Slopes of Table Mountain

A jewel of a day dawned in the Mother City, as autumn finally sets in. The light mist along the coastal road from Hout Bay to Camps Bay was a sign of the chill in the air as we parked near the lower cable station on Tafelberg Road. Queues of prospective passengers for the cableway stood remarkably patiently, and bus after bus was lined up to haul them off to the next tourist attraction the instant they made the downward trip. Kilometres of cars lined the road. Luckily we were there to hike, and tossed our heads nonchalantly as we passed the ticket office.

The track down to Deer Park is directly opposite that which leads up Platteklip Gorge, the most popular pedestrian route up Table Mountain and a steady three-and-a-half hour upward trudge. I was even more relieved that we were going down the opposite way! Of course, that which goes down always means a climb on the way back, but we put that out of our minds and enjoyed the meander beneath the towering rock face of Table Mountain on a crisp autumn day.

More than an hour later we reached Deer Park, at the very top of the residential area of the mountain slope, and passed many people on mountains bikes, or walking their dogs, and also a small group who were carrying empty containers to draw water from the river that runs through the park. This perennial river has provided water to every inhabitant from ancient times until now, and is the reason for the original settlement here. The old wash houses are still there, although now converted into luxury accommodation for hikers on the Hoerikwagga Trail that winds across the Peninsula down to Cape Point, and one cannot envy the washerwomen of those days who must have toiled up and down that steep slope daily.

The route back was almost straight up and certainly gave the legs a good workout. Sugarbirds in abundance flitted and flapped their long tails from protea to sugarbush and more proteas. It was good to see so many birds and also butterflies in large numbers. A mongoose scuttled into the undergrowth and lizards lazed on warm, weathered rocks.
Back at the cars, we were amazed to see lines of people just starting the ascent up Platteklip Gorge. Midday is not the best of times to toil up a steep climb with no shade. I still haven't decided if that one is even on my bucket list!