2024 // Cave System Discovered At The Top Of Table Mountain

Network of caves discovered on top of Table Mountain. #capetown #southafrican #tablemountain

[@waynestrydom91]

Please don’t disclose the location. People will go there to ruin it.

[@shams61022]

You are selfish. Nature belongs to everyone.

[@nelsonchinasamy9857]

​@@shams61022it is the right thing to do, don't disclose it. Some humans are very destructive and some may even go and live there.

[@sonjatait4089]

@@shams61022He’s referring to squatters!!! 😡

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Agreed 👍🏻

[@ettacoetzee8939]

I agree, but please tell Nature Conservation.

[@tanyabooysen3958]

Very interesting, these places need to be protected and preserved.

[@user-es4iu7ls2o]

Agree. They must not be destroyed by hordes of tourists!

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Agreed 😊

[@deonvanderberg1944]

Agree..... Those guys were not even suppose to be there.

[@bernardhill1622]

Thanks Mate, some (2-4) of us adventurous S.A. Navy PF members used to hike or climb to these Caves in the 1963-65 & remained mum about them not to run the risk of a flood of Vandels..❗👍🏻🙇‍♂️

[@conniemuller2064]

Same here in 1969 from Wingfield with PO Visser. Used to stay there overnight!

[@bernardhill1622]

@@conniemuller2064 Wonderfull, i was at Wingfield in 1963 whilst Lt, Com,. Ludick was O.Com, of Wingfield, later years 2003 met up again with Kil' Gunner PTI Havenga & W.O. Du Preez ( El.Eng.) in Pta of all places ( all retired now) Shalowm ❗🙇‍♂️

[@barbrathompson9798]

Please please , the location must not get out 😢

[@dylanholmes1985]

It's frustrating to see what people will do for views. They should have just enjoyed the experience and kept it to themselves

[@ireneandrews6486]

My late father used to tell us about these caves (he called it the underground escape) the Groenplaas. Always said that when war comes that's the place to go cause there is fresh water running there. (my father severed in WW2. Use to love his war stories.

[@Bob123Max]

The sandstone mountains of the Cape Peninsula are riddled with caves. As teenagers we used to explore the caves on the mountain on the south side of Fish Hoek. We never told our parents where we were going - it gives me the shivers now as to what might have happened if we had not returned.

[@hungwekuhlase4332]

You lived, explored and now you have stories to tell your grand kids. That's the beauty of being young and free spirited. You only learn of fear and how to face it when danger arises.

[@ahab8997]

​​​@@hungwekuhlase4332: My children and grandchildren cannot comprehend that my friends and I (five of us) could do what we did as teenagers. Table Mountain was our playground! And our parents had no idea where we were! In hindsight, yes were probably being irresponsible. If we had all fallen down a cliff, nobody would know where to start looking for us. That was 70 years ago. There are still 3 of us alive today. And we still reminisce about the 'good old days'. 😊

[@hendrikmyburgh6072]

We also used to play their. Their is more cave near 5 other locations

[@user-jz7sj2cg1s]

The entire Cape Town is like a dream of many years ago, one can feel it even in the gardens of Old Cape Town. I love it !

[@antonetienne3478]

You must check out the Sterkfontein caves. I will guide you per email as best I can to places underground no one has ever been, from entrances very few people know about which leads to an underground lake located under the cemetery etc, not the lake close to the main entrance. There are also ways leading towards the area know as "Groenplaas" and an underground river flowing towards Westonarea. At Waterfall there is another entrance next to a stream which leads to the Tarlton area. We spent weekend after weekend in those caves, we know it quite well. Most of what I mention is unexplored still. There are some seriously beautiful places down there.

[@skitzmissions7092]

super interesting, can you contact me regarding this as well ?

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Looking forward to that email! Please let me know if you send it as soon as sometimes they don’t get through. 😊

[@antonetienne3478]

I will start typing away then... Your email addy? @@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger

[@estellevanstaden8293]

My grandfather George Ward Barlow worked in the Sterkfontein caves, collecting lime. They family lived on a farm close by. I have an old newspaper with an article about finding Mrs Ples

[@antonetienne3478]

Some of my older relatives had farms over there at Kromdraai, the Smit's. Nick Smit, Barbera and so on @@estellevanstaden8293

[@wrathofgabriel4567]

This video is epic, my beloved grandfather (rip) once told me about these caves. However I was too young to care to remember the specifics of where it actually was. After he passed my cousin and I attempted to find it but failed and quit looking...but now with this video!! Thanks for the content its epic.

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Unfortunately with this video you’ll never find it. We made sure to protect the location 😊 good luck though 👍🏻

[@MoreThanRuan]

You mean you explored the caves. Someone else discovered them a very long time ago. That’s why you knew while them. Discover & explore are two very different things. 😉

[@MarkoVukovic0]

Kak funny. The place even has reviews on Google 🤣

[@mrsrichter8586]

I couldn't breathe just watching this, I like my wide open spaces and fresh air thank you. I literally sat with my hand over my eyes and just listened to you in those tight spaces.

[@mrsrichter8586]

@@EatonShitson why didn't you go on your own? Or were you too scared? Do you jump out of airplanes? Or do you have a stupid illogical fear? Do you do free-diving into the depths of the ocean with one breath of air? Or do yo avoid that due to a stupid illogical fear that you have? If someone has a fear or phobia, keep your petty judgment to yourself, it'll make you a bigger/better person.

[@charlesflying]

That's an incredible find Adam & Matt, well done & thank you!

[@user-yi7zm3qk3i]

@charlesflying it was already discovered many years ago. It's like stating you found devil's peak after visiting table mountain. Nothing was "discovered" or "founded" by any of the individuals.

[@merle-wq9ir]

At college back in the day we 'lived' on Table Mountain over the weekends. Never heard of the cave! Amazing.

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

That’s a great college life 😂

[@hennies9509]

There is too much loose sand to say the river flows through there. My dad grew up in Cape Town, and that was his playground plus the mountain. He showed me so many places, and my brother got wood by some excavation site at the castle that is more than 340 years old. He built himself a dinningroom table and chairs from it, absolutely beautiful.

[@claudielemoine4864]

There the truth is written in the stones! They speak loud!! Bravo to you guys.

[@faroukdavids2054]

Absolutely Amazing what gems we have in our mountains. Thank you guys for sharing.

[@hannesvanniekerk499]

That's fabulous! Who would have thought. Thank you for sharing.

[@larabartlett3483]

I bought the book of Joshua Penny’s life on Table Mountain a few years ago at a market second hand for R2. One of my most cherished books. So wonderful to see this video and experience where he lived for a few years! Thanks guys!!!

[@OBCBTTB]

I'd love to read that book. Was thinking it would have been quite lonely for Penny up there on his own. Maybe he had friends or even Koi living in those caves with him.

[@Michaeltellinger]

Great work Adam - Keep it up brother.

[@mundusuys8739]

The pottery shard featured is Dutch Delft Blaauw.

[@Mimeniia]

The claustrophobia came at me through the screen like a ton of bricks.... 🏃💨 💨 💨

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Haha it was t too bad 😂

[@pamelawijnberg3251]

Amazing !! Thanks so much for sharing this ❤. So special....

[@etiennevanonselen7949]

Awesome find...thanks for video...

[@laurettabartolini8135]

So nice of you to share!

[@deanboshoff6849]

Awesome clip. Love the history & that lead cork! Wow.

[@fraseredk7433]

Lead would have been slightly poisonous to the drink?

[@bbrren]

We used to go through the caves in the 80s with our school adventure club. I am sure I can dig up some old photos.

[@bbrren]

I was recently thinking of visiting them again - glad you found it!

[@johnneumann8016]

Hey guys, that's very interesting, I remember in the 80's I took my son on a hike up the mountain from the Zonnebloem side, we came across a small opening on the slopes, going approx 20m or so in the mountain, there was a vertical shaft ,who knows how deep. Got the info on caves from one of Lawrence Green's books

[@YusufPetersenCPT]

i have seen this entrance on one of my hikes had no idea it was this omw how cool adam what a mad find seeing dates from the 1700s thats insane!!!

[@alexszlanina7548]

I once went with a small hiking group to explore the Kalk Bay caves. There was a tiny tunnel - say cm dia. You have to enter a certain way, else you wont make it through the kink in he middle of the tunnel. I you go in the wrong way you'll get stuck .. then you better have someone to help pull you feet back out. Scary.

[@raytheron]

Amazing! Thanks!

[@bernadettelee5949]

Wow!!! You guys are adventurous and couraged. Thank you. God bless.

[@like-rq9wk]

Just Loved Your Video Adam I am a Capetonian and Yes Over The Years We Use To Hike Up and Down Table Mountain with Our Kids or Just Hubby and I Hubby was a Boy Scout so Table Mountain was his Playground and They Spent weekends in The Caves Im so Happy That You have shown the Rest Of The World Our Beauty and Treasures

[@carolbeukes4810]

Wow... amazing 👏

[@Rebelheart06]

Amazing Discovery guys😊🎉

[@blxckoutbxyww]

i cant breathe just watching this

[@CC-mb8fi]

These systems were explored by SASA (South African Speleological association) i the 70's and 80's already They were explored, surveyed and documented. Geological survey were given the maps with the research into the systems. This was done all over SA 40 plus years ago. Just we are in our 60's and 70's now, old and decrepid and not able to be active in this sport/pastime any more

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

That’s amazing! Thanks for sharing.

[@CC-mb8fi]

@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger I was a member of SASA in the 70's and 80' and on the 4 man exploration team that went and did the mapping and investigations. Once that was done the club would usually follow the next month

[@Jimjolnir]

Another gentleman noted in his comment that he explored the caves 50+ years ago, he said, "It looks like the artifacts have been removed". Were there any artifacts found during the survey?

[@CC-mb8fi]

@Jimjolnir they were probably removed before our official explorations as a club as it would most certainly have been documented. SASA had a strict "no disturbance except where absolutely necessary for exploration" policy. Stalagmites and stalactites were not even climbed on to measure them but were estimated (surveyor and an engineer were part of the team) and photographed, so could be reasonably accurate. The one member was an employee of SA Geological Survey dept and documentation was lodged with them too. All caves explored, surveyed and geological assessments done were to aid geological records as well. In my years of exploration we never encountered human artifacts. Caves can be kilometres in length and several hundred metres in depth and included cave diving as well, so human prescence was limited to a very short distance at the entrance. To explore some of the intricate and larger caves could take years of revisiting. Sometimes 180m plus abseils into the darkness that takes hours to rig up descent/ ascent equipment and get the team down. Then to explore and survey and map is an extremely slow and laborious process. Its only the shallow easily accessible caves like the sandstone caves on Table mountain that take traffic because of the easily accessible hiking trails and simplicity of the caves. These were formed not by water but by geological action, so it is basically collapsing on fault lines and opening up passages along those lines. The remote caves in the rest of SA are far more complex and of greater size. In the dolomitic mining regions around Carltonville in GP, the caverns there can be 150m high and 300-400 m long with about 180m wide if my old memory serves me correctly. It can take around 4 hours to get the team into the cave. And is strictly controlled because of the skilled climbing and rope/rope ladder work required.

[@honeybunch5765]

I used to walk up TM often in my younger days. I ❤ TM. Cool vid.

[@wimpretorius1683]

Wow that's awesome that you guys had found this cave on top of table mountain 👍👍

[@jade4r4]

So amazing!! Excellent upload thanks guys, also what are the odds it was another M cave entrance? The americas have made some incredible vidos on the M caves 🌹❤❤❤

[@ruansmith119]

That is an incredible find, wishing I was there

[@silvertongue3003]

Table Mountain is actually full of caves, there’s some more natural ones that opens up just above the crystal pools and then there’s actually quite a few man made ones containing old water pipes and one where the water still flows through as well. Used to be my playground as a kid but now that I became older and fatter and became more claustrophobic I’ll have to be content exploring them through videos like this..

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Happy to help 😊

[@dianesanderson930]

Amazing.. I did though become claustrophobic by merely watching. You're definitely braver than I am! Thanks for sharing!

[@johndavid5618]

Wow guys this is so intresting the history of the cave, pple that lived before our time. 👍

[@SusScrofaVulgaris]

Awesome. Dankie

[@labedition3010]

Wow very interesting.

[@thomasnzenzo1534]

Awesome🎉

[@ruthlongridge2137]

Fascinating! this is sooo dangerous to cave without backup ...

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Agreed, we always have a plan though 😊

[@greghirst3338]

Whoa, very interesting!

[@cbear9986]

Very cool and interesting video! Please be safe guys and use some guide ropes ❤

[@bobbrown5529]

what an amazing cave system .

[@neutonrenda2303]

Awesome!👍

[@ketchachimp8612]

Used to explore those caves in my youth, about 55 odd years ago, your advantage was those great touches, we had touches with yellow lights that lasted about half an hour. Looks like most of the artifacts have been removed.

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

That’s amazing! Super amazing experience!

[@generalblack2335]

You mean torches

[@j.ashbolt6688]

@@generalblack2335 I hate predictive text

[@rethap3612]

Which other artefacts were there? Any stone implements?

[@patriciajacobs5114]

Wow 😳❤ Amazing

[@fariedarylands3964]

Amazing🎉

[@leftofright]

Amazing! i walked the mountains so many times

[@willemconradie]

Good grief, that made me claustrophobic.

[@SurfCityDurban]

I would have thought it would be in the news media, but can't find such a report. Please provide more info.

[@michelletrimbornCapeTown]

Fascinating

[@armandtjviljoen]

Hopefully this hidden piece of history does not get destroyed.

[@worldwithoutwar8622]

Awesome! And clearly these guys don't have claustrophobia.

[@user-qm8py4fm5j]

Nice man

[@alanakingstewart]

I new it, I spent time in ankor wat, cambodia and met a person who told me there is a layline across table mountain🙏🏼that whole mountain is caved, under ground systems and all, I'm based in Joburg, please invite me for your next excursion ❤🎉🎉

[@margarethajordaan4549]

Love it

[@steffanjansenvanvuuren3257]

Wait till you see "the grotto" cave. From the Cable car you have to take the path that goes towards and past Platteklip gorge. Continue past the gorge and as soon as it starts to become an open area on the right side of the path, look out for it on the right, about 100m from the trail you will start noticing some deep openings (for the lack of descriptive terms). There is a large chamber with a nice "window" looking out towards the dam.

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

That’s insane!!

[@petriepretorius4085]

Wow thats cool...

[@RP-mm9ie]

thanks

[@GaryFrank1959]

The caves are old news....my father and his mates used to spend the odd weekend up there

[@ArabianKnight-te9cp]

Been there so many times .

[@SkippyTheBard]

I Really Really Want to try this but my brain keeps reminding me of the nutty putty incident great works guys and stay safe on these adventures, we need more.

[@gregwoolley6105]

These caves are much older than you think. Start at 6000 years minimum. They were made for human survival during the catastrophic cycles that earth periodically endures.

[@antonetienne3478]

Cool

[@PatrickVDV]

🔥🔥🔥

[@SourSweetDurban]

Aweh❤

[@MrJPdupreez]

This is Epic! Keen to do a video together sometime if you want to do some exploring.

[@davidrusso4249]

I would love to explore that

[@Wolfenhaas]

Amazing! I never knew there were caves up there, but I won't be following you in there! I prefer the wide open spaces

[@julianhessphoto]

Whats interesting here are the Straight cuts on the walls. As if its Bricks stacked ontop of each other. Like the Mountain has lines which looks like mortar. Adam any recollections?

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Not really, where did you see that?

[@poplap9241]

For a moment there I feared that you would not find your way back out!

[@lloydmukumbie949]

so south africans took Credo For granted here we are now

[@sandrajeanlawrenson6503]

If you ever plan a trip to Sabie, Mpumalanga. There are a few caves there. One in particular has structures like that, but it is cavernous from end to end, the size of a ruby field at least. Stalegtite and stalegmite. You can see where a river used to run. Very interesting indeed. I unfortunately do not know the history behind it. But it is one of the most exquisite caves I've seen. Untouched by time, due to almost no one knowing where it is.

[@johnex302]

Wow

[@psystealth]

awesome, who would have known, please alert the right people

[@dylanp9575]

Cool side quest

[@deepepper779]

In the early 60’s we found a cave amongst the rocks at Isipingo beach KZN.. Smugglers Cave or WWII ?? It is said that ☝️ same lead all the way to Post Office in Delta Road !!

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Insane history 😊

[@fazloe]

where is this I'd love to go check it out. been hearing about these caves but just never knew where they were.

[@jamiebrown1235]

Where the term, “bergies” come from

[@elizabethnovak4088]

Homeless people residing taking shelter in the many caves in Table Mountain, ...during the day in town, trying to make a buck, night time retreat the mountain...even hideouts for criminals ...berg means mountain and bergies is just a word for these homeless people living there...

[@joanlombard8579]

❤it

[@Patshes]

🆒😎👍!

[@theart7111]

I've been on Table mountain many times, if only I knew about this. Next time. I'm a South African living in Germany, Ha,and the South African accent is starting to sound strange to me.

[@rsamom]

It is so interesting. The first time i heard TM has a cave. I can see the caves from the comfort of my home. Sandstone is bit crumbly

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

Safest place 😂

[@julialuyt990]

Been in some of the caves before with a friend who was a member of a hiking club. One guy actually got stuck in one of the narrow channels. But we made it in and out. But not these caves.

[@avrilmiles]

Ouch!

[@altGoolam]

This has all the vibes of Europeans discovering the Americas and Australia and the Southern tip of Africa. There's people who've been there forever. But hey, nice find.

[@nicolasanema630]

I want to explore this this weekend with my brother. Is it possible to ask for some guidance on how to get there?

[@msbravewyn]

I’m sure that one of those tunnels lead to a proper under ground river .. where the rock is harder . Much more to explore ..

[@grantfranke1]

Used to explore this system with buddies 37 years ago. Kalk bay boasts of the lo gest dandstone loop ( I think in the world) we always said it was false information, Tabke Mountain's sandstone network beats Kalk bay hands down! Did you come iut at an enterence full of bats? One of the entrances/ exits / access points is full of thousands of bats. There are also places where you can abseil down ( although a bit cramped) deep long inderground crags.

[@AdamSpiresWannabeVlogger]

There’s so much!

[@alestairdamon7891]

Used to explore the Kalk Bay caves in the late 70's come sunshine or rain. Took along change of dry clothing and did a lot of crawling around the network of caves. The bats hung off the top of the cave with a opening at the top. Enjoyed caving so much and never got to go all the way in some of them as it got too narrow and had to reverse backwards to the opening. The one also has an exit on the opposite side of the mountain. Lots of water on its floor during the winter rains which didn't deter us.

[@pietergroenewald902]

The cave system on/in Table Mountain stretches all the way to Kalk Bay....

[@Man-go-Everywhere]

Next week it will be full of squatters 😅😂😊😂😮😅

[@Skyscraper2015]

As for claustrophobia, I don't feel the tight spaces. Funnily enough I have often spelunked in the caves around the Kalk Bay Amphitheater for instance and often requires crawling and stuff. I don't panic, just tell myself panicking accomplishes nothing. And that if I panic I become rigid and then I have reason to worry. So long as I keep cool, I am flexible.

[@peetsnort]

How did the original peoples see without torches

[@jason12345r]

where did you start to hike on table mountain to find this spot?