The Only Way is Up! Table Mountain Climb…

Beware of the Dutch Courage that a couple of glasses of Chenin Blanc offers: “Are you girls fit? Let’s have some fun then – I have the perfect route up the mountain for you!” says our able guide for the day, Lizzie from LP Adventures, and she ads: “I’ll bring some home made lunch with me, we can stop and have a picnic – see you tomorrow.” 

It was a glorious day and off we set with a minor dose of the ‘fear’ which somehow accelerated when asked: “Neither of you struggle with heights do you?”

Mmmm, the India Venster route is tough, and self-promoted as an ‘Extremely Dangerous route with steep rock climbing and difficult navigation’…

And indeed picture and product on this occasion matched, I am not sure what I thought as I looked up 2600m of sheer rock face (well sheer in my book!) – after all a climb is a climb right?

The various stages of trail, scramble, boulder and hoops and chains were challenging, the rear view of the drop something else! A few tears, the false security of the picnic – which was obviously after the hardest part – wasn’t it? No – more traversing along ledges with a few more knots of wind, and my newly found posture that was kindly referred to as a ‘comedy spy’, (I preferred more of a Spiderman look), either way I did what it took to get to the top, including shutting one eye, blinkering the 1700m drop with one hand and of course crying!

Once at the top, a glass of wine, a pat on the back and relief that the cable car was indeed running despite the wind!

India Venter – it has been emotional, that’s one off the bucket list and in future – I won’t be booking any tiki tours after a few cheeky vinos!

Reach for the stars!



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