Do you know any interesting facts about Table Mountain, South Africa? Table Mountain is an iconic flat topped mountain that creates a natural amphitheater that overlooks Cape Town, South Africa.
Due to its close proximity to a major metropolitan area and its numerous options for sightseeing, scrambling, hiking, walking, rock climbing, caving, and biking, Table Mountain is an obvious tourist attraction for mountain enthusiasts from around the world.
Table Mountain, South Africa Quick Facts:
- Elevation: 3560 feet | 1085 meters
- Prominence: 3462 feet | 1055 meters
- Isolation: 26.46 miles | 42.58 kilometers
- Lat/Long: 33°58’0”S, 18°25’32”E
- Range: Cape Ranges
- First Recorded Ascent: 1503 – Admiral Antonio de Saldanha
- Weather Forecast: Table Mountain, South Africa
Let’s look at some interesting facts about Table Mountain, South Africa:
- The rocks at Table Mountain have been dated at roughly 600 million years old. The mountain itself is estimated to be 240 million years old. This makes it one of the oldest mountains in the world.
- The flat top of Table Mountain is approximately 3 km | 2 mi across.
- The Table Mountain zone features numerous peaks including: Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head, and Signal Hill.
- Table Mountain’s high point is marked by Maclear’s Beacon, which is a stone cairn on the eastern end of the mountain built in 1865.
- The peak is often shrouded in clouds, which are referred to as “tablecloths.”
- Table Mountain is located in Table Mountain National Park. The park is home to 8200 plant species. Approximately 70% of the species are endemic meaning they appear nowhere else on earth.
- Table Mountain sees approximately 800,000 visitors per year.
- At least 1 wedding is performed at the top of the mountain every week.
- “Table Mountain is at the northern end of a sandstone mountain range that forms the spine of the Cape Peninsula that terminates approximately 50 km to the south at the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point” (Wikipedia.org).
- Table Mountain was declared one of the New7Wonders Of Nature in 2011. This “list of seven natural wonders chosen by people through a global poll” (Wikipedia.org).
- Table Mountain is also known as “Tafelberg” by the Afrikaans. The indigenous Khoisan people called it hoerikwaggo, which means “mountain in the sea.”
Let’s look at some the history of Table Mountain, South Africa:
- The 1st recorded ascent of Table Mountain was in 1503 by Portugese explorer Admiral Antonio de Saldanha. De Saldanha climbed Table Mountain via the Platteklip Gorge. He named the mountain Taboa do Cabo and carved a cross at Lion’s Head.
- More likely, the 1st ascent was by the indigenous Khoisan centuries prior to de Saldanha’s ascent.
- Lady Anne Barnard was the 1st woman to climb Table Mountain in July of 1797.
- In the mid-18th century, French Astronomer Nicolas de Lacaille named a constellation after Table Mountain. The constellation is named Mensa, which means The Table. It can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere around midnight in mid-July. According to Wikipedia.org, It is the “only terrestrial feature to give its name to a constellation.”
- In 1796, 3 blockhouses were built on Table Mountain for the mountain for the King, Duke of York, and the Prince of Wales. They are now ruins.
- From 1896 to 1907, five dams were built near Table Mountain to supply water to Cape Town.
- In the late 19th Century, George F. Travers-Jackson began rock climbing on Table Mountain’s impressive cliffs. For more info on rock climbing on Table Mountain, seek out guide books like The Ledge – Table Mountain, Cape Rock, or Table Mountain Classics. Today all climbing is trad climbing as bolting is prohibited.
- In 1929, the Table Mountain Cableway was opened. It takes people from 302 meters to 1067 meters. In 1997, the cable car was updated to take 65 people per trip.
- On May 29, 1998 Nelson Mandela created Cape Peninsula National Park, which was later renamed Table Mountain National Park. The park is 85 square miles or 221 square kilometers. The South African National Parks manages the park..
- In 2011, Table Mountain was named one of the New7Wonders Of Nature.
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Feel free to contact us if any of the above information is incorrect or if you know of additional interesting facts about Table Mountain, South Africa.
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