The wonderful Table Mountain, Cape Town in South africa

Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park.Table Mountain is the definitive symbol of Cape Town. It dominates all photographs of the Mother City and is a part of everyday life even if you never set foot on its hallowed slopes.If you haven't you should, as the views from the top are spectacular. Not many cities have an easily accessible mountain in such close proximity and this mountain in particular offers a myriad of hiking paths and climbing crags. From Skeleton Gorge to Valley of the Red Gods and India Venster you won't run out of nooks and crannies to explore on this mountain. Maps of Table Mountain with designated hiking routes are available and also advisable for newcomers.A trip up the famous Table Mountain is one of the tourist highlights Cape Town has to offer. It can only be done on days when the mountain is not covered with its "table cloth" or hidden in dense fog. On sunny days it provides a fabulous panoramic view of the city, the Atlantic Ocean and the mountain tops of the Cape Peninsula.Cableway Cape TownClimbing up Table Mountain takes a minimum of 4 hours and should only be attempted by physically very fit people. There are fatalities every year because people underestimate the difficulty of the hike and the unpredictable weather conditions. On top of Table Mountain one can go on wonderful hikes and afterwards relax in the restaurant or the cafeteria.On the mountain the wind is usually much stronger than in the city. Pick a quiet day to go up. The cableway doesn't operate when the winds are blowing strongly.Prehistoric inhabitation of the district is well attested (see for example the article on Fish Hoek). About 2000 years ago the Khoikhoi migrated towards the Cape Peninsula from the north, displacing the San and bringing with them their herds of cattle and sheep. It was the Khoikhoi who were the dominant local tribe when the Europeans first sailed into Table Bay.António de Saldanha was the first European to land in Table Bay. He climbed the mighty mountain in 1503 and named it 'Table Mountain'. The great cross that the Portuguese navigator carved into the rock of Lion's Head is still traceable.In 1796, during the British occupation of the Cape, Major-General Sir James Craig ordered three blockhouses to be built on Table Mountain: the King's blockhouse, Duke of York blockhouse (later renamed Queen's blockhouse) and the Prince of Wales blockhouse. Two of these are in ruins today, but the King's blockhouse is still in good condition. and easily accessible from the Rhodes Memorial.Between 1896 and 1907, five dams, the Woodhead, Hely-Hutchinson, De Villiers, Alexandria and Victoria reservoirs, were opened on the Back Table to supply Cape Town's water needs. A ropeway ascending from Camps Bay via Kasteelspoort ravine was used to ferry materials and manpower (the anchor points at the old top station can still be seen). There is a well-preserved steam locomotive from this period housed in the Waterworks Museum at the top of the mountain near the Hely-Hutchinson dam. It had been used to haul materials for the dam across the flat top of the mountain. Cape Town's water requirements have since far outpaced the capacity of the dams and they are no longer an important part of the water supply.