So, you’ve decided to go hike Table Mountain, but you’re not exactly sure what to expect. You’re a bit worried and maybe a little intimidated. Well, you know what? You definitely should be! Just kidding! Hiking Table Mountain is EPIC! Like REALLY epic! Plus you will feel like a total bad-ass once you’ve done it. Like just being able to say that you’ve actually hiked Table Mountain kind of almost makes you feel like Bear Grylls. Okay, maybe not, but close! So, just to make sure you’re fully prepared I thought I’d give you a couple of tips from a seasoned professional like myself. Okay, who am I kidding; I hiked Table Mountain once, but let’s just say I learnt some REALLY valuable lessons:

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• TAKE ENOUGH WATER: This might seem obvious, I know. But believe me, once that backpack of yours starts getting a bit heavy you’ll opt to leave that extra bottle of water at home. Let me tell you something – DON’T! Yip, I’m not proud to say it but, we ran out of water! I still remember the moment we walked past a gentleman selling water and him asking us if we’re sure we have enough, ‘YES OF COURSE!’ we replied. But boy were we wrong. Our last bottle of water was suddenly the most cherished possession we’ve ever owned, we were like smeagol hanging onto our precious. Every tiny sip mattered and waterfalls and water fountains were suddenly the only thing we could think about. So, YES, take water, take ALL the water!

• Pace yourself: We were like kids in a candy store, let loose for the first time, running up that mountain like there was an endless pool of Oreo McFlurry liquid heaven waiting for us at the top. And then we ran out of steam! Here is a fact you should never EVER forget when hiking the magnificent Table Mountain – IT IS TABLE MOUNTAIN. It is 1, 086 meters above sea level. Hiking it is HARD! I remember when we passed some lovely encouraging people on the way up and the discouraging moment when they told us ‘You guys are doing so well, you’re almost half way’, SAY WHHHAAAATTTT!!!!! I have never wanted to punch someone more in my life, not because they were rude in any way, but because how dare they crush my false illusion that I am almost at the top. And even if I wasn’t anywhere near the top, at least I believed that I was, and that really helped. The mind is powerful okay, don’t judge me! You have to understand that at this point my quads were shaking like a leaf, sweat was dripping, no flowing, out of every pore of my body like the Niagara Falls and WE HAD NO MORE WATER! Yip, talk about tough times! Which brings me to my next point…

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• Your quads are going to burn, LIKE A LOT!: Wow, I was on fire, and not the on fire I wanted to be! When we first had the idea to hike Table Mountain I thought ‘YAY, finally doing all those step-ups in Kayla Itsines’s BBG program was going to pay off (Shout-out to all the BBG Girls out there)! This is going to be my time to shine!’ Weeeelll, not so much! I obviously didn’t do enough, or didn’t use heavy enough dumbbells when doing them, I don’t know! Point is my quads were on fire and shaking and I was really worried that they would give out on me and I’ll go tumbling down that mountain having to climb it all over again WITH NO WATER! Have I made my point about taking enough water clear enough yet?! Ladies and gents let me give you another tip – DO YOUR STEP-UPS! Step-up like it’s nobody’s business and when you’re done doing step-ups do some more step-ups! You are going to need it! And yes, you can thank me later because in addition to being able to actually hike Table Mountain effectively you will have SUPER toned quads!

• Be prepared for anything: This is Cape Town. That means the weather can turn on a dime. What started out as a beautiful, blue-skied sunny day suddenly turned into a cold, windy, overcast mess. This resulted in me having to buy a R700 sweater at the gift shop to avoid freezing to death. I now, however, have a really cool, kick-ass Table Mountain hoody that I wear a lot, but that’s beside the point. The point is pack something warm. Even if it’s not cold, cause trust me, you can never be too sure!

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• Don’t be a sissy like me: Once we got to the top and we had our triumphant moment of ‘We actually made it, SAY WHAAAATTT!’ Yes, just in case you were wondering, this is indeed your time to do a little happy dance – you deserve it! We decided to take the cable cart down instead of attempt the downwards hike. Okay, in our defense it was pretty overcast which resulted in it being a bit wet and us slipping and sliding all over the place. Oh, and because my quads were in a state of constant spasm, I didn’t think it was going to be the best idea. Plus, I kinda needed my legs for walking and stuff the next day. But next time we’re definitely doing the down hike, I hear it’s pretty cool too!

• YOU ARE GOING TO BE STIFF: Well, that’s if you’re anything like me of course! So, if you roll out of bed the next day unable to get off the ground, or better yet, go to the bathroom and attempt to sit down but rather, uhm, fall down, then YES, it’s normal! Don’t worry you’ll be okay! Eventually! But look on the bright side, at least it means you got one kick-ass workout in, yay!

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But you know what, besides all of that, THIS WAS THE BEST EXPERIENCE EVER! And I recommend it to absolutely anyone and everyone. Believe me, to this day I still brag about hiking Table Mountain to everyone that will listen. It really was the coolest experience and I would totally even put it on my CV if I could! That’s how proud I am of it! So, here’s your last tip – GO DO IT! Maybe you can give me some more tips, you never know!