Taming the Lion

One of the “must dos” here in Cape Town is climbing to the top of Table Mountain.  We did it last time here and it’s a great hike with an amazing view at the summit.  Sadly the tropical storm force winds and “table cloth” cloud that is common this time of year kept us from experiencing that climb this visit.

View from the bottom.

But traveling is all about being flexible. When we discovered Table Mountain was closed we simply changed our plans and climbed the mountain just to the right, Lion’s Head.  It may not have the prestige of its giant flat-top neighbor but it’s a great climb with just as an amazing view. 

Kelly and I hike up the mountain with our friend Dan, the IT guy on the ship.  We started hiking up the dirt path from the base at around 9am.  As we made our way around the backside of the mountain we started getting a great view of the beach towns of Bantry Bay and Camps Bay.  Hearing the ocean way up on the mountain made it a tranquil hike too.  It really was a beautiful day with a bright blue sky and wispy clouds.  There were a few big gusts of wind at a few points but it was calm for most of the climb.

The tip top with my towel.

As we climbed higher up the mountain the trail did start to get more challenging.  There were a few spots where a latter and handles had been installed into the rocks to assist but other times it felt like I was rock climbing, looking for holds and places to place my foot to hoist myself up onto the next bolder.  When got to the summit, 2,195 feet above sea level, the view was incredible.  We had a 360 degree view of Cape Town and were able to see Robben Island and even our ship off in the harbor.  We stayed at the top for a while, had a snack and took a bunch of pictures and then made our way back down.  We were back at the ship for lunch and still had the rest of the day to walk around Cape Town.

I’m really glad we were flexible and went with the flow when our plans changed.  Things ended up working out perfectly.  It reminded me of our trip to the giant Buddha in Hong Kong when we escaped the city and got out into nature.  Sometimes it’s really nice to have a peaceful afternoon and to get back to nature and just enjoy the outdoors.