How hard is Table Mountain?

Is Table Mountain a hard climb?

It is a hard hike, not a climb: on Platteklip Gorge you walk up stone steps the whole way, without ropes or scrambling. What makes it hard is that the steps go up steeply for 2 to 3 hours without a break in the gradient.

How hard it feels depends on the route you choose. The table below compares the main routes by what makes them demanding. None needs climbing gear or experience on rock except India Venster, which needs a steady head and, for most people, a guide.

How fit do you need to be to hike Table Mountain?

Fit enough to walk uphill on steps for 2 to 3 hours with short rests. If you can walk up stairs for half an hour without stopping, or walk for a few hours on hilly ground, you can reach the top of Platteklip Gorge.

You do not need to be a hiker, but it helps to have done some walking before your trip. The effort is continuous: there is hardly a flat stretch on Platteklip, so the key is a slow, steady pace and short, regular stops rather than long rests. Walking poles help on the way down. If you have heart or knee problems, talk to your doctor before you go, and consider riding up and walking on the top instead.

Age is less of a barrier than people fear. Reviewers of the guided summit hike include a couple in their sixties who found it tough going but well worth the effort, with a guide who gave them plenty of stops. Most guides find that children who walk regularly manage Platteklip from around primary-school age; go early, keep them close on the steps, and pick a cool day. For a shorter taste of the mountain, Lion's Head is half the height.

What are the steps of Platteklip Gorge like?

Stone steps and rocky path almost all the way, built with anti-erosion gabions: well made, never exposed, but steep and often high. There are no ladders, chains or places where you need your hands.

The path starts on Tafelberg Road, crosses the Contour Path and then zigzags up the gorge between high cliffs. The steps are uneven in height, some knee-high, and the upper section is the steepest. The gorge faces north, so in summer it is in full sun from mid-morning and can be hot, while the top can be cold and windy at the same moment. Rangers and patrols cover the route, and there is a security hut at the bottom.

Because it is so busy, Platteklip is the safest route to hike without a guide. The Platteklip Gorge hike (4.9 from 50 reviews) is the guided version, with pickup in the City Bowl, water and a snack, about 2 hours up at the group's pace and time on the top before the cableway down.

How hard is the India Venster scramble?

The hardest standard route up the front face. Most of it is steep, rocky path, but there are easy scramble sections on exposed rock and one short, steep section fitted with metal staples and chains. It needs a head for heights and dry, calm weather.

A scramble here means places where you use your hands as well as your feet, on rock with drops beside you. The moves themselves are not difficult for a confident hiker, and the staples and chains make the steepest section straightforward; the exposure is what makes it serious. The cableway company calls the route extremely difficult and for experienced hikers only. Take it only up, never down, and only in dry, calm weather: wet rock and strong wind turn it into a different route.

With a guide, many first-timers do it happily. The half-day India Venster hike describes the scrambles as nothing too hard for anyone with a good head for heights, and its guides coach you through each one; if heights make you uneasy, choose Platteklip or the Lion's Head or Table Mountain hike instead.

The India Venster hike starts at the Lower Cable Station and follows the route under the cables, with the guide coaching you through the easy scramble sections and the window over India Ravine. About 3 km and 3.5 to 4 hours of hiking; the cableway ticket down is extra.

★ 4.9 (18) · 4.5 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the India Venster hike →

Is hiking up Table Mountain safe?

Yes, with good preparation. Hike in a group, start early in daylight, stay on the busy main routes such as Platteklip Gorge, tell someone your plan and carry water, warm layers and a charged phone. Rangers and volunteer patrols cover the popular trails.

• Go in a group: SANParks suggests groups of four or more, and avoiding hiking alone.
• Start early: hike in daylight, with the whole day ahead of you, and never plan to walk down in the dark.
• Stay on the main routes: Platteklip Gorge is busy from early morning; quieter paths are better with a guide.
• Tell someone: leave your route and expected return time with someone who is not hiking.
• Save the numbers: Table Mountain National Park emergency 086 110 6417, Wilderness Search and Rescue 021 937 0300, and 112 from any mobile.
• Keep valuables out of sight: carry your phone and cash in your pack, not in your hand.
• Turn back: if cloud or wind builds, or anyone in the group is struggling, head down early.

A guided hike takes care of most of this list for you: a small group, a guide qualified in first aid, a route matched to the weather, and someone who knows the way down in cloud. The Lion's Head or Table Mountain hike (5.0 from 2,269 reviews) has a registered guide qualified in first aid, and reviewers mention guides who respect their limits.

How do heat, wind and cloud change the difficulty?

More than any section of path. Heat on the north-facing front in summer, wind on the top, and the tablecloth cloud that can drop visibility to a few metres are the real challenges; start early and check the forecast.

Heat: Platteklip and India Venster face north and are in full sun from mid-morning in summer, with little shade. Start at first light, carry more water than you think, and on a hot day consider Skeleton Gorge, which is shaded forest. Wind: the south-easter can blow hard on the top even when the city is calm, and it is the usual reason the cableway stops; if the cars are not running, you walk down Platteklip.

Cloud: the tablecloth forms when the south-easter pushes moist air up the mountain, and it pours over the edge fast. It is beautiful from below, but on top you may see only a few metres and feel cold and damp: stay on the path and keep your warm layer handy. Rain: in winter, steps and ladders are slippery, and Skeleton Gorge is best avoided after heavy rain. Season by season, see the best time to hike Table Mountain.

What should you carry on a Table Mountain hike?

Plenty of water, a warm layer and a waterproof, food, sun protection and a charged phone with the emergency numbers saved. Wear shoes with good grip; trainers are fine on Platteklip, but hiking shoes are better on the other routes.

• Water: most guides suggest about 2 litres each on Platteklip, more in summer or on the longer routes. There is no water on the way up the front face.
• Warm and waterproof layers: a fleece and a light rain or wind jacket, even on a hot day; the top is often much colder and windier than the city.
• Food: snacks for the way up and something for the top.
• Sun protection: a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses for the exposed front face.
• Shoes: closed shoes with a grippy sole; hiking shoes on India Venster, Skeleton Gorge and Kasteelspoort.
• Phone: fully charged, with 086 110 6417 and 021 937 0300 saved, and a map of the route.
• Head torch: for sunrise starts, and in case a walk down ends near dusk.
• Money or card: for the one-way cableway ticket down and a drink on top, kept in your pack.

Guided hikes differ in what they include: some supply water and a snack, others none, and almost none include the cableway ticket. Check each listing before you pack.

What happens to your body after hiking Table Mountain?

Most people feel it in their thighs and calves the next day, especially after walking down: the steps work your muscles hard on the descent. It usually eases within two or three days; stretch, drink plenty and keep moving gently.

The ache that appears a day or two after a steep hike comes mostly from the downhill part, when your legs brake your weight on every step. That is why hikers who ride the cableway down often feel much better the next morning than those who walked both ways. A few simple things help: stretch your calves and thighs after the hike, drink water through the evening, eat a proper meal, and go for an easy walk the next day rather than resting completely.

If you are planning several hikes in one trip, put the harder one first and give yourself an easy day in between: a morning on the beach, a visit to Kirstenbosch or a ride up the cableway. And if you want to do Lion's Head as well, the comparison guide helps you decide which to do first. For every guided option in one place, see the homepage.

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