TRAIL
My motto for 2024 is Make Magic Happen , and what better way to do that than by being in the mountains , where you get to make and find magic . I ’ m a mountain person , not so much a sea person , so this works best for me , as I once again realised when I tackled the 13 Peaks Challenge in early January . – BY JULIANA AMBROSI with SEAN FALCONER
As most people can attest , I ’ m not very good at planning in advance . I can hardly keep up with what is happening tomorrow , let alone next week . However , I do take clues from the universe , and if opportunities present themselves , I tend to grab them . So , when a random Insta feed in December popped up , from Nyati-X Adventures , saying they had a space available for the four-day 13 Peaks Challenge , which they were guiding , it didn ’ t require much further thought from me . I immediately signed up .
The 13 Peaks is a challenge designed by “ The ” Ryan Sandes , a true South African trail running hero . If you are a runner , be it road or trail , you will know his iconic name … and you will also surely know that his challenge is not called a challenge for nothing ! ( The non-runners on my group had a mild heart attack when they discovered first-hand what it was about !)
In a nutshell , you start at Signal Hill and tag 13 peaks , in a specific order , to finish the circular route back at Signal Hill . It ’ s approximately 106km with peaks ranging in height above sea level from 348m to 1082m , with a total of more than 6500 vertical metres of climbing , so this is not something to take lightly . You can take on the challenge to earn a One Day badge ( sub-24 hours ), Two Day badge ( sub-48 hours ) or a Multi-Day badge , where you can complete the 13 peaks in as many days as you like – your time stops when you leave the route and restarts again when you restart , and you must re-enter the route at the same spot that you left it .
On completion of your Challenge , you can upload your time on the Wall of Honour and join the esteemed list of those who have completed the challenge , the Peakies . As Ryan writes on the 13 Peaks website , “ Completing this Challenge will not get you a prize . You will have an experience of camaraderie , pushing your limits , moments of doubt , awe and elation , and the feeling of achievement and the wonder at the world around you .”
Going to the Mountain
I live in the concrete jungle of Johannesburg , where we trail runners are not privileged to have the mountain , the sea , nor forests on our doorstep . ( That said , one plus is that we do have the altitude ...) Now , I had visited the Mother City many times for work ( and once to cycle the Cape Town Cycle tour , which is another story ), but I hadn ’ t had the chance to really experience Cape Town , or its beloved Table Mountain . As an “ all or nothing ” person , I thought to myself , what better way to explore and experience “ The Mountain ” than by traversing it on foot for four glorious days ?
Many avid trail runners have the 13 Peaks Challenge on their bucket list – and if it isn ’ t , it should be . Also , it should definitely be on every Capetonian ’ s list of things to accomplish , even if you are not a runner . However , if you don ’ t reside in the Western Cape , and you don ’ t know the area , and don ’ t have contacts to assist you on the adventure , it can be a logistical nightmare , hence I was very happy to use Nyati-X to help me achieve this goal . It was such a relief to have Dean as our guide , as he has run the route many times , and knows the mountain like the back of his hand . I am notorious at getting lost , and I find navigating very stressful , so leaving the navigation in his hands was a huge relief .
Climactic Climate
I must say something here about the weather : Wow ! Table Mountain is a whole ecosystem on its own , with every kind of weather experienced . And on many of the summits , it was clear at first , then within minutes , the mist rolled in and we couldn ’ t see a thing ! The hot and cold , and the “ should I wear my jacket , or shouldn ’ t I ?” prevailed for the whole four days . No surprise that in every pic I have seen on social media of people tagging themselves at the various Trig Beacons , it looks freezing . I now understand why ! That said , I loved the mist rolling across the mountain in waves . In my head , at times , I was picturing what you see in the Arctic , on the Tundra . That ’ s what it felt like … surreal .
There was another astonishing aspect of this incredible experience . On some of the more regularly used hiking routes , I was astounded by the choice of ( so-called ) active wear , including handbags with gold chains , socks with no shoes , even slip-slops ! Also ,
people with no water going up mountains , and as we were coming down from Devils Peak , a few people that were going up , asked us if there was somewhere to eat at the top , or any shops !
Meanwhile , something I learnt during my 13 Peaks adventure is that not all kilometres are created equal , and a kilometre on the mountain can take a very long time to complete – much longer than you would anticipate , even if you are a seasoned trail runner . We were asked by some people , “ How far to the next peak ?” and answered 1.5km . They seemed quite relieved , but I told our guide afterwards , we should ’ ve told them that the peak was probably still two hours away for them , if not more . A kilometre is not necessarily a kilometre .
Proven Grittiness
We started as a group of nine , and finished as four . I believe that anything is achievable , but this challenge does require a certain level of fitness – especially if
Images : Courtesy Juliana Ambrosi
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