We love to hike so living just a short 10 minute bus ride from the base of Lion’s Head has been so awesome for us! It only takes us about 2 hours to hike it, so we have made it a priority to hike it at least once or twice a month. We’ve hiked it 4 or 5 times. Every time we have hiked it, with the exception of this week, the weather has been warm and the sun is shining before we reach the top. We even made it to the top to watch the sunrise once. That was super cool! This week was the first time we got to hike it in the fog with a slight drizzle. The light rain was a refreshing change! We couldn’t see anything but clouds from the top, but it was still a great morning hike. It literally felt like we were up in the clouds!
We go on Monday mornings around 6am and get home just after 8. Some days it has been really hard to get up, especially as the summer has come to an end and the sun has been coming up later and later. When we first arrived in Cape Town sunrise was around 5:30am, now its almost a full hour later. Knowing the reward we are going to get every time we get to the top makes it worth losing sleep.
Every time we hike Lion’s Head, both Rob and I are in awe of the beautiful views. The trail winds up and around the mountain, so you get to see different parts of the city as you climb. The last 1/4 mile stretch to the top is fairly strenuous, as you step on rugged boulders that litter the trail. We’ve done a lot of hiking in our lives, and this for me is one of the most incredible mountain top views I have ever seen. It is beyond stunning. When we reached the top of the mountain the first time, it literally took our breath away, not because we were out of shape, but because you could see a full 360 of the surrounding mountains, ocean, beaches, and the city below. I can’t describe the feelings I had as I stepped foot on the peak that first time; the adrenaline you feel as you near the climax of a hike, shirt soiled with sweat, muscles burning, mind racing with anticipation, and then you reach the peak, and you look around to find the reason for why you made the decision to put yourself through the struggle, and every doubt you had somewhere along the way is not even a fleeting memory when you witness the scene that lay before your eyes. My mind and heart were flooded with emotion as I beheld this picturesque panorama. I was speechless. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It is this indescribable feeling of humility, complete and overwhelming awe that gets us out of our warm bed in the wee hours of the morning and gets us up that mountain.
There is something so beautiful and edifying about hiking and being out in nature. It can transform your whole perspective on life. It fills you with hope and ambition. Immense joy and gratitude permeate my heart every time I stop to admire this insanely gorgeous planet on which we live. Heavenly Father was so thoughtful and mindful of us in His designs. If you ever come to Cape Town, you owe it to yourself to hike this mountain. You will not be disappointed!