Platteklip Gorge
We take our name from this iconic geographical feature as it is the quickest and most popular path to the top of the Mountain. It was also the first documented route taken by early European explorers.
Platteklip Gorge is the most frequently requested of our guided hiking routes to the top of Table Mountain. It is the most obvious and clear way up, with a path that is very easy to follow. In reality it is the one route that you don’t necessarily need a guide to be sure of the path, provided you have a good route description and preferably a map. Guides add value with interpretation of history, people, stories, geological features, local flora and much, much more.
It is also one of the routes on which there are regular rescues as it is underestimated by many who undertake the challenge. Read more about this on our blog (link).
What you can expect:
The route starts on Tafelberg Rd, just over 1.5 km from the Lower Cable Station and finishes at the Upper Cable Station, where most hikers are ready to take the cable way down. A word of warning the operation of the cableway is subject to weather variation and is especially vulnerable to high winds.
Although the path is clear, the climb is steep – a climb of about 700 metres, from the start, on Tafelberg Rd. to the cairn at the top, with a short, easy scramble, assisted by chains, to the flat, Western Table.
The route is also not all easy going, with some rough and rocky sections. As you progress up the steep zig-zag path you turn around from time to time to admire the spectacular views of the city and Table Bay. To some extent it is restricted as you enter the narrow part of the gorge, but then opens up again as you reach the flat part of the Mountain close to the cable station. The average time for the walk is about 2 hours, although this varies with the fitness of the hikers and the wish to take photographs and admire the views.
If the cableway is closed the only alternative is to walk down again.
As with all of our hikes:
- We recommend good walking shoes or boots
- We insist on at least 1.5 litres of water, sun block and a hat.
- The temperature is often a few degrees colder at the top, so a warm jacket in a day pack, together with your water and a few energy snacks for the route are important. Provided you are properly equipped, doing it with a guide in wet weather is possible, but you are probably not going to see much when you get to the top.
Timing: It takes an averagely fit hiker about two hours from the start on Tafelberg Rd., to reach the top of the Gorge, with a further ten to fifteen minutes to the Cableway. Allow 45 minutes to enjoy the views and environment of the cable station and if you are using the cableway to descend, allow a fifteen minute wait from the gate to the gondola. In peak times there can be a waiting queue of up to 45 minutes to the gate. In the event of the cableway not running, the walk down is approximately 1½ hours.
