Chasing Skeletons
Cape Town, 2018
Ask any local or travel forum and the first tourist attraction they’ll recommend in Cape Town is Table Mountain. The iconic plateau sits high above South Africa’s most visited city, making for an easy reference point when lost in the surrounding areas. Reminders of the mountain are everywhere from outlines on passing bumper stickers, to local apparel and restaurants logos.
Recommendations are normally jumping on the Cable Car for a quick and easy ride up the mountain or hiking Platteklip Gorge for a little exercise. However, if you want the best vantage points of the city while having a little adventure (think waterfalls and ladders) take the back route up Skeleton Gorge. The strenuous hike deceivingly starts in the scenic Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, leads through a tropical jungle and finishes with incredible views on top of Table Mountain. Along the way, you can see everything from Lions Head to Robben Island, Camps Bay to the Waterfront. There are other routes up South Africa’s New7Wonder of Nature, but none as rewarding as scrambling up the gorge. In total it took us 4 hours to get to the cable car with a few stops along the way.
The last place I’d put an entrance to a place called “Skeleton Gorge” would be in a botanical garden. The first third of our journey starts on the backside of the mountain in Kirstenbosch. Newly developed cobblestone paths guide us through a diverse ecosystem.
“Are you sure this is the right way to the Gorge?” one of my friends asks.
After scouring inspirational travel-blogs the night before, we packed our hiking shoes and daypacks, only to find urban families wandering through our adventure’s entrance.
“Maybe we took the wrong route?”
“The signs say Skeleton Gorge is up a little ways further.”
We continue through the beautiful tourist trap dreaming of views from the top.
15 minutes later and the trail starts to resemble my explorer’s imagination. We are dripping in sweat and up over our ankles in mud. The thick jungle blocks the sun and animals can be heard all around.
“Where’s the trail?”
Our footpath quickly fades into a running stream.
“Grab the overhanging branches for balance.”
We hop from rock to rock up the short waterfall. After 20 minutes of frogger impersonations, the trail once again appears and guides us toward old rickety ladders.
“These ladders have to hold… I mean TripAdvisor said they would?”
A bit of self-assertion and loud creaking later and the trail opens up above the jungle. Light blinds us as we gaze out across the city. Almost to the top. The second leg of our journey is traversing the top of table mountain. We completed the initial hike up the ravine and start to make our way to Maclear’s Beacon (highest point of table mountain) along a trail known as Smuts Track.
“Is that sand?”
“Aren’t we supposed to be at the top of a mountain?”
A short detour along Smuts Track and the dirt trail transitions to white sand. Up ahead we see an enormous reservoir. Everything is still. All are quiet. We spend a half hour admiring the views and soaking in the sun.
Smuts Track is beautiful and the vegetation is incredible. Boulders are covered in thick moss and flowers surround the trail. The track reminds me more of time spent in the tropics than time spent in the mountains. The trail continues upward.
“More stairs? Aren’t we on top of Table Mountain… shouldn’t it be flat?”
The higher we venture the grander the views.
Made it to Maclear’s Beacon… time for lunch! Covered in dirt and sweat, we unpack sandwiches. Tourists pass by gazing at us in disbelief, unknowing there is another route up the mountain beside the easy cablecar, or quick Platteklip Gorge hike. The cable car can be seen in the distance. We spend our next break watching the sun go down.
“It’s true sunsets really are better in Africa…”
Foolishly, we underestimate the distance to the cable car. The flatness at the top plays tricks on even the best depth-perception; What looks like an easy 10-minute walk is actually 30. The cable car closes in 15 minutes. We run along the edge of cliffs as the sky is lit with vibrant oranges.
”Don’t look down.”
“Thank God it’s not windy.”
“5 minutes until it closes.”
Out of breath, we make the last tram just as darkness arrives. The views from the spinning cablecar were breathtaking, making our final sprint that much more rewarding. A hike back in the dark would have made for a better adventure story, more than likely leaving us lost or stranded in the process… A true time chasing Skeletons.