Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 122, September 2019 | Page 42

bars mostly, so a peanut butter and jam sandwich for
me and a bag of Big Corn Bites for Sean (and simply
just sitting down), really gave us the boost we needed
to proceed.
#4), was no exception. The path (or sometimes
lack thereof) was overgrown with dense bushes. In
between some rocks we found the occasional Aloe
hiding, which was awesome to see. This one was a
real Bundu-bash getting to the top, where the clouds
did not really allow us too much of a view, but the
mission up there with our legs in full 4x4 mode was
great fun! shades of blue, making it look deceptively tropical.
We did experience a small rockfall at one point, which
I initially thought was a baboon, bergie or caveman
coming after us (your imagination goes a little wild
after being in the mountains for six hours). The path
eventually spat us out on Suikerbossie Road in
Hout Bay and then it was literally straight up Klein
Leeukoppie (Peak #6)
As we bush-whacked back down, creating our own
path for most of the way, it was a little cold until we
made our way down through the clouds, passed the
shadow of the mountains and back into sunlight.
There was a fair amount of single track to Judas Peak,
#5, and for any trail runner, a stretch of good old
single track is pure bliss. Judas Peak was one of the
easier climbs for me, but one of the most spectacular
views. Hout Bay was clear in sight now and so was
our next peak. We definitely underestimated this one. It is terribly
named, because there is nothing “Klein” about it. The
path sometimes just ends randomly, forcing some
rather intense rock climbing. In a lot of ways, the
climbing was actually great – using our arms to pull
ourselves up gave the legs moments of relief. Fatigue
was definitely being felt, though, but it is so important
to stay focussed, as the smallest foot misplacement
could result in a nasty fall.
Stunning Views
Straight back down and we got in touch with JJ
de Villiers from CCP in Hout Bay. Sean and I had
a WhatsApp group with JJ, Ray Chaplin and Ryan
Sandes to send progress updates and share the
adventure, but also for safety reasons. Due to security
concerns in the Hout Bay area, JJ had offered to
meet us on Sandy Bay beach and watch us go up
and down Suther Peak (#7) safely. However, finding
JJ and Sandy Beach was a laugh... The map led us
to an electric fence and closed gate (which we only
later discovered had an intercom for someone to open
for us).
Not knowing this at the time, we missioned through
woody vegetation to find a way around, but ran
straight into another stretch of fence. The top was
barbed wire, so the only way through was under.
Gentleman Sean bent and lifted the bottom of the
fence while I squeezed under. I couldn’t lift it high
enough from my side to help him, though, so he lay
there wiggling, unable to move past his crotch area.
I laughed at him again, but eventually he slipped
through. This put us on somebody’s private estate,
so the concern of a viscous dog or sniper attack
The decent down Judas was incredibly steep, taking
us through all kinds of gullies and cracks, but with
some really awesome views. The ocean was flat, 50
We eventually made it to the top, to yet another
breathtaking (literally) view. We decided this was
a good time to take a 15-minute break to have
something a little more substantial to eat. Up until this
point, we had been snacking on biltong and energy
Spot of Trespassing?
42
ISSUE 122 SEPTEMBER 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za