How to climb and what to see on Table Mountain (Cape Town)

A good way to start your Cape Town visit, during your trip to South Africa, is to climb its emblematic mountain, the Table Mountain.

A good reason is that since 2011 it has also been considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

From any perspective Cape, this great mountain with a curious configuration stands majestically over the city in what is undoubtedly an invitation to climb to the top in search of the best Panoramic views of this South African city.

The name of the mountainTable Mountain) describes its characteristic table shape, instead of the usual succession of peaks that mountain massifs usually present.

From afar the Table Mountain shows you a ridge with a longitudinal plateau that is about three kilometers long.

Furthermore, it is common to see a succession of clouds slide from its crest after accumulating on its south-eastern side as a result of cold air and moisture condensation.

Take the Cable Car to Table Mountain in Cape Town

For climb Table Mountain you have another of the icon images Cape, cableway which has been in operation since 1929.

You should know that you can also go up on foot by a hiking route which opens through a gorge directly to the summit, which is at an altitude of almost 1.100 meters...but this ascent will take you two to three hours.

El Table Mountain Cable Car It starts from a station located 363 meters above sea level, and takes only about three minutes to reach the top, with about 800 people being able to climb per hour.

With each cabin capable of holding 65 people, you will surely notice that the cabin rotates slowly as it goes up or down.

Therefore, it is not worth it "stick" with the other passengers to face the outside, since on the way up and down you will turn completely almost a couple of times so that you will be able to enjoy all the perspectives.

What to see from the Table Mountain viewpoints in Cape Town

When you get to the top, you find various viewpoints oriented towards both sides of the mountain.

This way you can enjoy a 360-degree view, which highlights the impressive panoramic views of Cape Town and its surroundings.

In addition, from the top there are various routes for hiking through this upper part of the mountain.

Of course, the operation of the cable car is conditioned by the always variable weather conditions, which you must take into account when choosing clothing for your visit.

Don't forget to go up with a sweater or sweatshirt, because even if the weather seems good in the city, up there you can find more unpleasant circumstances, with cold... and wind.

In this regard I tell you that Cape It is a city that is characterized by its strong winds...and when this happens, the cableway may suspend your service.

The worst thing that can happen to you is that he catches you when you are at the top.

When in the recent trip to south africa with the agency Africa Adventure we go up to the Table Mountain, we had to run to get into one of the last cabins that went down before the cable car service was suspended.

At the cable car departure station it really wasn't windy at all, but when we got to the top, more than wind, there was almost a gale that really prevented us from making a more pleasant visit.

The clouds were passing at high speed over the top, and it was not even easy to take photographs.

After having the snack, because our intention was watch the sunset from Table Mountain, suddenly the loudspeakers that were distributed throughout the viewpoints warned that we had to go down, that the bus service cableway It was going to be discontinued shortly.

As a result of them, the tourists who were at the top, almost running, began to parade towards the cable car station.

Of course, during the ascent and descent at no time did the cabins move, as they have a special system to avoid displacement due to the effect of the wind: they transport 4.000 liters of water at their base.

Table Mountain Cable Car Schedules

The Table Mountain Cable Car Timetable They vary depending on the time of year.

In most of the year the service begins at 8 in the morning, with the last rise, from December to January, at 20,30:21,30 p.m. and the last fall at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

In winter, a time that corresponds to the months of May to September, the last climb is at 17 p.m., with the last descent one hour later.

El cable car ticket price It is R250 (about 20 euros) if you go up in the morning, and R225 if you do it in the afternoon, after 15 p.m. The ticket for children costs R110.

Pictures of Table Mountain in Cape Town

Here you have more photos of Table Mountain, the cable car and the panoramic views of Cape Town and its surroundings.