cableway

Kloof Nek Road falls under the category of a suburban pass and Cape Town has no shortage of those! The road is steep and dangerous and has something of a reputation for fatal accidents. It connects the city centre with Camps Bay through the obvious neck between Table Mountain and Lions Head. It was built in 1848 when Kloof Nek was used primarily as a look-out post for soldiers and the road was used as a supply route to Camps Bay.

This road falls under the category of a suburban pass and after a short steep ascent from Kloof Nek it climbs rapidly via two 180 degree hairpins to level out at the lower cableway station. Thereafter it runs more or less on an even contour line all along the north face of Table Mountain. Some years ago, rock slides caused the the road to be closed at the 4,1 km mark, leaving the remainder of the eastern section open only to hikers and cyclists. The road provides unparalleled views of Cape Town, the harbour, Robben island and the Cape Flats. It is usually extremely congested with tourist vehicles wanting to access the cableway and hiking trails.