DAY 2
Destination: Cape Town – Kirstenbosch –
Table Mountain
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Table Mountain Hike
After breakfast you will be picked up for a journey to
the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. This
point to point walk across Table Mountain starts
from Kirstenbosch Gardens. An easy stroll
through the gardens takes us to the steeper
ascent of the Skeleton Gorge. Once in the gorge
we are surrounded by magnificent indigenous
forest which provides us with welcome shade. We
walk close to the stream to the half-way point
where there are a couple of ladders to tackle and a
rockfall to scramble over. Nearing the top the
trees thin out allowing us views over False Bay
and the Constantia Valley all the way to the
Hottentot Holland Mountains. Breakfast rock
signals the top of the gorge and from here you hike
along the eastern flank of the mountain to
Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point. Here there
are spectacular views over the whole of the Table
Mountain chain all the way to Cape Point.
See typical mountain fynbos en route your hike,
some interesting rock formations and maybe a
sunbird or even a sugarbird. At the beacon, Table
Bay, Robben Island and Devil’s Peak take us by
surprise as we realise we have crossed the
mountain. Here we take a well-earned break
before walking across the Central Table with the
City of Town, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill soon
coming into view. An hour from the beacon we arrive
at the cableway station with still plenty of time to
visit the various viewing platforms and look for a
dassie. The descent is towards the city..
The hike takes approximately 6 to 7 hours.