Table Mountain: Skeleton Gorge
Arguably one of the most well-known mountains in Africa, Table Mountain provides a magnificent backdrop to cosmopolitan Cape Town and now boasts the accolade of New 7 Wonders of Nature. A wild mountain that offers challenging climbs and sheer cliffs, I just couldn't wait to hike it. After doing quite a bit of research on the dozens, if not hundreds, of trails, Skeleton Gorge stood out to me, mainly because of it's professed difficulty. The trail begins in the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and follows a stream up through the forested ravine. With an elevation climb of 3,100 ft in 3.8 miles (930 m / 6.2 km), the trail is relatively strenuous, but still suitable for hikers with moderate experience. Some ladders have been bolted in place to assist climbing over the rugged terrain.
From Skeleton Gorge, we advanced above the timberline and connected to Smut's Track which leads to Maclear's Beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain measuring 3,563 ft (1,086 meters) above sea level. Holy moly it was windy!!! Then we traversed the summit plateau for about an hour until reaching the aerial cableway, stopping along the way to enjoy our packed lunches. At the summit by the cableway, there are a few establishments including a cafe, snack kiosks, a lounge, and, appropriately, a gift shop.
We purchased our ticket for the cablecar to take down the mountain. While I'm glad to have checked it off my list, I'd rather just hike down next time. It was much too crowded, kind of expensive, the queue was out the building, and people kept pushing each other to have a view during the three-minute ride. Regardless, it was still a worthy experience.
