Your hike begins behind the lower cable station where the first 15 minutes of the hike are the toughest. You are encouraged to take it slow until you reach the contour path, which is at 480 meters above sea level. It is often a good place to remove some layers of clothing and enjoy the fantastic views over Cape Town as well as Lion's Head and Signal Hill. At this point, the route splits, as you cross over the contour path and head right up a series of low rock steps to a platform on the skyline of the buttress. Look out for the Venster (window) on your left a little way up the gully, which provides a perfect photo stop to view the unique Table Mountain rock formation. Following your photo stop at India Venster, you will carry on back up the gully to the main path and off over the top of the lower Venster buttress. From this point, you can take in the spectacular views of the upper part of the hike, as well as Robben Island and far up the west coast. Your route then follows the path and traverses the base of the amphitheater, at which stage moderate scrambling and climbing will test your skill and balance with a few rock pitches. Climbing the pitches with the help of many staples and chains will bring you out of a small gully and on to a boulder field. You can then pick up the cairns across the boulders to a grassy terrace where you will take a break for biltong, one of South Africa's favorite snacks. Afterwards, your path veers around to the left into the shade of the mountain following a ledge and granting you amazing views of the glittering coast of the Atlantic. You will then embark on the final stretch up to the Table Mountain plateau, which will reward you with the most the most incredible views of your morning hiking experience.