After a tourist hiker found himself unintentionally taking the trail less travelled and ended up above a cliff, a powerhouse rescue team stepped in to get him down safely!
Cape Town, South Africa (08 July 2024) — A tourist hiker from Australia found himself unknowingly taking the road less travelled down Table Mountain recently, leading him to a story from his travels we’re sure he won’t soon forget. Luckily, his story comes with a happy ending!
According to the Mountain Club of South Africa and Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR), the ordeal took place on Wednesday last week when the 28-year-old tourist hiker headed out for the mountain trails from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in the afternoon.
The Australian was reportedly following the guidance of a trail app, but soon found that the recommended route he intended to follow through (Nursery Buttress), was very tough given the wet landscape and the weather conditions, causing delays in his adventure.
“On the way down, he got into a difficult position off the main trail network, where continuing down would have been unsafe. At this point he was above a small cliff on Nursery Buttress,” reported the Mountain Club of SA.
It was then he had to make a decision—attempt to brave it out and get down himself in the dark, or ask for help. Thankfully, he chose the latter.
The Wilderness Search and Rescue team were ready and able to assist, getting to his position expertly. A rescue climber played a big role in his rescue by climbing up the cliff before the tourist hiker was lowered down via a neat harness.
Thanks to their efforts, he made it back to the Gardens in the thick of the night—safe, sound and surrounded by an amazing effort from the local people who assisted him.
But, this is also a cautionary tale.
The WSAR’s spokesperson David Nel has encouraged hikers to be very cautious with their adventures in hectic weather, while the Mountain Club of SA shared that hikers should not “blindly follow” trail apps.
“Rather, check on the level of difficulty and risk of a trail before following [the] trail on a small, deceptively flat-looking mobile application screen, or stick to the popular regular trails on the mountain.
“This is particularly true for Table Mountain, where a large proportion of trails that have started to be included on trail apps fall into the “expert only”/ “not recommended for general hikers” category.”