Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa - Day 14

No way we're hiking again.

The cableway has a wrap-around line for tickets, but it's worth the smooth-sailing cruise to the top.

The car itself rotates slowly around the windows, and a couple of them don't have panes so you can take in fresh air while you gasp and gape at the precipitous and absolutely stunning view down. 

Lion's head looks to small from here. I'm glad we climbed it, but my legs have not yet recovered so I'm glowering at it just a tiny bit. 

The first thing we notice at the top is the rock hyrax, the colloquial dassie. This one looks like it's smiling but it's probably just showing us its sharp little teeth. 

Why drive through the Twelve Apostles when you can see them like this? There's no view like the one from this terrace. 

The top is very much a table, with plenty of walking paths that snake around the plateau. The rock formations are an artist's dream, and I imagine you could take some pretty serious engagement photos if not for all the people.

They say Table Mountain is one of the most difficult things to do in Cape Town. The weather is as fickle as the visibility, and we're fortunate to find the one clear day of our trip to make the ascent. I've had my fill of the cableway, but we'll be back to do the 5-hour hike some day.  

Lion's Head, Cape Town, South Africa - Day 14

I am still EXTRA. Day 14 is the only day of promised sunshine we have, and it's likely the only day of Table Mountain and Lion's head we get. The mountain cableway carries a precarious height and will close for weather conditions if there is a single cloud in the sky or for high winds if a couple of dassies sneeze at the same time.

Lion's Head doesn't close, but it easily becomes unsafe. But I will not forego this iconic hike. Harry and Kerryn are wiser than we and express zero interest in this amount of exertion so we decide to get up early and try to finish hiking before they're done with breakfast. I absolutely refuse to get up at the crack of dawn for it. Instead, I insist we get up BEFORE the crack of dawn.

It's pitch dark outside when we start the uphill climb. Cape Town unfolds below us, a sea of city lights. 

The hike is a never-ending uphill battle of the switchbacks, and some of the stairs are steep.

The last leg has a bypass path, otherwise there's some free climbing lite with chains and staples to help you scale the rocks.

The view from the top is worth the climb. I love the breathtaking sight of waves lapping on sandy shores, and I love even more that this summit remains non-commercial. No vendors, no snack stands, just all the smiling faces of the people who passed you on your way up.

The sunrise concludes while we're up there, and hiking up in the pitch dark is probably the best decision I've made this trip. Lion's Head...the hike will eat you alive if you're out of shape, but it's worth every butt-wrenching step.