13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town – Leg 6

Chapmans Peak, Noordhoek Peak and the Heroes Waiting at the Finish

For the second time in this series, I’m telling a story I didn’t personally walk.

Sometimes hikes gets in the way of peak bagging. Not to worry. You will read about my Karoo-Erdvark adventure soon!

That didn’t mean the Challenge stopped for everyone else.

It simply means someone else got to tell the next chapter.

Fortunately, hikers are natural storytellers. Between the photos and WhatsApp messages from Amenah, Sharifah and the rest of the gang, I could almost hear the crunch of boots on sandstone and feel the winter sunshine on my face.

And what a story they brought home.

Another Beautiful Cape Town Winter's Day

Sunday, 12 July 2026 dawned exactly as every Cape Town hiker hopes a winter morning will.

Cool enough to keep the climbs comfortable.

Clear enough to see forever.

Twenty-two hikers gathered at Chapman’s Peak to tackle the next stage of our 2026 13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town.

On paper, it looked straightforward enough.

Tag Chapmans Peak.

Carry on to Noordhoek Peak.

Finish at Silvermine Gate 2.

Simple.

Except anyone who’s been following this journey knows the mountain has a wicked sense of humour.

Nothing is ever quite as simple as it sounds.

The Second Longest Leg

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably keep saying it until Peak 13.

The biggest challenge isn’t climbing the peaks.

It’s joining them together.

Today’s route is the second longest section of the entire 13 Peaks Challenge, surpassed only by the epic Grootkop and Judas Peak leg.

Every kilometre matters.

Every climb counts.

Every descent eventually has to be climbed again.

That’s the part people often underestimate.

Chapman’s Peak itself is a joy.

The path winds steadily upwards, revealing bigger and better views with every turn.

Below, the Atlantic shimmered like polished glass.

Hout Bay looked postcard perfect.

Even “The Republic of Hout Bay” was behaving itself.

If mountains could choose a day to show off, this would have been it.

Two Peaks... Or One?

Everyone successfully tagged the iconic Chapman’s Peak.

Mission accomplished.

Well…

Mission half accomplished.

Because this challenge has never been about doing the minimum.

Under the experienced leadership of the legendary B Cassiem, thirteen determined hikers looked at Noordhoek Peak and collectively decided,

“We’ve come this far…”

So they kept going.

Not because anyone forced them.

Not because there were medals waiting.

Simply because they could.

And because that’s what this challenge quietly does to people.

It changes the conversation inside your own head.

“Let’s see …”

Slowly becomes…

“Let’s do it.”

The Other Challenge Nobody Sees

One thing I’ve learnt about this challenge is that mountains are actually the easy part.

The logistics?

That’s where the grey hairs come from.

This leg started in Hout Bay.

It finished in Silvermine.

If you live in Cape Town, you’ll know those two places aren’t exactly neighbours.

Linear hiking is wonderful.

Until you realise your car is waiting patiently on the opposite side of the peninsula.

Every leg of this challenge requires planning, carpooling, timing and more than a little optimism.

And every single leg reminds me that nobody completes the 13 Peaks Challenge alone.

The Heroes Waiting at the Finish

The summit photos are always beautiful.

The sweeping views.

The smiling faces.

The obligatory hiking poles triumphantly held in the air.

Those are the moments everyone sees.

What they don’t always see are the people waiting at the finish.

On this particular Sunday, Gary Eaves and Natasha Pillay quietly became the transport department, the logistics team and the rescue squad all rolled into one.

While the hikers made their way towards Silvermine Gate 2, Gary appeared at exactly the right place, scooped up tired hikers and ferried them back to their cars in Hout Bay.

If you’ve ever finished a long linear hike with aching legs, you’ll understand what an incredible gift that is.

Sometimes the greatest act of kindness isn’t carrying someone’s backpack.

Sometimes it’s driving your car.

To make matters even trickier, cellphone reception around Silvermine can be about as reliable as a weather forecast in Cape Town.

Which made Gary and Natasha, the Pillay-Eaves, absolute guardian angels on the day.

Every challenge needs a support crew.

This one is blessed with the very best.

Behind Every Summit

The more this challenge unfolds, the more you realise nobody conquers thirteen peaks alone.

There are the hike leaders.

There are the sweepers.

There are the photographers.

There are the people carrying first-aid kits.

And then there are the unsung heroes.

The spouses who don’t complain about another early Sunday morning.

The friends who drive halfway across Cape Town.

The people waiting patiently in parking areas while everyone else is still somewhere on a mountain.

The ones who answer the phone when there isn’t much signal.

The ones who simply ask, “What time should I fetch you?”

Without them, these adventures would be far more difficult.

Maybe even impossible.

This challenge belongs just as much to the Garys, Natashas, Suads and Butches of the world as it does to the hikers bagging summits.

And today, we celebrate them.

More Than Halfway

With Chapman’s Peak completed…

And Noordhoek Peak conquered by thirteen determined hikers…

Our 2026 13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town is gathering momentum.

Eight peaks have now been tagged.

Five remain.

Back in February, thirteen peaks sounded almost impossible.

Now?

The impossible is beginning to look inevitable.

Not because anyone has become superhuman.

But because ordinary people have kept showing up.

Sunday after Sunday.

One step.

One scramble.

One friendship.

One mountain at a time.

That’s how impossible things become possible.

Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to Amenah, Sharifah and everyone else who shared photographs, videos and stories from the day.

Thank you for allowing me to tell the story of a mountain I couldn’t climb myself.

Your generosity means this adventure belongs to all of us.

Trail Banter: Things We Learned This Week

The second-longest leg doesn’t feel any shorter just because someone tells you it’s beautiful.
Everything looks prettier from the top of Chappies

Don’t be fooled.

Every hiking group has two types of people:
Those who hear “optional second peak”…
…and those who accidentally find themselves standing on it.
Cellphone reception and mountain reception are not the same thing.

Only one can be trusted.

The real MVPs sometimes arrive in a car instead of hiking boots.
Gary and Natasha have officially qualified for honorary Sherpa status.
Every linear hike ends with someone asking,
“Now… where did we leave the cars again?”
Summit snacks still contain no calories.

This remains scientifically unchallenged.