Table Mountain

History of Table Mountain

Almost 2000 years ago only the San and the Khoikhoi enjoyed the view of Table Mountain.  Wild animals like lion, leopard and antelope roamed the area.  The arrival of the Europeans changed the way of life and Cape Town was birthed as we know it today.

Today Table Mountain is known worldwide for the spectacular view and the flat table like appearance.  The Table is about 3 km long and 1113 meters high.  On the east of the table or plateau you can see a peak called Devil’s Peak and on the west Lions Head.  The top of Table Mountain is very often covered by clouds that are formed by a south-eastern wind that blows up the mountain.  This cause moister to condense and it forms clouds that are referred to as the ‘Table Cloth’ of Table Mountain.  The table like look of Table Mountain are best seen from the Table Bay side of Cape Town from Milnerton up to the West Coast of Cape Town.  If you stand on the top of Table Mountain you can see dramatic views of the whole of Cape Town from the city centre to the Hottentots Holland Mountains.  Also behind the mountain you can look down on areas like Green Point, Sea Point and Camps Bay.  The range on the Atlantic Seaboard side of Table Mountain is called the 12 Apostles.  The range continue south wards towards Cape Point.  Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and others were imprisoned, can also be seen clearly from Table Mountain.

The first Europeans to lay their eyes on Table Mountain were the seafarers.  You can imagine the surprise of these seafarers discovering the Mountain that was not known in the world of their time.  The first European to land in Table Bay was the Portuguese seafarer Antonio de Saldanha.  He entered Table Bay in 1503 and also climbed Table Mountain.  He named the mountain ‘Taboa do Cabo’ in English Table of the Cape.  The first lady to climb Table Mountain was LadyAnne Barnard who did so in 1790.

Between 1896 and 1907 five dams were also build to supply Cape Town of water. (the Woodhead, Hely-Hutchinson, De Villiers, Alexandria and Victoria reservoirs)  In 1870 plans to build a railway to the top of the mountain were proposed.  This was halted by the outbreak of the First Anglo-Boer War (South African War) in 1880.  In 1912 a second attempt to was made to construct a railway and a referendum were held.  This attempt was again interrupted by the First World War that broke out in 1914.

In the end a cable way was constructed from 1926 – 1928 at a cost of 60 000 pound and could carry 19 passengers and a conductor.  The cable way was primitive but made it much easier to get to the top of Table Mountain.  The current cable cars were upgraded in 1997 and has a revolving floor and can carry far more people (65) and are far more comfortable and makes the trip to the top of Table Mountain easy and enjoyable as can be.

Table Mountain has an estimated 2200 species of plant and many can only be found on Table mountain including certain types of proteas.  The most common animal on the mountain is the Dassie or Rock Hyrax.  There are also porcupines, mongooses, snakes and tortoises.  According to one source the last Lion were shot in 1802 and Leopards could still be found up to 1920.  The ‘Rooikat’ (Caracal) and ‘Vaalboskat’ (African Wild Cat) were also once common on the mountain. 

Hiking up Table Mountain is also possible and lots of tourist parking is available at the bottom at the Table Mountain Cable way.  There is also a Restaurant at the top of Table Mountain.  Table Mountain became part of the Cape Peninsula National Park in 1990 and the park was renamed to the Table Mountain National Park in 1998. 

For more information visit the official Table Mountain Website: http://www.tablemountain.net/