I took this photo at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Table Mountain is famous for its views over Cape Town and Robin Island (where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner during Apartheid) at sunrise and sunset. The group I was with had planned on taking a gondola to the top to see the sunrise. However, upon our arrival to the base of the mountain at 5 a.m., we decided to climb to the top instead.

We were in no way prepared for the grueling, steep, four-hour hike to the top. The climb felt like an impossible feat and I would be lying if I said we hadn’t thought about turning around every ten minutes. The feeling of reaching the top was easily one of the most rewarding, memorable parts of my experience in South Africa.