Table Mountain
Table Mountain | |
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Huriǂoaxa Tafelberg | |
Bloubergstrand. Table Mountain is flanked by Devil's Peak on the left and Lion's Head on the right. | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,084.6 m (3,558 ft)[1] |
Prominence | 1,055 m (3,461 ft) |
Listing | List of mountains in South Africa |
Coordinates | 33°57′26.33″S 18°24′11.19″E / 33.9573139°S 18.4031083°E |
Geography | |
, South Africa | |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Silurian/Ordovician |
Mountain type | Sandstone |
Climbing | |
First ascent | António de Saldanha, 1503 |
Easiest route | Platteklip Gorge |
Table Mountain (
Features
The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau approximately three kilometres (2 mi) from side to side, edged by steep cliffs. The plateau, flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and by Lion's Head to the west, forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. This broad sweep of mountainous heights, together with Signal Hill, forms the natural amphitheatre of the City Bowl and Table Bay harbour. The highest point on Table Mountain is towards the eastern end of the plateau and is marked by Maclear's Beacon, a stone cairn built in 1865 by Sir Thomas Maclear for trigonometrical survey. It is 1,086 metres (3,563 ft) above sea level, and about 19 metres (62 ft) higher than the cable station at the western end of the plateau.
The cliffs of the main plateau are split by Platteklip Gorge ("Flat Stone Gorge"), which provides an easy and direct ascent to the summit and was the route taken by António de Saldanha on the first recorded ascent of the mountain in 1503.[5]
The flat top of the mountain is often covered by
Table Mountain is at the northern end of a
Geology
The upper approximately 600-metre (2,000 ft) portion of the one-kilometre-high (0.62 mi) table-topped mountain, or
The basement rocks are not nearly as resistant to weathering as the TMS, but significant outcrops of the Cape Granite are visible on the western side of Lion's Head, and elsewhere on the Peninsula (especially below Chapman's Peak Drive, and The Boulders near Simon's Town).[7][10][11] The weathered granite soil of the lower slopes of the Peninsula Mountain range are more fertile than the nutrient-poor soils derived from TMS. Most of the vineyards found on the Cape Peninsula are therefore found on these granitic slopes of the Table Mountain range.
The mountain owes its table-top flatness to the fact that it is a
Table Mountain is the northernmost end of a 50-kilometre-long (30 mi) and roughly six-to-ten-kilometre-wide (4 to 6 mi) Cape Fold Mountain range that forms the backbone of the Cape Peninsula, stretching from the Cape of Good Hope in the south to Table Mountain and its flanking Devil's Peak (to the east) and Lion's Head and Signal Hill (to the west) in the north. Table Mountain forms the highest point of this range. The range runs parallel to the other Cape Fold Mountain ranges on the mainland to the east.
Flora
Table Mountain and the Back Table have an unusually rich biodiversity. Its vegetation consists predominantly of several different types of the unique and rich Cape
occur in smaller portions on the mountain.Table Mountain's vegetation types form part of the
Remnant patches of indigenous forest persist in the wetter ravines. However, much of the indigenous forest was felled by the early European settlers for fuel for the lime kilns needed during the construction of the Castle.[18] The exact extent of the original forests is unknown, though most of it was probably along the eastern slopes of Devil's Peak, Table Mountain and the Back Table where names such as Rondebosch, Kirstenbosch, Klassenbosch and Witteboomen survive (in Dutch "bosch" means forest; and "boomen" means trees). Hout Bay (in Dutch "hout" means wood) was another source of timber and fuel as the name suggests.[18] In the early 1900s commercial pine plantations were planted on these slopes all the way from the Constantiaberg to the front of Devil's Peak, and even on top of the mountains, but these have now been largely cleared allowing fynbos to flourish in the regions where the indigenous Afromontane forests have not survived, or never existed.
Fynbos is a fire adapted vegetation, and providing fires are not too frequent, regular or intense, they are important drivers of fynbos diversity.
Despite intensive conservation efforts the Table Mountain range has the highest concentration of
Fauna
The most common mammal on the mountain was the
Table Mountain is also home to
Up until the late 1990s baboons lived on all the mountains of the Peninsula, including the Back Table immediately behind Table Mountain. Since then they have abandoned Table Mountain and the Back Table, and only occur south of Constantia Nek. They have also abandoned the tops of many of the mountains, in favor of the lower slopes, particularly when these were covered in pine plantations which seemed to provide them with more, or higher quality food than the fynbos on the mountain tops. However these new haunts are also within easy reach of Cape Town's suburbs, which brings them into conflict with humans and dogs, and the risk of traffic accidents. There are now (2014) a dozen troops on the Peninsula, varying in size from 7 to over 100 individuals, scattered on the mountains from the Constantiaberg to Cape Point.[31][32] The baboon troops are the subject of intense research into their physiology, genetics social interactions and habits. In addition, their sleeping sites are noted each evening, so that monitors armed with paint ball guns can stay with the troop all day, to ward them off from wandering into the suburbs. From when this initiative was started in 2009 the number of baboons on the Peninsula has increased from 350 to 450, and the number of baboons killed or injured by residents has decreased.[32]
Himalayan tahrs, fugitive descendants of tahrs that escaped from Groote Schuur Zoo in 1936, used to be common on the less accessible upper parts of the mountain. As an exotic species, they were almost eradicated through a culling programme initiated by the South African National Parks to make way for the reintroduction of indigenous klipspringers. Until recently there were also small numbers of fallow deer of European origin and sambar deer from southeast Asia. These were mainly in the Rhodes Memorial area but during the 1960s they could be found as far afield as Signal Hill. These animals may still be seen occasionally despite efforts to eliminate or relocate them.
On the lower slopes of
History
Prehistoric inhabitation of the district is well attested (see for example the article on
These original inhabitants of the area so-called "
António de Saldanha was the first European to land in Table Bay. He climbed the mighty mountain in 1503 and named it Taboa do Cabo (Table of the Cape, in his native Portuguese). The great cross that the Portuguese navigator carved into the rock of Lion's Head is still traceable.
In 1796, during the British occupation of the Cape, Major-General Sir James Craig ordered three blockhouses to be built on Table Mountain: the King's blockhouse, Duke of York blockhouse (later renamed Queen's blockhouse) and the Prince of Wales blockhouse. Two of these are in ruins today, but the King's blockhouse is still in good condition.[36][37][38] and easily accessible from the Rhodes Memorial.
Between 1896 and 1907, five dams, the Woodhead, Hely-Hutchinson, De Villiers, Alexandria and Victoria reservoirs, were opened on the Back Table to supply Cape Town's water needs. A ropeway ascending from Camps Bay via Kasteelspoort ravine was used to ferry materials and manpower (the anchor points at the old top station can still be seen). There is a well-preserved steam locomotive from this period housed in the Waterworks Museum at the top of the mountain near the Hely-Hutchinson dam. It had been used to haul materials for the dam across the flat top of the mountain. Cape Town's water requirements have since far outpaced the capacity of the dams and they are no longer an important part of the water supply.
Arguments for a national park on the Cape Peninsula, centred on Table Mountain, began in earnest in the mid-1930s. Following a big fire in 1986, the Cape Times started a 'save the mountain' campaign, and in 1989 the Cape Peninsula Protected Natural Environment (CPPNE) area was established. However, environmental management was still bedeviled by the fragmented nature of land ownership on the Peninsula. Following another big fire in 1991, Attorney General Frank Kahn was appointed to reach consensus on a plan for rationalizing management of the CPPNE. In 1995, Prof. Brian Huntley recommended that SANParks be appointed to manage the CPPNE, with an agreement signed in April 1998 to transfer around 39,500 acres to SANParks. On 29 May 1998, then-president Nelson Mandela proclaimed the Cape Peninsula National Park. The park was later renamed to the Table Mountain National Park.[39]
Fires are common on the mountain. The most recent major fires include those of January 2006, which burned large amounts of vegetation and resulted in the death of a tourist (a charge of arson and culpable homicide was laid against a British man who was suspected of starting the blaze), and March 2015.[40] There was a major fire in April 2021 that affected the Rhodes Memorial and the University of Cape Town.[41]
In November 2011, Table Mountain was named one of the
Cableway
The
The original construction was awarded in 1926 to the former world-renowned cable way company Adolf Bleichert & Co. of Leipzig, Germany,[44] taking more than two years to build the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, due to infrastructural works, official opening was on 4 October 1929.
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has been refurbished three times since its first inauguration in 1929. The first refurbishment occurred in 1958, the second in 1974, whereas the third, latest and most important reconstruction has been started in 1996, which began operation in 1997 and included a "Rotair" panorama gondola manufactured by the Swiss company Garaventa AG – CWA (
Many improvements have been introduced since 1929, with new and bigger gondolas that increased capacity from 20 up to 65 passengers per gondola. However, both the valley and mountain station buildings are original, even they have been extensively upgraded. The new cable cars give a faster journey to the summit, and rotate through 360 degrees during the ascent or descent, giving a panoramic view over the city.
The top cable station offers viewpoints, curio shops, a restaurant and walking trails of various lengths.
Activities
Hiking on Table Mountain
Hiking on Table Mountain is popular amongst locals and tourists, and a number of trails of varying difficulty are available. Because of the steep cliffs around the summit, direct ascents from the city side are limited. Platteklip Gorge, a prominent gorge up the centre of the main table, is a popular and straightforward direct ascent to the summit. Par for the course is about 2.5 hours depending on fitness. This route is very hot in summer, as it is located on the north facing slope of the mountain, with almost no shade along the 600 m climb from Tafelberg Road to the Table Mountain plateau.
Longer routes to the summit go via the Back Table, a lower area of Table Mountain south of the main plateau which constitutes the flat summit of Table Mountain as seen from the north. From the Southern Suburbs side, the Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge routes start at
There are a number of ascents on the Atlantic side of the mountain, the most popular being Kasteelspoort, a ravine overlooking Camps Bay.
There is a popular "Contour Path" that runs from
On top of the mountain, and particularly on the Back Table, there is an extensive network of well marked hiking paths over a variety of terrains and distances and durations up to several hours or all day.[45] Maps of all the routes are available at bookshops and outdoor recreation stores, which hikers are advised to use, as dense mist and cold weather (or extreme heat) can descend without warning at any time of the year.
The
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Winter ascent of Table Mountain. Hikers set out on one of the many popular trails
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The plaque atNicolas Louis de Lacaille had measured the curvature of a meridian arc northwards from Cape Town, to determine the figure of the Earth, and found that the curvature of the Earth was less in southern latitudes than at corresponding northern ones (i.e. that the Earth was slightly pear-shaped, with the wider bulge south of the equator). However, when Sir George Everest visited the Cape in 1820 and inspected the site of La Caille's measurements in Cape Town, he suggested to Maclear that the gravitational effect of Table Mountain could have caused a miscalculation of the curvature of the meridian. This was based on Everest's experience in the Himalayas. Taking this factor into account Maclearestablished the curvature of the Southern Hemisphere was in fact the same as that of the Northern Hemisphere.
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Map showing the conservation areas and forests of the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and the Back table. e.g.Kirstenbosch, Newlands Forest, and Groote Schuur Estate. The north face of the mountain (Table Mountain flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and Lion's Headto the west, as well as the "Twelve Apostles" on the Atlantic side are also shown.
Rock climbing
Rock climbing on Table Mountain is a very popular pastime. There are well-documented climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty up the many faces of the mountain. The main climbs are located on cliffs below the upper cable station. No bolting can be done here and only traditional climbing is allowed. Commercial groups also offer abseiling from the upper cable station.
Caving
Most of the world's important caves occur in limestone but Table Mountain is unusual in having several large cave systems that have developed in sandstone. The biggest systems are the Wynberg Caves, located on the Back Table, not far from the Jeep Track, in ridges overlooking Orange Kloof and Hout Bay.
Mountain biking
The slopes of Table Mountain have many jeep tracks that allow mountain biking. The route to the Block House is a popular route for bike riding. Plum Pudding Hill is the name of a very steep jeep track. Bike riders should follow the directional signs on display for mountain bike riders.
"Mensa" constellation
Table Mountain is the only
Image gallery
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Devil's Peak seen from Signal Hill
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View from Signal Hill with Devil's Peak to the left
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The "tablecloth" cloud formation over the north face of Table Mountain
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North face of Table Mountain seen from above the lower cable station.
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Upper Cable Station from the summit of Lion's Head
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The cable car with Robben Island in the background
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Lion's Head as seen from Table Mountain cable car.
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Cape Town and Table Bay from the slopes of Devil's Peak, showing some of the mountain biking jeep tracks.
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The concrete part of the Bridle Path—the most gradually-inclined route to the Back Table
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Time is a Gift, one of several plaques at the top of Table Mountain
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Warning sign at India Venster, Contour Path, Table Mountain
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Shop at the Top, Table Mountain
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Table Mountain andBloubergstrand.
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View from Milnerton beach
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View of Table Mountain from Blouberg beach.
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View of Table Mountain at sunset.
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As seen from the other side of Table Bay at sunset.
See also
- Cape Peninsula – Rocky peninsula in the Western Cape, South Africa
- Western Cape – Province of South Africa on the south-western coast
- Cape Fold Mountains – Late Paleozoic fold and thrust belt in southwestern South Africa
- Devil's Peak – Mountain peak in Cape Town, South Africa
- Lion's Head – Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa
- Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides
- Table Mountain National Park – A nature conservation area on the Cape Peninsula in Cape Town, South Africa
Footnotes
- ^ In 2011–2012 dassies began to be seen in Bakoven, on the Atlantic coast, below the Twelve Apostles Mountains. They were then seen in the Silvermine region of the Table Mountain National Park, and in 2015 at the restaurant on the top of the western end of Table Mountain, as well as elsewhere in the mountains. But even in 2017 dassies are still not as abundant as they were on the Peninsula Mountain Chain in the 1990s.
References
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- ^ "15 Things You Didn't Know About Table Mountain". 2017.
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- ^ "Table Mountain fire 'burns out of control' in Cape Town". BBC News. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
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