We decided to spend Michael's last weekend in South Africa hiking Table Mountain. We were unable to do it the first weekend because Michael got very sick, and there was also some bad weather. So we got up on Saturday and headed for Cape Town.
We were hoping for good weather because Table Mountain can be very dangerous to hike in bad weather, and when there are clouds you cannot see where you are going. Many people have emphasized the weather can change very quickly on Table Mountain. As you can see we started in the sun and with short sleeves.
The beginning was much harder than I expected. It was literally walking straight up for over an hour. Rock after rock after rock. Michael and I were sniffling from having colds, and maybe also the weather. We kept stopping for tissues, and there was a point where I really thought if it continued up the rocks like that there was no way I could make it to the top haha.
Over an hour later the path started to even out, but we still continued to trek upwards. Michael and I were shocked by Laura's speed. She could have already been up and down the mountain twice before we made it to the top! We turned corners expecting to see her, and she would be gone. Michael and I would walk a few more minutes only to spot her perched on a rock in the distance waiting for us!!! She said she just gets into it when she starts hiking which is awesome. She also stopped and noticed beautiful flowers and things growing under the rocks. :) :) :)
For the most part we had a fantastic view of the ocean, the city, and the mountains around us. Up until the very end we could see everything. The sun was out and everything was clear and fresh. However we started to feel mist, and soon we had our sweatshirts on and hoods up as we walked straight up into a valley that was filled with clouds. It was completely white and foggy. We started the last stretch...climbing rocks in this space which felt so mysterious. Laura looked back at Michael and me and she could not get over the fact that it looked like we in the movie, "Lord of the Rings." It was funny because Michael and I both hiked the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand which actually was in "Lord of the Rings." I guess we have theme going here :)
When we got to the top we struggled to see the beautiful view because of the clouds. Occasionally the clouds would move and we could see, but unfortunately I think our most beautiful views were on the way up. Too bad it could not have been a perfectly clear day, but we had so much fun. It was freezing at the top, and honestly we did not think we had the right shoes on to climb back down the mountain. We took the tram down, and within 10 minutes were back in the nice sunshine after over 3 hours of hiking. Such a strange feeling!
Afterwards we visited Bo Kaap. I have a post about that earlier in the blog. Then we walked around Cape Town, found a place for dinner, and headed back to Stellenbosch.
Sunday Michael and I spent the day together. We wanted to try to go whale watching but the weather was quite bad. So we just read and spent time together and got ready for him to leave the next day.
hey Georgia,
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun! Could you have taken the tram to the top? Were there many other people on the hike? on the top? great pictures!
Love you, Aunt susan
Yes. We could have taken the tram to the top. There were some other people we passed along the way...or people who passed us haha! I think more people would have been there if it was not so cloudy...
ReplyDeleteYes. We could have taken the tram to the top. There were some other people we passed along the way...or people who passed us haha! I think more people would have been there if it was not so cloudy...
ReplyDelete