hike

India Venster is an exciting route up the face of Table Mountain that is not particularly well known. It is a fun alternative to the more popular Platteklip Gorge because there is some rock scrambling to keep things interesting. But do take heed of the danger sign - this is indeed a dangerous route and several people have been badly injured here. Be very careful and do not attept it unless you are comfortable with exposed rock scrambling.

This is the simplest and most common route for climbing up Table Mountain. You start from Tafelberg Road and proceed up a steep gully to the top of Table Mountain. Once at the top the Cable Station is a short (10 minutes) walk away so you could even take the cable car down. This little add-on is well worth it just for the views over the city, Atlantic ocean and Robben Island.

The Tranquility Cracks are deep fissures in the rocks on top of the Twelve Apostles mountains near the top of Slangolie Buttress (half way along the Twelve Apostles). The cracks are a labyrinth of natural rock corridors often about 5m deep and sometimes completely enclosed. The Tranquility Cracks make an excellent destination for a hike as they are interesting to explore, in a relatively quiet area and offer stunning views.

The Pipe Track is one of the easiest walks on Table Mountain because it does hardly any climbing. Basically the path follows an old water pipe along a contour from the Kloofnek parking area along the side of table mountain above Camps Bay.  The views of Table Mountain, Lions Head, Twelve Apostles and Camps Bay are wonderful for such an easy hike.

Lions head is by far the easiest of the three famous peaks to climb, and is for that reason extremely popular – even at night! The path begins at the top of Kloofnek and winds all the way around the mountain itself on the way up. This means that you will have views of the City Bowl, Table Mountain, Robben Island, Clifton, Camps Bay and Signal Hill (the Lion’s rump).

Nursery Ravine is one of the paths heading up the mountain from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. From the top corner of the gardens this route rises up the mountain over hundreds and hundreds of stairs. The path is very well maintained and these stairs are a real help when the path is wet and when coming down.

The Mowbray Ridge/Knifes Edge route up Devils Peak is popular but relatively unused. The route begins at the Kings Block House and climbs steeply up Mowbray Ridge before moving along the Knifes Edge and then around to the minor summit of Devils Peak.

Judas Peak is the 12th peak of the Twelve Apostles mountain range and towers over Llandudno and Hout Bay. It is a tough hike and gets quite steep at times and does require some scrambling. Also once you have climbed out of the gulley above Llandudno it can be a little tricky to find the summit (especially if the weather has come in).

Silvermine Nature Reserve is located at the top of Ou Kaapseweg between Muizenberg and Noordhoek. The reserve is split by the road and Silvermine West is the larger and more popular section offering beautiful surroundings and plenty of activities.

Devils Peak is the poor brother of Table Mountain and is not climbed nearly as often. Only slightly less impressive in height, the climb up Devils Peak is enjoyable and challenging with wonderful views most of the way up. Because of the mountain’s lesser fame you are also more likely to have the path to yourself.