To think I almost went two decades without summiting my own country's wonder of nature!
As soon as my varsity's hiking club sent forth an invite, you bet this lil lady jumped on the opportunity.
India Window is one of sixty-nine marked trails on Table Mountain. Ranked as difficult, it is recommended to agile hikers who are prepared to scramble up cliff-faces and engage their upper body strength when climbing chains, staples and ladders. Not to be journeyed alone.
India Window, also known as India Venster, paves a 5.8km journey to the Upper Cable Station, where indigenous wildflowers lead the way to a worthwhile view. At the top there are ablutions, drinking fountains, a souvenir shop, and a restaurant with giant meal-sized pizza slices. Yep, took a mental note of it.
B A R E I N M I N D :
This trail includes many steep inclines, which make for a hazardous descent especially in wet and windy weather. I would advise Platteklip Gorge to be the safer option for your return to ground level. On the left you will see an example of the vertical climbing that India Window entails. As you can see on the right hand side, Platteklip Gorge's stone steps will still involve a workout, but with much more peace of mind.
W H A T T O P A C K I N Y O U R S A C K
the largest water bottle you own (you'll be able to refill again at the top)
nutritious snacks: naartjies, energy bars, nuts, biscuits, bananas, a muffin
adequate hiking or trail shoes that provide good grip
warm jacket (always be prepared for sudden weather changes in Cape Town)
sunblock, hat, sunglasses
a small sweat towel or buff
some spending money
an enthusiastic group of friends
camera *optional
T H E B E S T T I M E T O G O
You know the drill with hiking: start as early as possible!
The early bird truly gets the worm, which in this case is a gorgeous coastal sunrise.
Additionally, you do not want to be walking at dusk as there have been incidents of robbery & assault.
Ascending India Window and descending Platteklip Gorge will take roughly 6 hours, leaving you with enough time to dip your feet in the water at Camps Bay afterwards if you start before noon.
T A K E N O T E :
There are over 1500 different species of flora flourishing and thriving on Table Mountain alone. This exceeds that of numerous countries globally. The mountain's vegetation is the perfect expression of biodiversity and heritage.
Now, something deeply precious to South Africans, is our fynbos. It is a unique endemic biome growing solely in the Western Cape. This means that most of the plants that you'll be hiking past cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Hence, they are guarded by strict conservation laws. There are plots of protected land on the plateau that are fenced off from visitors, and the plucking and poaching of fynbos is liable for prosecution.
It was as our group rounded a bend in the path, when my heart dropped. We stood for a moment, silent, face to face with a thief in 3pm daylight. Silence, to mourn the shining white protea locked in their hand. And silence, for suppressing rising anger towards the hand that grasped a cutting knife. Finally, a member voiced the group's vexation to the tourist directly, addressing their fault with crystal clear clarity. "No. You cannot have that." The damage was done. A fallen national flower. It felt odd to address a tourist in this way, but even more to be addressed in this way.
Here, there is no picking of pretty plants in the park. There is only:
leaving light traces wherever we step
inhaling the exhalation of pretty plants in our parks
letting a beautiful sight remain beautiful to all who come after us
It has been two days since hiking this awe-inspiring beauty, and I am now resting, with aching quadriceps, sulking hamstrings, calves in need of a foam roller, and oh so happy lungs ! I'll be back for you soon dear wonder. Until then, say hi to the hikers for me.
With sweet joy and lemon zest,
Hannah Mia :)
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