Twelve lovers of the less-frequented parts of Table Mountain lined up on time at the Platteklip trailhead on Tafelberg Road. Cape Town pulled out a summer’s day from her recent bouquet of wintry weather samples and we were going to make the most of it.
Just after the junction where the Platteklip path starts its relentless ascent from the contour path, we also left the contour path and made our way up the slope, well to the right of Silverstream Ravine. While off-path and overgrown, the route was still discernible with the aid of some cairn divination. After about half an hour, we crossed the rock stream created by the rockfalls of 2021-2023 and reached the point where the real off-road and overgrown fun began. The aim was clear and soon reached: a clump of Rooi Els trees in Silverstream Ravine. Scrambling up the ravine itself was good fun. Unfortunately, it is decidedly overgrown, with Hiker’s Friend often getting way too friendly and obtrusive for my introvert soul. Just when the going gets a bit too tight, one can branch out of the ravine and, after a delicate scramble or two, we climbed up a grassy gully running parallel to the ravine, on its left side. Just below the top rock band, at about 900 m, there were no objections when the tea break was proposed.
Refreshed, we traversed around Eastern Table to the top ledge of the Ledges route. There were a few interesting passages and spectacular views, more than making up for the scratchy start earlier. At the end of the top ledge, three participants peeled off, opting to climb the C-grade pitch forming the final part of the Ledges route to the top of Eastern Table. The rest of the party descended Ledges, carefully. One or two of the participants muttered a bit about the trickier sections (which are always easier up than down) but with mutual encouragement and support, all made it down to (the other) Knife Edge safely. We returned to the start via the Saddle and the contour path.
If you joined us, you could have picked up snippets of conversation on the following topics:
- The origins of the word “gingerly”.
- Spectacular ways in which to hurt one’s knee while water-skiing.
- The ethics of moving a loose rock from the pathway.
- The dedication required to qualify as an Olympic fencer 5 times.
- Sacrificial limbs (of trees, fortunately; not humans).
- Date balls with or without molasses.
- Travel stories and trip tips covering Bolivia, Scotland, the Eastern Cape, the Alps, Mt Kenya and Oorlogskloof.
All parties were safely off the mountain within just over six hours.
Picture credits: Jean-Paul van Belle, Julie Dyer, Christo Steyn.
