Smuts was no Bathmophobe...

The Publisher tackles Table Mountain | The Month April 2012

Until I had followed a group of American students up Skeleton Gorge I had no reason to doubt the old adage that ‘there are more stars in the sky than there have been words spoken’. Now I’m less sure. Fortunately, being considerably older, my more frequent rests ensured a distance between us that eased both the relentless pounding at my ears and that on my knees.

Enjoying one such rest on my way up the wooded eastern side of Table Mountain, I find myself regretting the previous night’s excesses and my keenness to impress the Editor, and wonder: Was it on John Maytham’s Rapid-Fire Quiz that I first heard of Bathmophobia - the
fear of slopes or stairs?

Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge are both stepped routes that run up Table Mountain either side of a large slab of rock near the top called Nursery Buttress, and are often described as providing ‘the easiest and quickest ways up the mountain’. If you were enjoying the cricket at Newlands and had extremely powerful binoculars, you’d see a tired, middle-aged guy half way up disagreeing with this. And before you ask – there’s technically no difference. Both ravines and gorges are ‘deep, narrow valleys with steep sides’.
Indeed they are.

So, having paid your R40 entrance to Kirstenbosch Gardens (or stolen in free from Constantia Nek), you’ll soon find yourself on the forested contour path faced  with the decision of Ravine or Gorge. From here, above the gardens, both start gently with plenty of shade on a hot summer’s day and the mottled sunlight illuminates the upward paths that snake through ferns and labelled trees. Now heading into autumn, the streams barely drip.

Nursery Ravine, I think, is slightly tougher. The lie of the land dupes you initially and then becomes unrelentingly steep as the wooden and stone steps zigzag up the ravine to a wooden staircase that signals the top. From here a 500 metre walk through the peaceful, leafy wonderland of Nursery Valley brings you to the sandy edge of the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir and an opportunity to cool off.

Skeleton Gorge, I gather, is the more popular route and Field Marshal Smuts’ preference. Because I envisage him as an old man, I’m impressed, but conclude it must have been his favoured walk when he was a young, fit officer. There’s a sign that warns of ‘steep and dangerous conditions ahead’ at the start and, although a more ‘even’ ascent, is not without its fair share of steep ladders and slippery rocks.

Either way you’re booking out a good two hours of ascent and will go from about 160 metres above sea level to 740 metres! The awe and size of Table Mountain only becomes apparent when you’re as close up as this and the views (and photo ops) are plentiful on both routes – especially over the Peninsula and to False Bay. To many, I’m sure, the reservoir will be a welcome surprise so my advice is not to rush the knee jarring decent and rather take some time exploring the top of the world.