点评:Instagram knows me far too well, it's embarrassing. So when it said to me "Hey, there's a group from Vertigo Adventures that's doing that route up Table Mountain that you've had your eye on for ages and you can go too!" there was no way I wasn't going go along, was there?
I'm a fairly new hiker, and have been exploring the more popular routes on Table Mountain for about a year. I am most comfortable dawdling for hours finding new ravines and trails and getting to know this thing I've lived next to my entire life, but am only just meeting.
Kloof Corner Ridge is one of those routes that provides spectacular views, and every description comes with a warning to go with someone more experienced. It offers everything: scrambling, hiking, perching, shimmying, and views that only Table Mountain knows how to do. I've walked past the lower chain on the Contour Path quite a few times now, and always looked up longingly.
I'm not going to lie, when I pictured the chain climbs, I pictured the ones that help you up Lion's Head. That illusion was rapidly slid to rest, with my first attempt landing (ahem, gracefully) back on the ground. But Lycia and my other companions were both knowledgeable and patient, and helped me figure that one out, as well as the two that came after it. "Don’t use your knees," cautioned one. "I will be using whichever body part is willing to keep me alive right now!" I said (silently, in my head).
Every single knee bruise was worth it. Up the ridge and down India Venster took just shy of four hours, including stopping for a snack on a plateau and just soaking in the view. I had such a blast, and can't believe my luck in having three super experienced companions with me, where you can feel the joy they get in showing someone something this cool. There's absolutely fear in my eyes in these photos, but you can be absolutely sure I'm doing this one again :D
Tips: bring along all the usuals for a hike, don't wear trail shoes with a wide toe box (the narrower the better in this case - I'd make different choices here next time), and you'll need to pack along arms for the day as well, some upper body strength will go a long way.
Thanks Lycia and co for being marvelous, and thanks Vertigo Adventures for arranging this. And… well, thanks algorithm (sigh).
翻译:Instagram 太了解我了,这很尴尬。所以当它对我说:“嘿,Vertigo Adventures 的一个团队正在攀登桌山,你已经关注了很久了,你也可以去!”我不可能不跟着去,不是吗?
我是一名相当新的徒步旅行者,已经探索桌山上更受欢迎的路线大约一年了。我最舒服的是花几个小时磨蹭,寻找新的峡谷和小径,并了解我一生都生活在旁边的东西,但我才刚刚认识。
克鲁夫角山脊 (Kloof Corner Ridge) 是提供壮丽景色的路线之一,每条描述都附有警告,要求您与更有经验的人一起前往。它提供了一切:爬行、徒步旅行、栖息、摇摆,以及只有桌山才知道如何做的风景。我已经好几次走过等高线的下链,总是渴望地抬头仰望。
我不想撒谎,当我想象攀登链条时,我想象的是那些帮助你登上狮头山的人。这种幻觉很快就消失了,我第一次尝试着陆(咳咳,优雅地)回到地面。但莉西亚和我的其他同伴既知识渊博又耐心,帮助我解决了这个问题,以及随后的两个问题。 “不要用膝盖,”其中一位警告说。 “我现在会使用任何愿意让我活下去的身体部位!”我说(在心里默默地)。
每一次膝盖擦伤都是值得的。印度文斯特(India Venster)上山下山只用了不到四个小时,其中包括在高原上停下来吃点小吃,并欣赏美景。我玩得很开心,不敢相信我有幸拥有三个经验丰富的同伴,在那里你可以感受到他们向别人展示如此酷的东西时所获得的快乐。这些照片中我的眼睛里充满了恐惧,但你绝对可以肯定我会再做一次:D
提示:带上所有徒步旅行常用的物品,不要穿宽脚趾的越野鞋(在这种情况下越窄越好 - 下次我会在这里做出不同的选择),并且您需要随身携带手臂也适合这一天,一些上身力量会有很大帮助。
感谢 Lycia 和她的出色表现,也感谢 Vertigo Adventures 的安排。而且……好吧,谢谢算法(叹气)。