Five safe after mountain ordeal

2005-07-12 14:48

Cape Town - Five people who went missing on Table Mountain were lucky nothing serious happened to them after hiking on the mountain ill-prepared, Metro Rescue said on Tuesday.

"They hadn't prepared very well and were poorly equipped with no food, water or good winter gear," said Metro doctor Cleeve Robertson.

Robertson was talking after three people in their 60s and two youngsters spent the night on the mountain, when nightfall found them still hiking.

The five, who went up by cable car, walked across the table to Maclean's Beacon, and then onto Skeleton Gorge using the popular Smuts track.

Robertson said fortunately it was a warm night and the group walked down the mountain early Tuesday morning, reaching Kirstenbosch Gardens about 09:00.

Prepare

He said search parties had scoured the mountain during the night after the group was reported missing.

Robertson advised prospective hikers to be well prepared, and even to take a map and cellphone with them on strolls or climbs.

He encouraged people going up the mountain by cable car to come down the same way.

"You are more likely to hurt yourself going down, maybe twisting an ankle, than going up."

Robertson said the group was "lucky" with the weather and choosing a reasonable route down, and could have fallen to their deaths if they had chosen another route with waterfalls or ravines.

It was unclear if the group consisted solely of South Africans or if there were any foreigners in it.

- SAPA