Travel to the top of a natural wonder of the world.
There was a time year's ago when I was on a kick to see many of the wonders of the world. However, after visiting a few of them, I found them to be overly crowded and often providing more stress than enjoyment.
Years later, when planning our first trip to Southern Africa, Table Mountain was drawing my interest. It's absolutely incredible that this mountain is (estimated) to be older than the Alps, Himalayas, Rocky, and Andes mountain ranges. 250 millions years old!
We started the process by keeping a close eye on the weather. This is important as the mountain tends to get engulfed by what is known as the "tablecloth." This "tablecloth" is a cloud that covers the top of Table Mountain, even on a clear day. The science behind this is that the cloud is formed my moist air blown in from the Atlantic pushing against the eastern mountain slopes. The air is forced to elevate and as it does so, it cools/condenses and causes the relative humidity to increase. The cloud forms, covers the top, and continues down the front until it comes in contact with the warmer air where it dissipates. Many of the plant species atop the mountain owe their survival to the tablecloth as it provides moisture during the dry summers.
So visitors really want to keep an eye out for the Tablecloth as it will limit visibility at the top of the mountain. We awoke on our first morning, peaked at the weather and when we determined it was all-clear, pre-purchased our tickets online.
We feared longer lines upon arrival, so we actually arrived an hour prior to the tram opening. This allowed us to secure a close parking spot and avoid the crowds.
After our wait, our tickets were scanned and we proceeded to walk up to our tram. The tram is quite spacious, but be warned that it rotates and the windows are heavily scuffed. As you try to take photos on the way up, it's a bit of a challenge because the car is constantly rotating and many of the windows are not conducive to clear photos.
As you near the top, the views become increasingly breathtaking. You'll see many hikers down below the tram, and miles of coastline in both directions. Once you get to the particularly rocky area, the tram will slow and ease into the upper visitor's center.
Here, its's important to note the tram schedule as you can quickly lose track of time and don't want to be stuck hiking back down.
As you exit the visitor's center, you can't help but marvel at the initial views. You can see most of Cape Town, from the ocean pools to the futebol/soccer stadiums to Robben Island. After the initial awe, you can start to explore the many paths and hiking trails.
Not 10 minutes into time time at the top, it was clear that the tablecloth cloud was rolling in. It was incredible to see it creeping over the nearby mountain and growing by the minute. At this point, we decided to ensure that we covered all of the main grounds before our visibility was limited.
We continued along, and explored the western/southern side of the top, where there were incredible rock outcropping to explore. With more time/days, I could spend hours hiking the area and finding all sorts of interesting things to explore.
Our attention was quickly diverted from the scenery as a chunky little mammal was beginning to show itself on the cliff's edge. We learned that these mammals were known as Rock Hyraxes or more affectionately, the Dassie
There are some really fun facts about the Dassie, my favorite of which is there closest living relative. Believe it or not, the elephants are the most similar in that a lassie has two large incisor teeth that grow out to be tiny tusks.
The bottom of a lassie foot has moist, rubbery pads that lift up in the center for suction cup effects that help it cling to rocks. This was amazing to see in action as the creatures would run along the cliff's edge, seemingly unfazed by the fact that the slightest mis-step would result in death.
After another 30 minutes of taking in the views and watching the dassies in their element, we decided to take the tram back down before the crowds starting getting heavy. This proved to be a smart move as we have plenty of space to move about the tram on the way down.
It was such a spectacular viewpoint, maybe my favorite of all-time, that I wish I could have spent more time up there. Truly a wonder of the world not to be missed!
Know Before You Go
It's beast to visit in the morning. Parking quickly is tough to come by and will require tipping later in the day.
Bring plenty of water as there is not much sun shade at the top.
Check the daily schedule in advance. Certain events or wind could cause the tram to be closed to the public
Use caution at the top - there are not a ton of safeguards to keep people from falling off.
You can purchase tickets in advance on the website.
Resources
Video
Below are some short clips on the way up on the tram and strolling around the top.
Location
It's one of those place that is difficult to miss being that it towers over much of the city. The tramway is just off of the M62 and there is parking all of the way up to and even past the tram. As it becomes more crowded, locals will "help" you for a spot for a tip.
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