Wednesday 29 February 2012

Rambling over the mountain

When my mom was here on holiday earlier this month, she decided she wanted to go up Table Mountain – by cable car, not on foot! She’d never been up and the last time I’d gone up was years ago so we set off.

The cable car I’d been in was the Seventies design (– the cableway itself was opened in 1929 –) which was of course very much smaller and slower than the current cable cars which are circular and have rotating floors so that everyone gets a 360 degree view of Cape Town and Table Bay. The ride does seem far too short though..!

It wasn’t a perfectly clear day but we enjoyed taking our time – and plenty of photos of the surrounding mountains, the rocks and trails, the wildlife and fynbos – along the path that leads to Maclear’s Beacon. As the wind grew stronger and the clouds began blowing up, we had to head back to the upper cableway station and never quite made it to the highest point on the mountain.

Maclear’s Beacon was built in 1844 by Sir Thomas Maclear who was Astronomer Royal at the Cape. The 3 m cairn marks the highest point at 1086 m – though it could also be 1087 m, 1085 m or possibly even 1084.6 m! (There seem to be conflicting records out there...)

We were up on the mountain about three hours and did a lot more walking than we thought we would. There was also a section that was a bit steeper and I took some fun shots of my mom tackling the ascent, getting down low to take them so that it appeared all the more difficult..!

I didn’t know then I’d be scrambling up the mountain myself a few weeks later – but more about that in a later post...


At the lower cableway station


On the way up to the upper cableway station


Table Bay and the city down below


Lion's Head


Rambling paths


That steep bit...


Looking down at the city


On the way down – and the steps I’d soon enough be slogging up...

4 comments:

  1. LOVED our "ramble" - it was definitely the highlight of my visit to CT!!

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  2. Stunning pics and love the info. Yes this is our Cape and whichever way you look at it, the view amazes you everytime. Can't wait to see it again in Dec and you off course. Love!

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    1. Thanks Gilly! We had a lot of fun that day. It's so beautiful, isn't it? Can't wait to see you again too..! Lots of love

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