Cable Car Ride up Table Mountain

My two favourite places in the whole wide world are Cape Town and Orlando mainly because they hold some fantastic memories, and as I am catching up on all of my reviews that I have been meaning to write I came across this one begging to be written.

Firstly I should explain about Table Mountain, for those of you not familiar with this breathtaking landmark.

The best views of Cape Town can be seen from the summit of Table Mountain with over 2km of pathways you can really experience this amazing place which is 1067 metres above sea level, the highest point is 1085m.

The Cable card ride is the quickest and easiest way to reach the summit taking between 5-10 minutes traveling at approximately 10 meters per second.

The Cableway was built on 4 October 1929 and since then has received 3 upgrades to ensure its safety.

The Cablecars take a capacity of 65 people, and the floor slowly rotates to give you a panoramic view as you ascend.

Adult - Return: South African Rand 120.00 which is approximately £8.25, there are discounted prices for Senior citizens and children ranging from between £4-6 (R65-85)
This is a reasonable price as you can get some amazing shots whilst ascending the mountain and also once you are at the summit.

So far there have been 800 000 visitors from all over the world using the Cableway annually.

When you plan your visit to Table Mountain it is vital that you plan your trip well, ensure that you check out the website to view if the cable car is running and what visibility is like at the summit to make it worth your while.

I was a little anxious of completing the Cable car ride after watching a scene in a James Bond movie witnessing Jaws chew through the cables with his metal teeth and since then I have been terrified of them, however the option I was faced with was getting on the cable car or hiking up the mountain alone not something I would advise anyone to do.

As we accessed the Cable car from the platform we were all packed in, but not too tightly there was plenty of room to turn if needed however, once in we were able to face towards the front and get a great view rather than being jammed in the middle of the ride so either get on first or last.

As we began our ascent the floor moved slowly, it was barely noticeable but allowed us to really admire the view as we climbed to the top, it was amazing and I was already trying to forget that what comes up must also come down, but I was feeling brave, the cable car had barely any movement so I was glad it was not a particularly windy day.
At the top of the mountain we had a guide that we had arrived with and she continued to show us around the top of the mountain taking us on the most popular routes and explaining the sights that we could see.

Coming down on the cable car was not as daunting as I thought it moved just as slowly and was safer than riding in my car!

A thouroughly enjoyable experience that didn't cost a vast amount and a must see on a visit to Cape Town.

*~*Transport Links*~*
If you do not have your own transport, buses and taxis are available to transport you from the City to the Cableway.

Bus
The Camps Bay bus will drop you off at Kloof Nek. They depart from Adderley Street outside the Golden Acre in Cape Town's city centre. It is a 1.5 km walk uphill from Kloof Nek to the Lower Cable Station.

Minibus taxis
Minibus taxis depart from outside the Post Office on Plein Street next to the Grand Parade.

Rikki taxis
Rikki taxis will collect you from anywhere in the city and transport you to the Cableway. You can call for a Rikki taxi on (021) 418-6713 or (021) 425-7312.

Topless Tours
The Cape Explorer Topless Bus offers guided tours that drop off at the Lower Cable Station. The 2 hour long tours are on a circular route and drop off points include: Cape Town Tourism, The Cableway, Camps Bay and the V&A Waterfront Clock Tower, Convention Centre, S.A. Museum, Castle and Sea Point. For more information please check their website on http://www.hyltonross.co.za/ (Topless Tours)

We had pre-booked our tour so we had a minibus that drove us to the cableway entrance that collected us from our hotel on the waterfront.

*~*Helpful Statistics*~*
The cable cars have a water tank that carry 4000 litres of fresh water which keeps it well balanced; this is also a supply for fresh water for visitors during the brief ride.

Cable cars can carry a weight of 5200 kgs and each cable weights 18 tonnes.