table mountain national park

Hike

Posted on April 2, 2024April 1, 2024

An interesting hike up to the Constantiaberg Mast yesterday morning with friends. 8.8km in distance and 510m of ascent. Sometimes hot and sunny, sometimes cold and windy. Such is the chaotic nature of the weather in the Table Mountain National Park. But on the backside of the mountain on the way up, we were mainly surviving a “bracing” gale force southwesterly, straight off the Atlantic.

Not much animal life around, but a fair selection of birds and plenty (or more) of South Africa’s National Flower, the King Protea (Protea cynaroides):

Interestingly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of reproducible information about the actual mast that we walked up to. Sitting on a mountain of 902m, it’s either 146m or 154m high, which I guess won’t really bother anyone who’s not flying nearby between 1048m and 1056m amsl. But it does really seem like something that really should be a known value.

It’s about half the height of the Eiffel Tower, which looks BIG whenever you see it. But even when you’re right underneath this structure, it really doesn’t seem that tall. Maybe that’s because there’s nothing around to compare it to. The guy wires holding it up in the mighty Cape wind – the two of which make an eerie and almost ominous sound as they meet – are seriously hefty though, as are their attachment points to the mountain. It doesn’t seem to wobble much.
And although there’s still radio and TV being broadcast from here, the majority of the infrastructure now seems to be microwave-based – I counted over 70 transceivers. And one big satellite dish.

One thing that is a little lax is the security. A waist-high, rusting barbed wire fence (and some healthy self-preservation and vertigo) was all that was stopping us from being able to access and climb the tower. (B)eagle-eyed readers will be able to see the wide open gate to the right of the road: that’ll certainly assist in keeping people from getting very, very close to this strategically important bit of national infrastructure.

We just sat there and had a coffee and some hot cross buns though, before a much less hectic descent back to the car.

A good morning out.

Sprinkles around the mountain

Posted on January 28, 2024January 28, 2024

Stop the world. I want to get off.

I did mention the recent trend of people using TikTok to get their news, the utter nonsense that is on there, and the terrifying prospect of that nonsense influencing everyday life and – more worryingly – the upcoming election.

Here’s more evidence that reality and common sense is far distanced from that particular platform.

After the Table Mountain fire yesterday – and as an aside, I’m actually surprised that no-one has accused the water-bombing helicopters of spreading “chemtrials” yet – this genius idea:

Sprinkles? What? Like on a birthday cake?

But I’m guessing he means sprinklers. Like you use to water your garden. And stop it burning.

And in theory, it’s a great idea. Until you actual put a tiny, weeny, miniscule bit of thought into it.

Aside from the issues with water supply, infrastructure, the inevitable theft and the funding of the whole thing, there’s the sheer scale.

Table Mountain National Park is 221km².
That’s twice the size of Manchester.

And if you’ve ever been to Manchester, you might know that there are (more than) a couple of football pitches there. And each of them requires about 10 sprinkles… sprinklers… to keep them moist and stop them burning.

Working on the basis that a football pitch is about 100x50m, and therefore has an area of 0.005km², we can do a quick rudimentary calculation and say that Table Mountain National Park is the same area as 44,200 football pitches, and would therefore require close on half a million “sprinkles” to cover it.

So, there you go.

Why don’t they put water sprinkles around the mountain? Because it’s a frankly ridiculous idea, and if you had a brain, you’d have worked that out pretty quickly.

So I wonder what stopped that happening?

Keep it simple

Posted on February 25, 2023February 24, 2023

Fine advice from the US National Park Service:

We have a lot of SA National Park in and around Cape Town. That’s a real privilege, but it’s also not all it’s cracked up to be. Go to a popular spot at peak time and you might as well be in the city. But take the above advice and go to a less crowded spot (or a crowded spot at a less crowded time) anywhere in the Table Mountain National Park, and you’re (potentially) asking for trouble.

e.g.

We’re all advised on websites and on the trails themselves to make sure that we’re not alone, but much like the Eskom situation, there shouldn’t have to be normalisation, acceptance and victim blaming with this sort of thing. More should be being done to prevent these problems from happening, rather than (just) us having to change our behaviour because the authorities can’t guarantee our safety and/or electricity supply.

For balance, can I also point out that this is an urban park problem. The chances of you being mugged in – for example – the Agulhas National Park, are pretty much zero, no matter how alone you are.
But on the down side: no big, flat mountain.

HELP FIND VIENNA

Posted on September 20, 2016September 20, 2016

Here it is:

But no. That would be far too easy. This is a blog post about a different Vienna – a Vienna that is a sausage dog (I see what they did there), that has gone missing in the Table Mountain National Park.

Now, before we go any further, let me categorically state that I’m aware that some people have a very close bond with their pets, and I’m sure that this a very difficult time for Vienna’s owner. I sincerely hope that Vienna is found, safe and well, very soon. It would be wrong of me to ridicule her situation in any way.

However, it would also be remiss of me not to pass some sort of comment on some of the people who are active upon the HELP FIND VIENNA Facebook page that has been set up. Since I discovered it, this page has been my immediate goto site each time I have a moment to spare in the lab.

Some of them are a bit nuts.

The first thing that interested me when I stumbled across the page was this sort of posting:

I was impressed. And hopeful. If this missing dog has a camera around its neck, then just share the screenshots and someone will know where it is. This individual is right in requesting assistance if they don’t know the terrain, but someone will recognise it, so don’t just describe it – show us the image.

Except there is no image, because there is no camera. What’s being shared are descriptions of an “animal communicator” who has linked with the missing Vienna and is “assisting” by sharing “her visions”.

That’ll help.

“It sounds like [this place]” comments someone, “But it can’t be because you can see the sea from there.” Trouble with that is though, these are dog visions, not human visions.

Good point.

There’s also an issue with people not being allowed into private areas of the National Park. This was never an problem before, was it? Was it? Everything has been taken from us. When did this happen? And why can’t dachshunds climb fences? That’s a weakness that needs to be addressed. A bigger dog would be able to do that. Or a monkey. Or a human.

Yes, cape townians. How?

Incidentally, that same person was relying on that self-same security not so long ago:

Yeah. With a few thousand visiting vehicles each day, that’s in no way asking too much.

But help is even coming from overseas

I think the issue with this approach is “when you see her” bit. It’s not being able to “see her” that is the underlying problem here. If Jayne could “see her”, then none of this would be happening. I think that Turtle Creek, PA needs to review its search and rescue provision. They seem to have missed an important bit of the whole process.

No. It wasn’t.
Hindsight, ne? 20/20.

The most concerning bit for me though is the way people are being led by charlatans. Latest news is that the animal communicator has said that Vienna is on tarmac or under a car. This didn’t sound like a good ending to me, but then I realised that it’s all bullshit anyway. Suddenly, there’s a massive rush to look in car parks.
Not this car park, obviously, because that’s gravel, but could someone maybe check that car park, because that car park is tarmac, isn’t it?

People are wasting their valuable time and effort on this sort of crap. Go do something useful.

Like when someone on the page stated:

I had a dream that Vienna was limping.

and people immediately started speculating whether it was through tiredness or maybe a thorn in her paw.

It was a dream.

On that note, last night, I had a dream that I was reconcreting the floor of Fishhoek Yacht Club, but I’m not going down there this morning to cordon it off so that people don’t walk on it.

BECAUSE IT WAS A DREAM. NOT REALITY.

But wait.
BREAKING NEWS: there’s now a white car involved.

But is Vienna in the car? Or could there be an alternative explanation?

Ah. Yes. That fits nicely.

Kerching

I must go now, because real life. But I will be keeping an eye on the HFV group. Because it’s amazing.

If you have any information on Vienna, or feel that you may be able to help (hopefully more than that damn “animal communicator”), get in touch with the group on the link above.