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Staying safe on Table Mountain
With winter in full force and high volumes of World Cup fans setting foot on Cape Town’s Table Mountain, here’s how to stay safe on SA’s most famous mountain.
Brent Jennings of Mountain Club of South Africa’s rescue team sent out this editorial after a busy month on TM:
Although accidents in the mountains, including Table Mountain, are often caused by a lack of preparation on the part of the hikers or their underestimating the difficulty of the terrain, or weather conditions, sometimes, accidents just happen.
Many popular routes on the mountain are fairly loose at the best of times. This is more of an issue at this time of year, with a lot of ground water being present, increasing the objective hazards significantly. Sometimes even a small slip can have severe consequences.
Hikers are advised to take additional care when walking in winter. Slippery rocks, loose terrain (that may look fine at first glance) and rapidly changing weather conditions contribute to making Table Mountain more treacherous than it is in summer.
Footwear with decent rubber soles is vital. Take extra warm clothing, even if you're only going on a short walk. Exercise extreme caution when on a scramble route, even one you know well, as stones and boulders can become loose from the groundwater.
It should go without saying that if you are not extremely familiar with Table Mountain then you should take a map (or better yet, a guide), and inform someone of your intended route.
In the event you need assistance, you should call Metro rescue at 9370300, and they will route the call to the appropriate mountain teams. Once you've done that, it is good practice to also notify a friend, especially if they know someone involved in mountain rescue, just to cover all your options.
