Three Peaks

A strenuous but rewarding hike is on offer in the heart of Cape Town – hike the three famous peaks in one go: Devils Peak, Table Mountain, Lions Head.

This is a really tough hike that, depending on your route, covers 21km to 27km and climbs up and down almost 2000m.  You can do the mountains in any order, although the accepted norm seems to be Devils Peak, Table Mountain and then the easiest Lions Head.

Climbing each of these mountains is described in detail on Do Stuff in Cape Town, but doing all three in a day is a real achievement. There are several shortcuts available (using contour paths and skipping Maclear's Beacon) which can cut the distance and difficulty significantly.

• This is a tough task and shouldn't be attempted alone, in bad weather, or by anyone who hasn't climbed these mountains before
• There are at least two races which involve doing the three peaks. The Three Peaks Challenge has runners returning to the city after each peak - over 50km. The Bat Run involves less distance (runners only go back to Tafelberg Road) but is run at night
• There is sometimes water available on the mountains but take plenty with. There is a public tap near the Pipe Track parking area