk takes between 30 and 45 minutes.

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The Climb

There are said to be more than 350 different routes, in varying degrees of difficulty, for the ascent of Table Mountain. The first European to climb the mountain (Antonio da Saldanha, in 1503) went by way of the Platteklip gorge. Depending on starting-point, the climb takes between 2 and 4 hours.

There are guided climbs to the summit. Further information can be obtained from the tourist information office in Cape Town.

Table Mountain Cableway

A cableway installed in 1929 runs up Table Mountain, covering the distance of 1244m/1361yd in 7 minutes. Subject to weather conditions - it does not operate in high winds - the cableway runs daily.

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