When looking at a postcard of the Cape Town skyline, the normal picture from left to right is that of Devil’s Peak, followed by Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and then Signal Hill. On Saturday I climbed to the top of Devil’s Peak, the 1,000 meter mountain next to table mountain. In order to reach the spire of Devil’s Peak, one must walk through the saddle, between the peak and Table Mountain. There are a few different routes to reach the saddle, but the most popular is via the Tafelberg Road trail which starts about 3 km past the Table Mountain cable car.
The trek to the peak was breathtaking in more ways than one, and my two housemates and I were able to enjoy the spectacular views on our many water breaks. Although the hike is steep and the trail is covered in obstacles like boulders, streams, and bush, the ever changing terrain keeps the journey interesting. The hike starts with a steep, rocky, dirt mountain trail, then becomes a lush grassland covered in streams, and finishes with a bouldery climb to the peak.
The hike took the three of us about 4 and a half hours (2:15 to reach the peak, 45 minutes at the top, and 1:30 back down). From Devil’s Peak, we could see the city bowl, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill on one side of Table Mountain, and the Northern suburbs on the other side.
Absolutely Beautiful!
Kenzie, at that kind of altitude, that must’ve been a terribly exhausting hike! You’ve got pretty amazing stamina, girl!