... on 9 October 2010 a bunch of friends climbed Table Mountain in Cape Town
... and rested often
What gorgeous scenery ...
India ravine in green which we traversed, right to left, just below the rocks.
You can just see the path on the right hand side.
Looking across India ravine to the base of the crux section.
Higher and higher and more rests to take in the scenery.
Resting below the crux
Resting above the crux.
I used Andi's video to film the crux pitch so there will be links to you tube here soon!
And up and down went the tourists.
We were having much more fun.
Carla says, "Don't let my Mom see these photos!"
"It doesn't look so bad in this photo, you can't tell why i'm grabbing on that rock so hard :)"
Carla says, "Do not do this if you cannot deal with heights! But for me the challenge bit was the one with the staples and chains...and greasy hands.."
But unfortunately we all need to use sunscreen!
Andi catching breath and settling the wobbly knees.
Go girl - you did good. Much less swearing compared to the first occasion!
Steve was very casual about the entire climb. Very laid back.
Hup we go Steve
Hup we go Gigi
Life is good
Steve sharing one of my favourite places on the planet.
Carla says, "Mine too"
Andi and Steve chilling out for a moment.
Up here Andi and Steve - don't look back!
Christian bouldering
Ride that rock Christian
Carla adds to the cairn on the edge while the gobbed smacked tourists sail by
Carla says, "This is the one I don't want my Mum to see!"
Then we walk around on to Fountain ledge and Carla photographs an Agama (Bloukopkoggelmander!)
Carla with the corner of Clifton Beach and the whole of Camps Bay beach far below
Photographing the rock climbers above Fountain ledge
A couple of tricky scrambles to ascend up levels on Fountain ledge
Look at that wonderful view again
There are the rock climbers everyone was photographing. they were taking the more direct route!
The 3 fixed ropes were those of Absail Africa, a commercial group that allows climber/tourists to absail off the top of the mountain.
Nice work Andi.
Although you don't seem quite vertical to the horizon?
But we didn't go down!
Andi and Steve arrived first.
And were shortly joined by all the others.
One of the rules of the mountain is never to loose contact with anyone in the group!
We walked right across the mountain (Christian and I taking a detour to the cable station to fill everyones water bottles) to Maclear's Beacon, the highest point on the mountain.
The plaque on Maclear's Beacon
Steve posing on Mclear's Beacon
After 'climbing' the beacon we all had a well deserved lunch break in the amphitheater just below the beacon
Walking back from Mclears beacon across the Eastern Table towards Platteklip Gorge and the upper cable station on the Western Table
The National Parks staff have built walkways across the marshy sections to prevent erosion
Chondropetalum sp. (Restionaceae) beautifully back lit in the late afternoon sun
Everlastings (Helichrysum sp.) on the Eastern Table
Carla admiring the view from the top edge of the mountain
Gigi and Carla at the upper cable station before we all took the lazy way down!
All of us at the upper cable station before the decent.
Carla hamming it up for Xanic as we left the lower cable station
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