The first recorded climb to the summit was in 1503 when the Portuguese navigator, Antonio da Saldanha, led a party up the mountain. This is still one of the easiest and safest ways up Table Mountain although it is tedious. Today thousands of people hike to the summit of Table Mountain. It is said that we have an unique asset in our civic backyard of a gigantic playground of rocks, streams, waterfalls, flowers and many kilometres of paths for walkers. These include some of the most exposed and severe rock climbs known to mountaineers.
All climbs are on good hard sandstone cliffs.
There are many hiking clubs, the biggest of which is the Mountain Club of South Africa which organises regular rock-meets and walks on the mountain. It has an efficiently run Search and Rescure service that makes use of Club members to search for injured climbers and help with stretchers on sheer rock faces, and also Airforce helicopters that carry out rescues in high and inaccessible places. Please send us email if you have any comments or suggestions.