A Walk In The Clouds
Honestly, I really do feel like a tourist in my own city with all the adventures I’m experiencing for the first time! Last week Saturday, Active Africa invited some of our staff members, including myself, to go on an educational hike on Table Mountain with them to give us a little taste of the services they offer their clients.
Now, I know that Table Mountain is in no way a subtle landmark trying to discourage individuals from seeking it out. I also know that it is a significant tourist attraction that receives thousands of visitors daily – local or not – but can you believe I’ve only ever been there once, when I was 12 years old? Naturally, I can’t remember anything from when I was 12, so I was super excited to have the opportunity to go and relive the beauty of one of the 7 Wonders of Nature overlooking our beautiful Mother City.
Our day started off at the Aerial Cableway Station where we met up with the guys from Active Africa, and after giving us complimentary water bottles and a brief safety rundown, we were on our way up the mountain in a cable car. The morning was very overcast, and the mountain was cloaked in a large cloud which, as we went up, blinded us from any views of the city and only allowed us to see a few hundred meters in front of us. The ride up felt like something out of a fantasy thriller movie as we ascended the mountain and vanished into the clouds. It was completely eerie in the coolest way ever! It felt like we were in our own little world and not merely 1,086 meters above a bustling city.
When we reached the top, we were shrouded in complete tranquility especially seeing as there were not a lot of people there that early in the morning. Thus, our trek to Maclear’s Beacon began! We set the 5.5 kilometer hike off at a relaxed pace to be able to walk, talk, joke and take plenty of pictures. Our guide was very informative as we frequently stopped so that he could tell us about some of the plant species that grow up there and any other sort of information we might find interesting.
After about an hour we reached Maclear’s Beacon. Here, our lovely guides prepared a luxurious and hearty finger food brunch along with a delightful and completely delicious drink of gin and tonic for those that wanted. They even catered for non-drinkers like myself… I don’t know if it was the juice or drinking the juice on the mountain, but it was, dare I say, the best orange juice I’ve ever had! Can someone say YUM! The guys from Active Africa really went above and beyond to make the trip and the brunch particularly memorable for us! We lounged, ate, drank and chatted until almost all the food and drinks were completely depleted. Then we set off on a different route back to the cableway station.
We returned via the route at the front of the mountain and although thick clouds were hindering my view from above, I still felt my knees buckle as I could just imagine the straight drop off the side of the mountain as we ambled down the trail. At about 1PM we even got our first view for the day of Camp’s Bay!
Although we couldn’t see much, we would not have chosen a different day to have our little adventure in the clouds. Firstly, it was the perfect weather for a hike; secondly, being amid the clouds gave us the illusion that there was nothing and no one beyond the thick fog; and finally… CARDIO! Going on an adventure and burning calories? Yes please! I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my Saturday any other way!
