Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — the path itself
Cape Town

Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour

The old water pipe contour path across Table Mountain's west face — Kloof Nek to Corridor Ravine.

Gentle paved Steady Green Some steps · accessible alternatives noted on the page
Dist
3.85 km
Time
55 min
Up
43 m
Soul
Steady Green
Why this route restores

The Pipe Track is Table Mountain's easiest walk — a flat contour path at 200 metres elevation with continuous Atlantic views. Built in 1887 to service reservoirs, it's now Cape Town's most restorative walk.

  • Foot-routed by Xymove — pedestrian paths only
  • Elevation measured, not estimated
  • Free · no account, no paywall

Xymove intelligence

The map

Xymove Map3.85 km

Along the way

How the walk unfolds, and what looks after you while it does.

  1. Start at Kloof Nek car park, follow the level pipe track south along Table Mountain's western contour, passing above Camps Bay's white beaches, and finish at Corridor Ravine's shaded gully.

Care along the way
  • cafe
    Kloof Nek café and Camps Bay strip below
  • fountain
    No refill — bring 1.5 L
  • restroom
    Restrooms at Kloof Nek car park
  • bench
    No formal benches — flat rocks throughout
  • shade
    Partial — silver tree groves in Corridor Ravine
  • view
    Atlantic Ocean from every step
  • rest
    Corridor Ravine — shaded and cool
  • transit
    MyCiTi bus 107 to Kloof Nek from Civic Centre
Best time

Early morning or the two hours before sunset

The path

Photographs from along the way.

Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — path photograph 1
Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — path photograph 2
Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — path photograph 3
Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — path photograph 4
Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — path photograph 5
Table Mountain Pipe Track Contour — path photograph 6

Elevation profile

0 kmAscent +43 m3.85 km

Total gain 43 m over 3.85 km · paved surface.

Accessibility, honestly

Some steps · accessible alternatives noted on the page

Compacted earth contour path, largely level with some rocky sections. Not stroller or wheelchair accessible. Handrails absent — bring hiking poles if uncertain.

Surface
paved
Gradient
Gentle gradients only · 43 m gain over 3.85 km
Resting points
3 benches, shade & rest spots along the way — see the practical map below.
What this route supports
  • Stroller
  • Wheelchair
  • Cane
  • Benches
  • Shade
  • Water
  • Restrooms

This walk is

Steady Green

This one belongs to the trees, with a rhythm that rarely breaks.

Quieter than 8 in 10 walks in Cape Town.

Quiet88Nature90Flow90Water86Heritage86Recovery88Ascent56
This walk Typical in Cape Town

Take this walk when

  • You want green air more than sights.
  • You want to keep moving without thinking about direction.
  • You are depleted and want the walk to give, not take.

Choose another when

  • There is little to warn you about — it is a kind walk in most moods.

The trade · it stays level — no horizon to earn. Its strength is nature, and that is what it protects.

“A hundred-year-old water track across a mountain face.”

  • QuietSignature
    88

    Sound stays soft — you'll hear leaves, water and your own breath more than traffic.

    Above 80% of walks nearby

  • NatureSignature
    90

    Living land holds you the whole way — trees, birdsong, real soil underfoot.

  • FlowSignature
    90

    One continuous line — few crossings, easy to find and keep your rhythm.

    Above 80% of walks nearby

  • WaterStrong
    86

    Water beside you most of the way — a river, canal, lake or sea keeping company.

    Above 60% of walks nearby

  • HeritageStrong
    86

    Old stones and long memory hold the route — architecture, gardens, sacred edges.

    Above 60% of walks nearby

  • RecoverySignature
    88

    Deeply restorative — low effort, soft surface, safe to walk slowly.

  • AscentPresent
    56

    Gentle rises with recovery in between — an opening view or two.

    Above 80% of walks nearby

Let the trees do most of the noticing.

Cadence
4.2 km/h
≈ 104 steps / min

Restorative · a pace the vagus nerve can rest in

Breath

Breathe in for 4 steps, out for 5. Keep the exhale a little longer than the inhale — that is the whole practice.

If pressure arrives

Slow down until the count softens. Sit on the next bench for a full minute. Presence is the goal — the map will wait.

Car-free access mapping for this route is still in progress. Check the transit note above for guidance.