13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town – Leg 4

Little Lion’s Head: Bundu Bashing, Butt Shuffling and Why We Keep Coming Back

There are hikes that leave you exhausted.

There are hikes that leave you questioning your life choices.

And then there are hikes that leave your face aching because you’ve laughed so much.

Leg 4 of our 2026 13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town somehow managed to do all three.

Thirty-one hikers gathered at Suikerbossie on what was supposed to be a wet and miserable Sunday morning. The weather forecast had been threatening rain all week and I suspect many of us packed rain jackets more out of optimism than necessity.

Cape Town, however, had other ideas.

The rain never arrived.

Instead, we were treated to one of those crisp winter mornings where the air feels fresh, the mountain looks magnificent and you start wondering if the weather forecasters just spin a wheel every Friday afternoon.

With half the vehicles left at the Suther Peak trailhead, we sorted out the usual car shuffle and set off.

By now we’ve realised that the 13 Peaks Challenge is only partly about climbing mountains.

The other half is trying to remember where you left your car.

Reinforcements Have Arrived

This week our merry band was joined by some extra horsepower.

Papa Grizzly arrived.

Mubeen arrived.

And Akbarie, displaying exceptional planning skills, arrived with her own reinforcement, Aman.

After the long slog of Leg 3, it felt good to have fresh legs and fresh energy in the group.

One of the nicest things about this challenge is watching experienced hikers quietly give up their Sundays to help others achieve something they once thought impossible.

Nobody gets paid.

Nobody gets a trophy.

The only reward is seeing someone stand on a summit with a grin that says, “I honestly didn’t think I could do that.”

That’s worth more than a medal.

If You're Looking for the Official Trail...

After crossing Victoria Road we headed for the trail.

Well…

Eventually.

Let’s just say we took the out-of-business-hours entrance.

There may have been a little bundu bashing.

There may have been some enthusiastic negotiations with fynbos.

There may even have been one or two people wondering whether we’d accidentally wandered into someone’s back garden.

If you’ve hiked in Cape Town long enough, you know that not every adventure starts with a neat SANParks sign and a perfectly groomed path.

Sometimes the mountain makes you earn the trail before you even start climbing.

That’s all part of the fun.

Mostly.

The Great Little Lion's Head Butt Shuffle™

Every mountain has its signature feature.

Lion’s Head has chains.

Platteklip Gorge has stairs.

India Venster has exposure.

Little Lion’s Head has…

…The Great Butt Shuffle.

The final scramble toward the summit is an absolute delight, with enough rock climbing to make you feel adventurous without requiring a sponsorship from Red Bull.

Then you reach the gap.

Anyone who has done this route already knows.

Anyone who hasn’t is about to find out.

One by one, thirty-one grown adults attempted to squeeze themselves through a space that looked considerably bigger from below.

Backpacks got stuck.

Butts got squished.

Boobs got compressed.

Dignity briefly left the chat.

There was pushing.

There was pulling.

There was laughing.

There was that awkward moment when your face ends up alarmingly close to someone else’s hiking backpack while your own backside is being gently encouraged through by three complete strangers.

Personal space became a distant memory somewhere around hiker number twelve.

I haven’t laughed that much on a mountain in ages.

Why We Keep Coming Back

Eventually everyone reached the summit of Little Lion’s Head.

The Atlantic sparkled below us.

The Twelve Apostles stretched into the distance.

The whole coastline looked as though someone had polished it overnight.

Cape Town really does know how to show off.

We took photos.

We shared snacks.

We admired the view.

But the older I get, the more I realise the view isn’t actually the reason I hike.

It’s the people.

It’s watching strangers become friends.

It’s lending someone a hand over a rock.

It’s hearing laughter echo across a mountain.

It’s sharing jelly babies with someone you’ve only known for two hours.

That’s the stuff that stays with you.

Five Peaks Down

Back in February, thirteen peaks felt like an impossibly ambitious challenge.

Now we’ve already completed five.

Something is quietly happening within this group.

People who doubted themselves are scrambling confidently over rocks.

Fitness is improving.

Confidence is growing.

Mountain legs are replacing office legs.

And every month another piece of the impossible starts looking possible.

The 13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town has never really been about ticking summits off a list.

It’s about saying yes.

Yes to adventure.

Yes to discomfort.

Yes to getting out of bed when everyone else is sleeping in.

Yes to discovering that you’re capable of far more than you ever imagined.

One Sunday at a time.

One peak at a time.

One laugh at a time.

Five peaks down.

Eight magnificent peaks still waiting.

I can’t wait.

Trail Banter: Things We Learned This Week

The weather forecast is merely a suggestion.
The 13 Peaks Challenge is actually an advanced logistics course disguised as a hike.
“It’s just a little bit of bundu bashing” should never be trusted.
Every hiking group contains one person who confidently says, “The trail is just here.”

It almost never is.
Fynbos can detect exposed skin from several kilometres away.
Hiking backpacks have an uncanny ability to become wedged in exactly the wrong place.
Personal space is a luxury best enjoyed at home.
The Great Little Lion’s Head Butt Shuffle should probably become an official SANParks attraction.
Calories consumed on a summit don’t count.