Day 4 Table Mountain

Word had spread in the hostel that I wanted to hike up Table Mountain today. That's why a German and a Dutch girl approached me during breakfast, asking if they could join me.

So the three of us set off a little later. The weather still wasn't great, but we hoped that, like in the past few days, it would clear up around noon and we would have a beautiful view of the city.

The start of the hiking trail was in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (which is on the other side of Table Mountain from our hostel). Since the trail started in the Botanical Gardens, we had to pay an entrance fee, of course.

As we started hiking, the first rays of sunshine appeared. The ascent was quite steep and there were occasional small climbing passages and ladders that had to be overcome. Along the way, we could enjoy the beautiful nature and the view.

As we approached the summit, the weather suddenly changed again and we found ourselves in the middle of a fog/cloud band. When it started to rain, we sought shelter under a rock and took a lunch break.

After 30 minutes, the rain stopped, but continuing the hike was out of the question. The fog had become too dense and the wind too strong. We had hiked for 3 1/2 hours for this view.

We gave up on the plan to cross Table Mountain and then descend with the cable car. Firstly, the risk of continuing to hike was too great, and secondly, it was unclear if the cable cars were even running. (In bad weather, the service is suspended.) So we decided to go back the same way we came.

We couldn't enjoy the view, but the hike was very spectacular and a lot of fun.