Cape Town - A diverse group of hiking enthusiasts, aged from 26 to 66, are on a high after completing Cape Town’s famous 13 Peaks Challenge.
It took the Westside Adventurers Cape Town five months to summit the peaks along the Table Mountain National Park, stretching from Signal Hill in the city to Cape Point.
The more than 50 participants completed their last leg on Saturday, walking from Newlands Forest, up Newlands Ravine, over Devil’s Peak, across the Table Mountain Contour path, and then all the way up to Signal Hill, to return to their original starting point.
The group was established in January 2023 by Carmen Devine, originally from Durban, who moved to Cape Town six years ago and now lives in Green Point.
“I was just looking for people to walk with in Cape Town,” said Devine.
“I decided to put up a post on Facebook and it became a big group because it’s safer when you hike in big numbers.
“We have diversity in our group and we are open to all ages and genders.
“This is the first time we competed in the 13 Peaks Challenge. One of the ladies in the group suggested that we do it.
“To me it’s all about the people I have come to meet and appreciating nature. It’s such a nice thing to do, even during the week after work, we do a one-hour walk.”
The group completed 135 kilometres over the five-month period staring in April, finishing one or two peaks every second weekend.
The 13 Peaks comprise Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, Maclear's Beacon, Grootkop, Judas Peak, Klein Leeu Kop, Suther Peak, Chapman’s Peak, Noordhoek Peak, Muizenberg Peak, Constantiaberg, Klassenkop, and Devil’s Peak.
Devine said the group also hosted walks, kayaking, music concerts and enjoyed theatre shows and movies together.
Group member Tracy Roddom, 62, from Table View who joined in May last year, described the challenge as tough.
“It’s quite a challenge because a lot of the hikers were not very experienced, but throughout the process there was quite a lot of growth in terms of building confidence and skill and definitely having sore bodies afterwards.
“It’s a fantastic group.
“I started off as a beginner hiker. “We are a mixed group of beginners and accomplished hikers who hike all over the Western Cape.
“This is a fantastic mechanism to network and we also get loads of international visitors who join our hikes,” said Roddom.