HAVEN’T CLIMBED TABLE MOUNTAIN BEFORE?
Do these five tried-and-tested routes first to see if the hiking bug bites
1. & 2. NURSERY RAVINE AND SKELETON GORGE
Both routes start from Kirstenbosch and are steep but shady. Most people go up Skeleton and down Nursery, but I prefer the reverse as the scrambling takes strain off your knees. At the top, you can go round the back of Nursery Buttress past the dams, or follow the Smuts Trail around the front.
3. KASTEELPOORT
Branching off the Pipe Track above Camps Bay, Kasteelpoort is the most popular route on the Apostles side. At the top, turn left to amble through the beautiful Valley of the Red Gods and reach the start of Diagonal (signposted). A fun variation is to leave a car in Kirstenbosch, then walk across the back table past the dams and down Nursery or Skeleton.
4. NEWLANDS RAVINE
This is a good hike for a hot day as it’s in deep shade all the way up. From the Newlands Forest parking, walk up to the Contour Path, turn right and stroll along the boardwalks until you reach the signpost for Newlands Ravine. The route tops out on the saddle between Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain, so you can carry on to the summit of Devil’s Peak. If you leave a car on Tafelberg Road, you can descend via the Saddle Path on the city side.
5. INDIA VENSTER
Starting at the lower cable-car station, India Venster is a more advanced step to exulting in your superior status as a hiker. The route takes you up dramatic scrambles and ladders while the poor mugs packed into the cable car gape down at you. But don’t gloat too much, as you’ll probably want to catch a ride back with them. (If you do walk down, it’s safer to descend via Platteklip Gorge.)