PLATTEKLIP GORGE

With the year coming to an end I decided to take to the mountain one last time for 2010. To get me out of bed and on the trail early I let a couple of friends know what I was doing and asked them if they were keen. Will was so keen he ran to the start... So while I was sitting in the car, that was been shaken by the wind (which was still pumping) he arrived with his hat in this hand. (to windy to wear.)

The famous mountain had the table cloth on and it was moving in the wind. We walked the couple of meters across the road and looked up to what lay ahead:

I started Mr. Garmin and took the lead, asking Will if he want to go any faster, but his legs were tired from the run to the start. It didn't take us long to catch the first of the early morning walkers who politely moved to the side to let us pass. I watched the altitude climb from about 369m but the distance wasn't working it took us over 13min to cover the 1st km. (and I swear as I watched the meters tick over they were at one stage counting backwards...) As we approached the cloud line the rocks became wet and visibility dropped, mine more-so then Wills is I had to take off my glasses. The wind was so strong I could feel that I could be blown off the mountain if I wasn't careful.

I looked at the time as I took one of the last zig-zag's and with 27min on the clock I thought a sub 30 was on the cards, but as hard as I pushed my legs didn't have anything in them and I summited in 31:07 with Will 20sec back. (2.2km and +_650m of climb with a record of about 27min, we did OK, and now in 2011 I have a target to aim at, that record!!!)

From there we took the trail to the Cable Station

The view down to Camps Bay

The view of Cape Town through the clouds..

The best time down is just under 12min, and with the wet rocks we weren't going to be anywhere near that... 28:06 but, OK no butts we were slow!!!