Jaunted

We'd spent our first day in the city stuffing our faces while checking out the restaurants and bars on Long Street, so we decided to spend day two burning some calories climbing to the top of Table Mountain. Kev, the friendly and knowledgeable bartender at our hostel, told us there were more than 300 routes to the top of the 1,000-meter mountain.

With loads options it was hard to choose, but the Platteklip Gorge walk on the City Bowl side remains one of the most popular hikes. It's well traveled and pretty straightforward--in other words, hard to get lost on. So after consulting with Kev, we decided this was our best option.

Since we were on a tight budget, we decided to skip the suggested taxi ride to the base of the mountain and instead walk the 10 km from Long Street. There was a sign warning against this in our hostel kitchen, saying the trek is "no fun." But the savings was close to R80 ($10)--and well, that could buy us more than a few beers later on. So we laced up our hiking boots and took to the streets.

Let's just say: Lesson learned.

The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining, but even the greatest conditions wouldn't have made this walk pleasant. The route took us along Long Street, up winding roads through residential areas and to a straight-up vertical hike on a tarred road that left us winded and whining. With 2 km of uphill walking left, we cut our losses and hopped into a combi for a mere R5.

Lucky for us, one of the 300 ways to the top of Table Mountain is a ride in a 65-passenger cable car. At R130 for adults (or R88 for students and volunteers) roundtrip, it's an expensive way to see the summit. But if you're short on time (or dumb enough to walk from town!), it's the perfect alternative to the standard issue hike. And we found the views from the top are just as spectacular.

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