Table Mountain - a natural wonder

Today I crossed Tafelberg Road and took my first step up Table Mountain. This was a momentous occasion and I don't know why it has taken me 62 years to do it. As a modern Wonder of the World, Table Mountain has held a place in my heart since I was a small child. After living in England for two years in the 60s, I can state without a doubt that the thing I missed most was the sight of Table Mountain and it was the best birthday present to sail back into Table Bay on the Pendennis Castle on my 9th birthday, in 1966. I have been up a few times in the original cable car (a frighteningly small and totally without safety features box that now stands next to the road at the lower cable station), and possibly in the new ultramodern one (although time does fly and I may not have!), but never have I actually walked the paths of Table Mountain. I was not disappointed.
We took the path of least exertion, thank goodness, and started at the end of Tafelberg Road on the Oppelskop track, which was a fairly strenuous but not impossible zigzag up to the upper contour path which runs just below the vertical cliff face. Being a public holiday, the public were out in full force and there was seldom a time when we were not pressing our backs to the wall to let others by - most seemed to be going in the opposite direction. Platteklip Gorge was a continuous stream of hikers, which made for easy assessment of the climb for future reference - a good 3-hour hike. The vegetation is recovering quickly from two recent arson incidents, and large tracts of sugarbush and protea were a delight to the eye.

The track is very narrow with a steep drop and there were times when I couldn't look to my right for fear of falling, but that is probably an exaggeration and normal people would not consider it a dangerous hike! A highlight was crossing the perennial stream that flows from a source inside the sponge-like mountain and has since time immemorial ensured a source of pure water for those dwelling below. It was a place to contemplate the marvel of nature.

We passed under the cable cars whizzing up and down, ferrying a constant cargo of passengers to get a better view, but I can't say there was anything wrong with ours as we traversed the trail and eventually reached the beacon overlooking Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles. A year ago, I took photos with my zoom from the City Bowl of people standing at the beacon, never dreaming that I would ever be standing there myself!
The descent from the beacon to the lower parking area was steep and treacherously slippery and it would never be my choice to begin the hike at that end, so it is fortunate that there is an alternative. Despite being careful, I did end up flat on my back, although my hiking pole did enable me to achieve this position with a modicum of dignity. Caution should be exercised wherever there are patches of tiny white gravel!
Altogether a great hike and a privilege to have trodden this wonderful mountain.