Day 6: Noone told me Everest was in Africa!

Currently, I am in pain. No, I didn’t break any bones. No, I didn’t get attacked by a safari animal. I climbed, nay, scaled Table Mountain. What started out as a fun “surprise” by the staff, turned into quite a physical and emotional feat. When looking at a typical view of Cape Town, this majestic feature reigns in the background of the city. We got up close and very personal to that mountain today as we rock climbed the entire thing.


Ish gave us a headstart by driving partially up the road that leads to the trail. In my mind, I thought, “This is similar to Kennesaw Mountain. I am sure I will huff and puff, but I’m young and able. No problem.” You can call that adolescent ignorance. Literally, the entire three kilometer hike was at a daunting angle with the acceptation of only eight meters. On much of the hike, I resorted to my hands, knees, and will power. One friend called it “Stair Master with a view.” In fact, to my surprise, the national park labels the trail as “tough.” It was tough for everyone except for the barefoot, South African man who lapped us on the way up. Show off!


After three hours and controlled wining, I made it! Goodness, what a work out! Good thing the view was phenomenal! I could see the entire Western Cape and where the Atlantic Ocean meets the sunrise on all corners. Plus, I noticed an entire string of mountains further inland that I had never noticed before. (Maybe that hike is next week!) I even saw some funny looking animals wandering around the rocks called Dassies. These animals look very similar to beavers without the tail but are interestingly most closely related to the elephant. Random fact!


Yes, most people used the cable car to gently take them back down the mountain, I had a different idea. Ten or more of my friends and I decided to scale back down the mountain: easier said than done. All of our legs were shaky and our soreness kicked in. Without a tour guide, we found ourselves alittle disoriented at times, but someone made it down the mountain in just an hour and a half. Dear Table Mountain, Ibuprofen and I conquered you. South Africa, what challenge do you have for me next?

Random Fact: The South African version of On-Demand is you order a movie, and they bring it to you in 30 minutes.