 Poster: A snowHead
|
Capetown in South Africa is having an unusually cold week.
There are rumours that snow has fallen, as reported by News24.com.
Photographic proof welcome!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 17-08-05 22:55; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
My mother lives in Capetown-- no snow but very cold and lots of rain
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
There has been some snow at higher elevations, according to this update from News24.com.
Anyone know what height of Table Mountain and the Matroosberg? Any decent skiing up there? (!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Almost definitely no skiing on Table mountain as the majority of it is sheer cliff. Routes up the 2nd half of it generally involve chains/ladders or are through very rocky gullys and clefts in the rock which would require a lot more snow cover than the occasional novelty disting it gets. Top of table mountain is around 1000m - with Cape Town city itself obviosly being just above sea-level.
I do know that some of the mountains inland from Cape Town have very limited skiing on them with a few 'deperate' ski clubs that play on them (opccasionally!) but cannot comment on the Matroosberg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Matroosberg are only 164km from Cape Town going up to around 2200m and skiing here represents desperation with a private ski slope - no proper lift infrastructure.
Tiffendale from mc8's link is only one step better - check out their webcam here - really just an outdoor winter version of an indoor ski slope although their photos do show what it looks like when there has been proper snowfall. Just don't think snow is reliable and even at altitude temperatures tend to climb during the days so snow does not last well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Does Table Mountain have a Chairlift?
Or does Chair Mountain have a ...... (complete this punch-line yourself)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
... and another Capetown snow report (and that photographic evidence!) from News24.com:
Best snow on the upper Matroosberg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Do we have any Saffer snowheads who can report in?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manda, did my best with some info above, but too far away to do anything 1st hand ... 
Honest, there won't be much skiing there. Never been there, but had a friend who went up to the private ski slope in the Matroosberg quite a few years ago - I think the 'lift' involved a 4x4 dropping you at the top or a portable rope tow with a generator or something!
The big problem with any snow in SA is that it doesn't last long enough for any proper base to accumulate. Snowfall generally isn't frequent or heavy enough - and cold spells generally never last long enough with daytime temps generally always getting above freezing and the sun too strong meaning everything pretty much melts between snowfalls. In the Drakensberg range in the central/eastern half of the country it may hang around longer as it does get cold at altitude - that's why the Tiffendale resort can pretty much make snow to see it through a season despite irregular snowfall - really just an 'outside snowdome'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
