Life has finally slowed down. The weather took a turn for the colder and the summer sun had migrated further north. The clouds came out to play and draped itself around Lion’s Head in the most inviting way.
Oda and I geared up for our weekly hiking excursion. It felt good to get out again. It had been a while since I stretched my legs and challenged a mountain slope. Lion’s Head felt like the perfect way to get back into hiking.
We grabbed an Uber to the Lion’s Head parking lot, which is the ONLY way to get there. Parking has turned out to be near impossible these days with Lion’s Head growing popularity. The air feels a lot cooler. I welcome the change to the 30°C heat that has been ravaging the city of Cape Town the last few months. Winter has finally arrived.
Table Mountain looking stunning from Lion’s Head.
The first leg of Lion’s Head is always the trickiest and leaves us panting for air. Our windbreakers quickly come off and I stuff them into my backpack.
“It feels like no matter how fit I am, this bit always kills me,” I say to Oda, who feverently agrees.
We soon come around the first bend. Progress is slow, and we keep having to sidestep to make way for eager joggers running up the hill. I gaze at them in envy.
It is a beautiful morning. We have had a long and stressful summer, and May promises to hold some relief. A cold front was drifting in and I could see it march across the Atlantic Ocean towards. I shivered with anticipation of the rain and the cold. We pushed upwards.
As mentioned before, Lion’s Head’s growing popularity has led it to be rather crowded. What is normally a quick one-hour ascent becomes a two-hour schlep. Queues start racking up near the ladders that snake along the steep contours of the mountain. Not keen to spoil our mood by waiting in line, Oda and I decided to trek a different way. I had never been to Wally’s Cave before and was eager to see what all the Instagram fuss was about.
I watched as the clouds and fog advanced on the Mother City. I am always in awe of how light and shadow play together to transform a familiar landscape into something interesting. I have been up Lion’s Head several times, at all times of the day, and every time it is just as enchanting.
Oda admiring the double rainbow en route up Lion’s Head.
Clifton looking particularly photogenic this morning.
I was feeling a little starstruck by the clouds, I won’t lie.
This morning the mountain was particularly stunning. The clouds dragged their heavy bodies across Table Mountain and gave birth to two beautiful rainbows. Oda and I watched in wonder. We settled on a rock outcrop and watched the world drift by.
“I think we are a bit too high for Wally’s Cave I think. It’s down there,” Oda pointed to the group of people below us.
I could see a whole group of adventurers, eager to snap that perfect image of their silhouette in the famous cave. But Oda and I were pretty happy with our view.
Jamming in Wally’s Cave with Oda.
We did eventually descend towards the cave to take our own iconic images. After grabbing a couple of shots we set off to finish circumnavigating Lion’s Head.
