Cape Town is among the planet’s loveliest cities–high mountains, beautiful coastline, and tragically poor flatland communities that were a bulwark in the fight agaisnt apartheid. Here are a first few shots from the mountains. The team in the top photo, led by Robert Zipplies, went up in the dark and lowered themselves on ropes because it wasn’t entirely clear that the authorities precisely wanted them right there–but today every tourist coming up the cable car gets the message.

And below is the top of Signal Hill, a few kilometers away as the crow flies. The 350 is made by members of Working On Fires, the wildfire fighting brigade who has had all too much work in recent years. Thanks to everyone!