Gabiba

Hi, I'm Gabiba! Runner, hiker, and blogger based in Cape Town. Welcome to my outdoor adventures! Follow me for hiking, trail running, and road running inspiration and tips. I'm afraid of heights, and never thought I'd see Mt Everest or bungee jump, yet here I am! Discover new trails and revisit favourites with me. Check out my blog for my take on gear, training, nutrition, and why the journey is the destination. Share my passion for running, hiking, and facing our fears!

When the Wind Wins: Lessons in Resilience From the UTCT Weekend

Trail running has a way of teaching us lessons we didn’t ask for. Some weekends give us euphoric finish lines and PBs. Others give us windstorms, disappointment, and the strange gift of humility.
This UTCT weekend was one of the latter — and yet, somehow, one of the most meaningful.

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The Damara Trail: Wild Luxury on an Ancient Footpath

The Damara Trail in De Mond Nature Reserve is a rare kind of hike—wild, quiet, beautifully curated, and rooted in ancient Khoi footpaths. I spent a weekend walking its dunes and coastline, slept under the wind on a wooden deck, and ended with an 11 km beach stretch into Arniston. It’s wild camping with a luxurious twist, and I already know I’ll be back.

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Bobbejaansrivier Trail – Bainskloof’s Hidden Paradise

The Bainskloof Pass has a certain drama to it. It’s the kind of road that feels like it was built for people who appreciate risk — narrow, carved into the rock, twisting like it’s been drinking. It clings to the mountainside as if afraid of heights, and yet it offers some of the most staggering

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The Alikreukel Hiking Trail: Our Luxury Coastal Escape

Trail dates: 7–10 OctoberBase: Wateryk Eco Lodge, JongensfonteinStyle: Self-catered luxury slackpack A Trail Between Time and Tide Some hikes fill your legs; others fill your soul. The Alikreukel Hiking Trail, tracing the ancient coastline between Blombos, Jongensfontein, and Stilbaai on South Africa’s southern coast, does both.   We began our walk on Tuesday, 7 October,

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The Strandloper Trail – A Throwback

A Christmas Journey Along South Africa’s Wild Coast On Christmas morning 2016, nine of us left Cape Town in a heavily loaded van, buzzing with excitement, oblivious to the distance ahead of us.   We had signed up for four days on the Strandloper Hiking Trail, a 57-kilometre coastal hike between Kei Mouth and Gonubie

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13 Peaks Finale: Devils Peak & Signal Hill — Peaks 12 and 13 on Heritage Day

Heritage Day in South Africa is meant for braais, family, and remembering where we come from.   This year, we decided to celebrate it a little differently — by finishing something that had consumed us for months: the 13 Peaks Challenge. Peaks 12 and 13, Devils Peak and Signal Hill, stood between us and the

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Voet of Afrika Half Marathon: Running at the Foot of Africa

Some races live in the legs. Others live in the heart. The Voet of Afrika Half Marathon, held every September in Bredasdorp, manages to do both.   Known as South Africa’s first official cross-country marathon when it launched in 1978, the Voet is more than just a run. It’s a tradition, a test, and a

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