As long as I’ve homeschooling Hamish, class in the clouds has been on my bucket list.
And this Friday we got to venture up our favourite mountain, to learn more about the flora and fauna of Table mountain, with our homeschool group.
About our visit
It was a small group of 12 kids and 8 adults that met to enjoy a sunny trip up the mountain.
The excitement was high, as the kids took in the sights waiting on our tour guide, Tony to help us up the mountain.
Many of our group had never been up Table mountain and weren’t sure what to expect . I must admit I am petrified of the cable car after my last trip up, and was a bit worried about how Hamish would enjoy the trip.
My fears were soon disolved as he absolutely loved the 360° view from the revolving floor of the Table Mountain Ariel cableway.
I also wasn’t as scared this time as the weather was amazing. Our day was crystal clear with no clouds or winds. My last visit had been in August 2017,during mist and fog.
Once at the top, it’s easy to see why Table Mountain has earned itself a place in the world’s new 7 wonders. The views are beyond exquisite!
You can see the whole of Cape Town and we aldso had the clearest view of Robben Island. One can only imagine how amazing this view must have been before buildings.
Our guide was truly knowledgeable and shared much of his passionate knowledge of the mountain, her history, the fauna and glory with us as we took a short tour around the top of the mountain.
We were lucky enough to see several birds, lizards and dassie on our trip .
All too soon the tour ended and it was time for the kids to explore and enjoy the picnic lunch we had bought before we met back with our group and decended the mountain.
Virtual tour
To prepare for our visit Hamish and I enjoyed a virtual tour.
You can enjoy a virtual tour of Table mountain here
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=jnFPSnAnYPW&back=1
As well as tour the inside of a cable car and take part in the young explorers challenge.
we really enjoyed working through this tour before our visit.
What is Table mountain class in the clouds?
This educational experience on the top of Cape Towns iconic Table mountain is a wonderful opportunity for learners and educators to trade their classroom for the day and venture to the top of table mountain and discover more about the flora and fauna of this natural heritage site.
Started in 2001, the Classroom in the clouds is aimed at primary and high school students. Homeschool students are welcome in groups. Since it’s interception more than 330 000 learners have participated in this unique program.
The class in the clouds offers a learner the chance to enjoy Table mountains natural beauty and learn more about the flora and fauna in its natural habitat.
The program runs from 1 March to 31 October 2024 and you can check further dates here https://www.tablemountain.net/class-in-the-clouds/re
The program is not offered on :
- weekends
- public holidays
- The March 2024 school holidays
- And during annual maintenance shut down
How Much does it cost
Schools can visit for a small consession with one teacher allocated free.
I was able to see that this vost to school groups is R45 a learner and we are a homeschool group and much smaller in size than a school, our group price cost us R90 a child and R340 an adult and this included:
- Travel up and down Table mountain in the cable car
- Lesson
- Tour
Booking is compulsory.
For more information about Class in the Clouds, please call: Fiona Magobiane at (021) 424 0015, or email cic@tablemountain.net
