A birthday in the clouds – better late than never!

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• By Camilla Bath
• 5 March 2010

Chantal and her daughter Chelsea on Table Mountain.

It took Cape Town resident Chantal Voegt a full 38 years to get to the top of Table Mountain – but it was worth the wait!

On February 11, 2010, Chantal’s family surprised her with a trip to the summit on her 38th birthday.

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway spoilt her with a free return ticket (in terms of the Cableway’s special birthday offer).

Chantal was overwhelmed by the wonderful gesture.

“It was a totally amazing experience; something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” she enthuses. “I can’t understand why I never did this before the age of 38.”

The mother of two took some time to photograph the vast expanses and dramatic scenes visible from the top of Table Mountain, and decided to share them with us.

“Floating with the angels”

“The title is exactly how I felt when we finally reached the top,” says Chantal. “It was like you could just step off [and] walk on the clouds, or actually just pick a piece – like cotton wool.”

“What a beautiful birthday present”

Chantal is just as proud of this photo of her husband, Nigel, their daughter, Chelsea, and son, Nicholas, on top of Table Mountain.

“It captures the cold front coming over, and just shows off my beautiful family.”

“It’s a reminder [that] special moments are much more precious than expensive gifts, and this is what we’re trying to teach our kids.”