When the table cloth is seen, it symbolizes the contest. Legend attributes this phenomenon to a smoking contest between the Devil and a local pirate called Van Hunks. The flat top of the mountain is often covered by orographic clouds, formed when a southeasterly wind is directed up the mountain's slopes into colder air, where the moisture condenses to form the so-called 'table cloth' of cloud. The cliffs of the main plateau are split by Platteklip Gorge ('Flat Stone Gorge'), which provides an easy and direct ascent to the summit and was the route taken by António de Saldanha on the first recorded ascent of the mountain in 1503. It is 1,086 metres (3,563 ft) above sea level, and about 19 metres (62 ft) higher than the cable station at the western end of the plateau.

The highest point on Table Mountain is towards the eastern end of the plateau and is marked by Maclear's Beacon, a stone cairn built in 1865 by Sir Thomas Maclear for trigonometrical survey. This broad sweep of mountainous heights, together with Signal Hill, forms the natural amphitheatre of the City Bowl and Table Bay harbour. The plateau, flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and by Lion's Head to the west, forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau approximately three kilometres (2 mi) from side to side, edged by steep cliffs. Features Table Mountain as seen from Lion's Head, with low-lying cloud cover over Cape Town Cape Town under the clouds It is home to a large array of mostly endemic fauna and flora. It forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, and part of the lands formerly ranged by Khoe-speaking clans, such as the !Uriǁʼaes (the 'High Clan'). The mountain has 8,200 plant species, of which around 80% are fynbos, meaning fine bush. Table Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in South Africa, attracting 4.2 million people every year for various activities. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. Table Mountain ( Khoekhoe: Huriǂoaxa, lit.'sea-emerging' Afrikaans: Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa.

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