Breathlessly, we take the last few steps over some craggy rocks and scramble to the summit. After two hours of solid climbing, Vanya and I are ready to collapse as the sun beats down on our sweaty brows.
• Cape Town with Green Point Stadium in the foreground
And then, suddenly, all the effort becomes worthwhile. In a moment, Table Mountain gives up one of the most spectacular views in Africa.
From our wind-swept viewpoint, we see the white surf of the Atlantic Ocean crashing into the rocky peninsula that is the Cape of Good Hope.
And to the north, I cast my eyes over Cape Town's city bowl, making out in the distance the impressive white oval that is Green Point Stadium, the 70,000 capacity football stadium built for this month's World Cup.
Gazing down and over the turbulent ocean, the immense pride that Capetonians feel for this corner of the country makes complete sense to this outsider.
Since those first settlers established a trading post under the shadow of Table Mountain nearly 350 years ago, Cape Town has grown to become one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa, famous as a playground for the rich and a popular destination for millions of European and North American holidaymakers.
But I also wanted to see Cape Town from the fascinatingly diverse perspectives of the three million ordinary South Africans for whom the city is home. This would prove easier than I had imagined as I discovered a warmth and hospitality that can only hold them in good stead as they help host the greatest sporting event on the planet.
After my Emirates flight touched down under a deep blue sky, we drove from the airport past a montage of scenes that immediately revealed the vast spectrum of life that is found here. From the township of Khayelitsha, where thousands of black South Africans live in squalor, the road quickly took me past the affluent southern suburbs, home to many of Cape Town's British expatriates.
It is a jarring juxtaposition of rich and poor that provided an immediate insight into the deep racial divisions that remain nearly 20 years after apartheid, the regime that created these poverty-stricken townships, was swept away in the name of democracy and equality.
Depressingly, decent housing and even basic sanitation remain an exception in the townships. But look beyond the grim physical reality: a visit to Khayelitsha is one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences for visitors to Cape Town.
Township tours usually last half a day or so and include a visit to a shebeen, or pub, orphanage, school, community centre and a traditional healer. Turning the lives of impoverished non-white people into a tourist attraction doesn't sit comfortably with me, but the reception I received on my visit to Gugulethu, another township nearby, at least partly allayed my concerns.
With a group of friends, we spent an afternoon at Mzoli's Place – a butchery which happens to be an almost legendary hang-out among Capetonians. Buckets of African sausage and lamb chops are served to a soundtrack of blaring Kwaito music and raucous laughter among the well-oiled clientele. The idea is simple: you choose the meat at the butchery, it gets barbecued to perfection, and is then served with a spicy salsa, bean salad and the South African staple maize "pap".
After munching a mammoth slab of beef and chatting with the locals, we drove back into town – passing close to the football stadium – and downtown to Long Street. It is here that the World Cup after-match parties will be the most colourful and the most cosmopolitan.
This strip of bars, restaurants and hotels, slap bang in the centre of town, is where everyone heads to have a good time. After taking in a cool gallery exhibition opening complete with canapes and wine at Wessel Snyman Creative, we headed to Boo Radleys, a few blocks away on Haut Street, where we downed cocktails and talked football. The World Cup-themed chat continued in Rick's café before we ended the night sipping a Mars Bar milkshake at Mr Pickwick's.
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