The first recorded ascent of Table Mountain in Cape Town took place in 1503. Today, a 120 rand transaction gets you a ticket on the public cableway. Within minutes you're whisked 1067 metres above sea level to a stunning plateau approximately 3 km in length.
The mountain top is surprisingly flat. Its highest point is a small rock table called Maclear's Beacon. It's 1,086 m above sea level, about 19 m higher than the cable station. Last week I made the 45-minute trek from the cable station to this remote point. The beacon's most prominent landmark is a stone cairn built in 1865 by Sir Thomas Maclear. The surveyor used this location to calculate the exact dimension and shape of the Earth.
The views across False Bay from this location were stunning. I could even see in the distant haze Cape Point itself. Another wonderful Cape Town memory.
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2 comments:
Wow! That view sure is breathtaking. It would be a good educational trip to bring land surveying students to that mountain where they can do their own surveying, don't you think? I mean, who knew that a popular tourist attraction in South Africa also carries some history of surveying?
I agree with Jesse. It's true that having a good educational trip on that mountain is a good idea since it can really benefit those who are interested in land surveying. Land surveyors used different tools in the past to conduct a survey. I'm really curious on how long did it take for them to completely map this place.
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