Local folklore attributes this phenomenon to a smoking contest between a retired Dutch pirate named and the Devil .
: Legend says Van Hunks, an avid pipe smoker, was challenged by a mysterious stranger to a smoking match on the slopes of what is now called Devil's Peak . whipping day at table mountain
: As they puffed away for days, a massive cloud of smoke began to drape over the mountain. Van Hunks eventually won, but the stranger revealed himself as the Devil and vanished with him in a flash of lightning. Local folklore attributes this phenomenon to a smoking
: To this day, when the "tablecloth" cloud rolls over the summit, locals say Van Hunks and the Devil are locked in a rematch. The Science Behind the "Whipping" The actual "whipping" is caused by orographic lift . Van Hunks eventually won, but the stranger revealed