Everything you need to know for hiking Table Mountain - Cape Town
I will always remember flying into Cape Town by night and seeing the massive shadow of Table Mountain right in the middle of the city. The impressive 1086 m high plateau is an iconic feature of this bustling capital. Whether you hike up or take the cableway, enjoying the wonderful views from its top is a must when visiting Cape Town in South Africa. Continue reading if you want to learn more about hiking Table Mountain.
1) Weather conditions on Table Mountain
1. Temperature and wind
First you need to know that the weather on the mountain can be quite unpredictable. Temperatures can drop several degrees on your way to the top, so you should take some extra layers with you for your hike up Table Mountain.
We did our hike in the beginning of summer (November). However it can get pretty hot and sunny (don’t forget your sunscreen and plenty of water), these are also among the windiest months of the year. I would recommend to take a waterproof windbreaker so you are also prepared for unforeseen changes in weather conditions. The wind blows quite strongly at times and can get pretty dangerous for hikers.
2. The Tablecloth
Table Mountain is known for being often covered by a cap of clouds called the “tablecloth”. This phenomenon gives a rather dramatic effect to the mountain. Legend has it it would be the result of a smoking contest between the devil and a legendary local pirate. In reality it is due to the Southeaster (“Cape Doctor”) blowing warm, humid air on the eastern slope. This leads to condensation when it meets colder streams close to the top of the mountain. This wind nickname comes from the formed tablecloth playing an essential role in maintaining the flora on the mountain.
In order to get the best out of your climb and the views once at the top, I would strongly advise to plan your hike around the weather. The forecast may not always be 100% accurate. What we did was to remain quite flexible in our plans while in Cape Town. We were lucky enough to have a perfect blue sky, without tablecloth, on our very first day. We thankfully decided to go straight for the hike, as the following days were all cloudy. So if the weather is clear, do not hesitate. Just go for it as you may not be lucky twice during your stay.
2) Different routes up Table Mountain
There are many trail options for hiking up Table Mountain. Make sure to research your preferred itinerary in advance and study it as you can easily get lost on the mountain. I would recommend bringing an offline map on your phone (+ a battery charger) or a paper map.
I will only present briefly the main paths leading to the top. There are also many options going around and through the mountain:
Table mountain
1. Platteklip Gorge (2.8 km, ~ 2-3h)
This is a popular route that is going straight up to the top, following the Platteklip Stream in zig-zag. Although it is the fastest route up the mountain, you should not underestimate its difficulty. It is very steep and you will need to do a bit of scrambling. The actual start of the hike is at the crossing between the Platteklip Stream and Tafelberg Road. You can also park down the cable car and take the Contour Path traverse trail. This will of course extend the previously estimated length of the hike of about 1h30.
2. India Venster (1.8 km, ~ 3h)
This way up the front of the mountain offers great views of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a bit of scrambling but it should be easier than the Platteklip Gorge. This hike starts directly from the Lower Cable Station. It can be quite convenient if you want to come back down with the cableway.
3. Kasteelspoort (5.8 km, ~ 3h)
This is a pleasant and picturesque hike up the 12 Apostles starting from the Camps Bay residential area (Theresa Avenue). This way up leads you to the Instagrammable “Diving Board” at the Old Cableway Station. Then you can link the Upper Cable Station using the Old Railway Track and less known trails at the top of the mountain, like Echo Valley. You can alternatively park at Kloof Nek, at the bottom of Tafelberg Road, and join Kasteelspoort by the Pipe Track (count an extra 1h30).
table mountain
4. Skeleton Gorge (7.0 km, ~ 4h30)
This is one of the most beautiful hikes up Table Mountain starting from Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. It goes from a shaded jungle-like forest start to a beach by the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir. Most people would do this as a return hike (~ 3h in total). It is also possible to reach the Upper Cable Station using some less known trails at the top of the mountain, such as the Smuts’ Track towards Maclear’s Beacon and/or Echo Valley.
You have to note that all those hikes are of high difficulty level. Even in the best weather conditions, you should be decently fit climb up Table Mountain. Bring plenty of water and good hiking shoes.
3) Safety considerations on Table Mountain
1. Precautions
Before hiking Table Mountain and apart from the weather and natural mountain risks, you should know that there is also a slight risk of getting mugged. This is not something I found in many articles about hiking up Table Mountain but this is unfortunately a reality you need to be aware of.
This is one of the reasons why it is advised to hike in larger groups, possibly with a guide, and not to carry any valuables when hiking Table Mountain. No matter what option you choose, you should not hike alone for obvious, non-crime related safety concerns.
2. Resources
Knowing this, we were still determined to do the hike without a guide, but a bit of research was necessary. If you wish to stay informed, I would recommend to use resources such as the S.A. Mountain Accidents Database focusing on crime causes for Table Mountain, and the Twitter account @TableMntnWatch for live information.
A very useful Cape Town Crime Map was also created in 2019 to report the different incidents which occurred in the past couple of years. It was interesting to see that most of the crime activity seemed focused on the North and North-East parts of the mountain. Quite surprisingly, the very popular trails of Platteklip Gorge, India Venster (just meters away from the Cable Station!), the Contour Path and the Pipe Tack were not spared. This makes sense in a way as it is where it is the most likely to encounter wealthy tourists. Quite a number of muggings and assaults also occurred in the Newlands Forest area. Finally, it can be observed that in many cases the mugging happened in the lower half of the mountain. This may be so it could ease the escape of the attackers.
3. Chosen option
Having said that, Kasteelspoort and Skeleton Gorge appeared to be the safest remaining options. I thought the safety of Skeleton Gorge could be explained as it is a less used trail up Table Mountain. It is located on the opposite side of the Lower Cable Station and you have to enter through Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. So you have to pay the entrance, which is probably an additional security against assaults. We were planning to visit the Garden during our stay in Cape Town anyway. And Skeleton Gorge is supposed to be one of the most beautiful ways up the mountain. It is also very shaded, which can be much appreciated in hot weather, and sheltered from the strong wind which can blow at the front of the mountain.
We chose to hike Skeleton Gorge in the end, it was glorious and we didn’t make any bad encounter. If you are still not fully convinced, I encourage you to read the following blogpost, which comforted us in our choice.
4) How to get to Skeleton Gorge
The plan for hiking Table Mountain that I am proposing is a full day trip. Like I mentioned before, it is not a circular hike and going down the cableway after the hike will take you to the opposite side of the mountain from Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. So even if you are planning on renting a car, like we did, I strongly recommend to leave it at your accommodation on that day.
The Uber network, for example, is well developed in Cape Town and quite cheap. We chose this option to both go to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and get back from the Lower Cable Station. We met travellers on our way down who were anxious to know how they were going to get back to their car. They had parked it at Kirstenbosch and the night was falling.
I also studied alternative options such as the City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Bus. This was more expensive than taking an Uber for 2 persons, and the service also stopped too early (4pm).
In brief, using Uber remained the easiest, most flexible and cheapest transport option for this day trip.
5) Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a world-renowned botanical garden. It is located down the eastern side of Table Mountain, South of the University of Cape Town. It is characterised by its incredible collection of indigenous plants and flowers on its 528 hectares estate.
Kirstenbosch is open between 08:00 and 19:00 in summer (September-March) and 08:00-18:00 in winter (April-August). The entrance costs R75 per adult (about 4€/£3.5/$4.5).
You can either enjoy the Garden at your own leisure, like we did, or join one of the free guided tours (90 minutes). I encourage you to check out the schedule on their official website.
The Garden is an absolute gem, you can easily spend a half-day there. It was our first day in South Africa and I had never seen fynbos (from the Dutch “fine-leaved plants”) before. I fell in love with this unique South African floral vegetation. It is composed of over 8500 species, of which the most amazing is the Protea family. All flowers are more colourful and prettier than the others. Kirstenbosch is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. The best season to visit for flowers is somewhere between the end of winter and early summer (August-November). Look out for South Africa’s national flower: the beautiful king protea (Protea cynaroides).
You can spot wildlife, mostly birds (over 125 species), throughout the Garden. We saw some Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) with their goslings, a hadada ibis (Bostrychia hegedash), a Cape francolin (Pternistes capensis), and a few garden acraea butterflies (Acraea horta).
Make sure not to miss the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway, nicknamed “The Boomslang” (meaning “tree snake” in Afrikaans). It was built in 2013 to celebrate the centenary of Kirstenbosch. It is a steel and wooden aerial platform taking you through the treetops of the Arboretum. It offers panoramic views of the Garden with Table Mountain in the background.
Several art sculptures also decorate the Garden, among which traditional Mambo sculptures and animal bronzes.
There are three restaurants and cafes at Kirstenbosch and it is also authorised to have picnics on the lawn. We ate at Moyo restaurant (which was great!), where we had a much appreciated break from the hot sun. The burgers were fantastic, the meat was really tasty, but they also have fancier dishes. After this good lunch, we were ready for our climb.
6) Hiking up Table Mountain
Table Mountain
First, why hiking up rather than down? Although it may not seem obvious, it is actually easier to go up the steep path and scrambling areas. It is also the best option for the sake of your knees. Finally my idea was also to be at the top for sunset.
There are two well defined paths up Table Mountain from Kirstenbosch: Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine. As mentioned before, we chose Skeleton Gorge, which is the most popular of the two.
We first joined the Contour Path which shortly took us to the entrance of Skeleton Gorge. This is a steep climb along the water stream but it is fortunately quite shaded. You will encounter a few wooden ladders and will also need to do a bit of scrambling. The arrival at the top of the gorge is quite surprising as you start seeing a lot of fine sand. This soon leads you to the shore of the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir. It is not recommended to swim there no matter how hot you may be. The water has a characteristic brown colour (you may have also noticed it from the river down in Kirstenbosch). This colouration comes from the tannins which are released in the water from the indigenous fynbos vegetation. It took us about 1h30 from the entrance of Kirstenbosch to the reservoir.
Once at the reservoir, you usually have two options. You can go back down the same way to return to Kirstenbosch or climb up to the Upper Cable Station. For this second option, you would need to backtrack a bit from the beach until a crossing. You need to follow Maclear’s Beacon via the Smuts’ Track. The path is on the left when coming back from the reservoir (there should be an indication). We however had other plans as I also wanted to go to the “Diving Board” on the Kasteelspoort hike. Disclaimer: I just want to say that it is definitely possible to do so. Nevertheless, it is not the most usual nor well defined path. If you are not sure about this nor have a clear idea where you are going, you should stick to the previously described options.
The hardest bit is at the beginning. You may distinguish a vague path going to the left of the reservoir. You will spot a wire fence and you need to stay on its left side. For a while the way is among bushes and rocks. Beware of snakes (it might be a good idea to wear long trousers). You have to go like this for about 600 m. It can take a while (about 30 minutes), we almost turned back several times.
Luckily, you soon arrive at a crossing at the end of the first reservoir. From there the path becomes wider and better defined. At this point, you can cross on the dam on the right, or you can stay on the left of the second reservoir (Woodhead Reservoir), like we did. Once at the end, you have to cross on the second dam on the right. Make sure to enjoy the beautiful view over Disa Gorge.
From there, we followed the Old Railway Track until the “Diving Board” of Kasteelspoort hike. It got super windy all of a sudden at this point.
We then backtracked until we were back at the Woodhead Reservoir, staying on the left of it. You should go straight the whole time, you will pass a crossing and the Dam Overseer museum on your right. Look for a path going up on the left. It is very difficult to find, we missed it the first time. It goes between Blinkwater Peak and St. Michael Peak and crosses the Echo Valley path perpendicularly (I strongly recommend you have a detailed map of the area). Once at the Echo Valley crossing, we went straight across the Upper Disa River. We stayed on this path which was going up to the left until Fountain Peak. You will then find yourself at the top of Platteklip Gorge. After that, you only have a few more meters (about 400 m) until you reach the top, where the Upper Cable Station is.
7) The top of Table Mountain
Once there, you can spend some time enjoying all those well-deserved, rewarding views over Cape Town, Lion’s Head and the ocean. The wind was really strong and cold up there, which is why I really recommend taking a windbreaker.
We didn’t have much time there as they were calling for the last cableway down soon after we arrived. We were quite lucky to catch this one. I had emailed them a few days before to ask for the schedules and they had told me the last one down was at 8 pm, after sunset. However it was only 7 pm…
Be aware that the cableway may not be running in case of high winds. This might be the reason why they stopped early this day, who knows… I found out afterwards that they display the daily weather conditions on their website. You can also see their opening status, cableway schedules and waiting time. I strongly recommend you to check if you don’t want to end up stuck at the top of the mountain at nightfall. You might also want to give them a call to double check before you start your hike.
Table Mountain
You can purchase different kinds of tickets. If you just need to go down, a one way ticket costs R200 per adult (about 10.5€/£9.5/$12.5). It is also possible to buy return tickets if you do not fancy the hike up. The price is slightly cheaper if you go up after 1 pm. Expect to find quite a queue for sunset return trips.
8) Summary - Get ready for your hike up Table Mountain
Here is a reminder of what you need to pack for hiking Table Mountain, according to my recommendations:
- Extra layers for chilly weather at the top (the weather is unpredictable on the mountain and can change quite dramatically, in a matter of hours or even minutes).
- A waterproof raincoat (against rain and strong wind, which occurs even on sunny summer days).
- Good hiking shoes (it is a difficult hike with some scrambling to do and you need to be a minimum fit).
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and hat (it is a hot climb).
- 1 to 2 L of water per person (keep yourself hydrated).
- Snacks (for after the climb or in case you get lost).
- Mobile phone (+ battery charger, in case of emergency, for Uber, etc).
- Offline map and/or paper map of the mountain (know where you are going and stick to paths).
- A bit of money (R200/adult for the cableway).
This was truly one of my favourite days in South Africa. So now you have all the information take some rest, relax and be ready for this breathtaking adventure.