Table Mountain, South Africa

The Majestic Table Mountain  stands proud overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa and is also featured in the official flag as well as other local insigna. The mountain forms a part of the Table Mountain National Park which makes it a major tourist attraction.

the flat top of the mountain was the reason behind its name. the view from the top of the Table Mountain ha been described as one of the most epic views in Africa and so it forms a prominent landmark overlooking the city.

The highest point on the Table Mountain is the eastern end of the plateau which is marked by Maclear’s Beacon.3,563, feet above the sea level. Local legend attributes the phenomenon of the formation of the Orrographich clouds on the flat top of the mountain called Table Cloth, as a smoking competition between the Devilo and local pirate called Van Hunks. As soon as the table cloth comes into view. The table Mountain is at the northern end of a sandstone mountain range that forms the back bone of the cape peninsula.

Table Mountain Sandstone is found in abundance on the upper part of the mountain Mesa. The Table Mountain Sandstone is highly resistant to erosion and forms characteristic steep ridges.

Cableway

The Table Mountain Cable is situated on the top of the mountain and is one of the most popular tourist attractions, attracting around 800,000 visitors using the cableway. The cable is used to take  the  tourists from the lower cable station on Tafellberg road which is about 302 meters above the sea level to the plateau top of the mountain. The station located on top of the mountain offers a splendind view of the city of Cape Town.

The table Mountain offers various hiking trails  of varying difficulty, whicha rre enjoyed mostly by the locals and the tourists of course. Since the peak is surrounded by steep cliffs direct assents from the city side are limited.

Rock climbing on the Table Mountain serves as a very popular pass time. One finds numerous well documented climbing routes that vary in the level ov difficulty, up the many faces of the mountain. The main climbs are located on the cliffs below the cable station. Since no Bottling are allowed one has to resort to traditional climbing only.

Table Mountain is an exception since it has several large cave systems that have developed in Sandstone. Among these caves the Wynberg Caves are the biggest. These caves are located on the Black table near the Jeep Track overlooking the Orangekloof and Hout Bay.

The slopes of the Table Mountain offer a number of Jeep tracks which are utilized for mountain biking.  The route to the Block House is a popularly used biking track. The mountain has a very steep Jeep Track by the name of Plum Pudding. To be on the right track and safe, bike riders should follow the directional signs on display for mountain bike riders.