Proudly introducing one of the official new 7 wonders of the world, Table Mountain. I have lived in the shadow of Table Mountain my whole life, and whenever I travel it is an amazing experience flying into Cape Town and seeing the majesty of the mountain as we come in to land. It is a magnificent landmark, and I am proud that it has been recognised for its beauty.
Until I started trail running, I thought I was pretty fit (I can run a 21km half marathon without too much difficulty), but after going on two trail runs, I have realised that I am going to need a whole different level of fitness to keep this up.
The group that I have joined start running every Saturday morning around 7am. It means getting up really early on the weekends, but the views on the mountain make it so worth the early start.
On my weekend run, I even tried to fly, but alas did not manage to miss the ground, so a couple of bruised knees and sore left ankle later I completed the 15km route. Note that this was 15km up and down a mountain, not 15km on the level.
I took my happy snappy camera on the last run, so here is just a taste of the experience.
Lion’s Head (left) and Signal Hill (right). Notice how it looks like a lion lying on the ground, hence the name.
Running along Table Mountain, yes those little dots are us
Running towards the Cable Car. The building on the bottom is the lower cable station, and you can see the cable car in the middle. Lion’s head is in the distance.
Cable Cars. Although it was a lovely day, it was still quite misty, here you can see the cables going up into the mist on the top of the mountain. If you come to Cape Town, you must take a trip to the top of the mountain, it is truly magnificent.
So am I hooked on Trail Running? Absolutely, see you on the mountain.
The folks at Cape Town Helicopters give me a flip in one of their choppers on Saturday to do a photoshoot. It was a cool and crystal-clear day perfect for shooting.
Table Mountain with Lion’s Head on the right, the harbour in the front.
Cape Town Stadium, with Lion’s Head and Table Mountain in the background.
Cape Town Stadium with the city bowl in the background.
The Camps Bay and Clifton beaches, with Hout Bay in the distance.
You can do a flip for less that R600, and while that is a lot of money, it is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Highly recommended. Cape Town Helicopters have a 100% safety record, so I am sure you are in good hands.
Disclosure: my flight was free, but the opinions and photos are mine.
Just playing in Photoshop with one of my images. What do you think?
Some photos of Cape Town harbour with the central business district in the background.
The Amber Lagoon, registered in Majuro, fully laden with cargo being pulled out of (or possibly into) the Cape Town harbour.
The Cape Town City Bowl (downtown). On the right you can see the working harbour, with the V&A Waterfront in the distance. Back left is Lions Head and Signal Hill, with the central business district on the left.
A drilling platform receiving maintenance in Cape Town harbour.
Cranes in the container terminal of Cape Town harbour. I love the toy-town feeling in the picture. However, these are real working cranes, and if you look closely you can see a few cars and trucks, giving a sense of perspective of the size of these cranes.
This is truly the most beautiful city in the world.
Here are a few photos of Table Mountain, the most beautiful mountain range in the world!
Lions head on a misty morning, with Table Mountain on the right, Devil’s Peak at the back on the left.
Devil’s Peak on the right, with the Constantia mountains on the left.
The Cape Town City Bowl (downtown). On the right you can see the working harbour, In the background is the famous view of Table Mountain, and Lion’s Head on the right.
To take these shots I was strapped into the passenger seat of a helicopter, and my door was removed so that I could get clear shots, while it was a little scary it was a wonderful experience flying in such an open environment.
This is truly the most beautiful city in the world.
With winter arriving, the sun is setting a little earlier each day. Today had been quite a cloudy and windy day, with bright blue sky intermingled with large winter clouds. While driving home from work, I noticed the most remarkable sunset over the mountains, and because I just happened to have my camera with me :-), I had to stop and take a few pictures.
This is a HDR shot taken from Muizenberg beach, looking over Constantia towards the bottom end of Table Mountain.
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