When you think of Cape Town, you think of Table Mountain, with Devil’s Peak on one side and Lion’s Head and Signal Hill on the other.
Behind Table Mountain on the Atlantic Seaboard, you’ll find the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range with its magnificent crags, ridges, ravines, and gorges running roughly from Kloof Nek (the saddle between Table Mountain and Lion’s Head) to Hout Bay.
Given the name of the series of mountains, you’d think you’d be able to count 12 peaks. In fact, you’ll spot 17 or 18 peaks, depending on how you count. The theory is that if you count the buttresses only (that’s the part that protrudes, which might be made up of a few peaks), there are 12. Perhaps. Who really cares when you’re looking at the beautiful scenery in front of you.
The range was originally known as the Kasteelbergen (Castle Mountains) or Geuvelbergen (Gable Mountains) by the early Dutch settlers.
The average height above sea level is 750 m, compared to 1,060 m of Table Mountain.
Not only is the range called The Twelve Apostles, but each peak has its own name. From north to south, they are Kloof, Fountain, Porcupine, Jubilee, Barrier, Valken, Kasteel, Postern, Wood, Spring, Slangolie, Corridor, Separation, Victoria, Grove, Llandudno Peak, Llandudno Corridor, and Hout Bay Corner.
