Lion's Head, almost

Today I did something I have never had any ambition to do. Climb Lion's Head. Not quite to the top, but close enough for someone who has a fear of heights, steep cliff faces and narrow tracks.
It was yet another magnificent autumn day in Cape Town - barely a breeze, blue skies, calm seas - marred only by low smog preventing us from seeing to the far, far distant mountain ranges of the escarpment and the hinterland beyond.
The initial steep climb up a gravel jeep track was just training for the rock climbing to come, and many younger people passed us coming down from their presumably post-dawn hike to the summit. In fact, many younger people passed us going up as well, and being the polite hikers we are, we gladly stepped aside and pressed ourselves against the rockface to let them get ahead. At full moon the path is clogged with climbers wanting to see the sunset and moonrise at the same time, and the very thought of being part of the human chain on that precarious path is enough to make sure I never join them. Weekends are also pretty crowded on Lion's Head, with dogs, children and babies in backpacks joining the throng. Nevertheless, it remains a challenging, and in places downright treacherous hike, not to be taken lightly by the faint-hearted or vertigo-averse.
I belong to the latter group, and decided this was the perfect opportunity to test the brain and convince it that you can change your mind and change your life. Going up was difficult, but constant encouragement from my fellow hikers kept me going without incident. Climbing the first ladder, clinging to the staples in the rocks and pulling myself along the chain turned out to be fun, but there was still an even more challenging scramble up the rocks on the so-called 'safer' route. As I went up, I wondered how I was going to get down.
The views are stupendous and the air was like champagne. Any second thoughts about doing the hike were instantly swept away and for that I am very grateful. We are so privileged to have all this beauty on our doorstep. An Australian couple who I took photos of with all the appropriate landmarks in the background were blown away by Cape Town - the most beautiful city in the world. We had to agree. Of course, there was no southeaster to taint their enjoyment!
Going down was a doddle. I never gave a thought to the steep drop on my right and clambered easily down the rocks I had been so concerned about on the way up. My only regret was that I did not get someone to take a photo of me clinging to the rockface, supported only by the staples clenched in white-knuckled fists! I will have to go back for that.

Proof that I was there

Not much of a path, although quite wide here

Not too happy at this stage, sitting well back from edge

The path

End in sight, but not ready for that degree of ladders and chains

Twelve Apostles and Camps Bay