Of course a trip to Cape Town would be incomplete without a hike up Table Mountain. There are multiple trails leading to its top, and after some research I decided to take the India Venster trail. India Venster is said to be the most difficult and dangerous trail ascending Table Mountain, and as various websites warn not to attempt this hike without an experienced guide initially I was doubting whether or not to take this route. I was not to be deterred though, as India Venster is also said to be one of the most beautiful ways up Table Mountain.
The hike up India Venster was stated to take two to four hours one-way, so I set off early in the morning and I took my first steps on the slopes of Table Mountain before 7:00. I put on a decent pace and quickly ascended while the morning sun was starting to warm the city at my back. As advertised the Indian Venster trail turned out to be a beautiful hike, and the dire warnings as to its difficulty proved exaggerated in my opinion. Along the trail was a single spot where I had to cross a steep vertical section, but there were some iron chains attached to the rocks to facilitate the traversal.
The only way is up!
In fact, I made way better time than I was laid to believe and reached the top of Table Mountain in barely 1 hour and 15 minutes. While I was idling around the plateau that forms the summit of Table Mountain a few other early birds started trickling in. I had considered doing the abseiling off the edge of Table Mountain, but because I had reached the top way earlier than I had anticipated it would take more than an hour before they would start operating. Also, as the wind had picked up it was quite chilly on top of the mountain, and despite that I was wearing a thick sweater I had to suppress some shivers, which made me decide against waiting for the abseiling to open. Instead I took a last look around the peculiar flat peak of Table Mountain and got started on the descend.
Halfway up Table Mountain as the morning dawns.
This time I took the trail via Platteklip Gorge, which is the most direct and most popular way up Table Mountain. The zigzagging trail is well laid out and my walk down was relatively easy albeit somewhat boring, and the long descend was slightly taxing on my knees. By the time I was nearing the foot of the mountain I could see the long queues of people waiting for the cableway to take them to the top, with more busses full of tourists arriving and departing. This is a bit like cheating though, and I am glad I took the picturesque India Venster trail up despite the many cautionary stories found online.