Table Mountain : topology, features and paths.

KEY
w = white (man-made features)
g = green (waypoints)
y = yellow (waypoints)

TABLES
The red borders illustrate the relatively flat 'table'-top areas of Table Mountain.

1. The two smaller areas directly above the city bowl, are the 'Western' and 'Eastern' tables, which are collectively referred to as the 'front' table. The front tables are between 1000-1086m, above sea level. The highest point of the mountain is Maclears Beacon (y9), on the Eastern table.
2. The larger, 'horse-shoe' shaped area is the 'back' table, which is between 750-800m above sea level.

CONTOUR PATHS
There are two( light-blue) contour paths, by which you can cicumnavigate almost the entire mountain.

1. The path along the front face of the mountain, called 'the Contour Path' starts at Kloof Corner (y2) and runs through Kings Blockhouse (y4), Kirstenbosch (y5) ends at Constantia Nek (y6).
2. The other, shorter path called the Pipe Track, starts just above Kloof Nek (g1) and traverses many of the buttresses (Apostles) on the west side, before ascending to the top of the 'back' table (g2), via Corridor Ravine.

ROUTES
From either level countour path, a number of routes (dark-blue) enable you to ascend up onto the tables.

1. India-Venster : starts just left of the Upper Cable Staton (w1) and ends at the top of Platteklip Gorge (g8).
2. Platteklip Gorge : starts on the Contour Path (y3) and ends at g8.
3. Smuts Track : starts at Kirstenbosch (y5) and ends at Maclears Beacon (y9).
4. Skeleton Gorge : is a section of Smuts Track, starting at Kirstenbosch (y5) and ending at the back of the Hely-Hutchinson Dam (y7).
5. Disa Gorge : starting at the deep-end of the Hely-Hutchinson Dam and ending on Smuts Track, at y8.
6. From Valley of the Red Gods (g4) this path ascends from the 'back' table, via Echo Valley (g5), up to the top of Platteklip Gorge (g8) on the 'front' table.
7. Bridle path : starts at Constantia Nek (y6) and reaches the 'back table' at the De Villiers Dam (w10). Much of this path is a concrete road, used by Nature Conservation to access remote areas of the mountain.

LEVEL PATHS (on top of Table Mountain)
On top of the tables, a number of (light-blue) level paths enable you to get to and explore, from one end to the other.

1. g3-g4 : this is the 'Apostles' path, running from Hout Bay Corner (g3) to Valley of the Red Gods (g4). This path is quite undulating, but it never rises or falls very much.
2. g4-g6 takes you past some of the man-made structures on the 'back' table.
3. g6-g7 : a concrete road that runs from the west into Disa Gorge.
4. w10-g6 : a concrete road that brings you via the dams, from the eastern side.
5. y7-g6 : from the top of Skeleton Gorge (y7), another level path brings you onto the concrete road.
6. y9-g8 : on top of the Eastern table, a path from Maclears Beacon (y9) traverses the edge of the table to bring you to the top of Platteklip Gorge
7. g8-y10 : Platteklip Gorge to the Upper Cable Station

FEATURES
All the white (w) markers are landmarks or man-made structures.

1. Lower Cable Station
2. Mountain Club Hut
3. Scout Hut
4. Nature Conservation
5. Nature Conservation (Dam Overseer)
6. Woodhead Dam
7. Hely-Hutchinson Dam
8. Victoria Dam
9. Alexandra Dam
10. De Villiers Dam

• LH - Lions Head
• DP - Devils Peak