2026 Thirteen Peaks Challenge – Leg 2
Platteklip Gorge to Maclear’s Beacon: The Mountain Doesn’t Care About Your Plans Nearly three months after we started our 13 Peaks Challenge Cape Town journey, we finally got to Leg…
Author: 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!
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10 Posts
Wet Boots & Waterfalls: A Weekend Hiking Jonkershoek
There’s something mildly unhinged (and deeply satisfying) about choosing to hike in the rain—especially when the plan doesn’t quite go to plan. Our weekend in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve delivered exactly…
Black Mountain Trail Run (Calitzdorp): A Freedom Day Weekend in the Karoo I Won’t Forget
Some weekends feel like a blur. This one didn’t. This one stretched. It lingered. It settled somewhere deeper than just “a good getaway.” Maybe it was the inaugural Black Mountain…
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 7: Base Camp, Breakthroughs & The Way Back
Reaching Annapurna Base Camp, emotional highs, snow-covered peaks, and the long descent back through the Himalayas — the defining moment of the trek.
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 6: The Long Climb to Deurali (Where Things Get Real)
A tough day on the Annapurna Base Camp trek — trekking from Lower Sinuwa to Deurali, relentless climbs, altitude realities, teahouse life, and the moment the trek turns serious.
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 5: When the Mountain Decides (Farewells, Forests & Finding Our Rhythm)
Trekking from Chuile to Lower Sinuwa on the Annapurna Base Camp trek — a day of tough decisions, altitude awareness, bamboo forests, wildlife encounters, and the emotional reality of mountain…
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 4: Poon Hill Sunrise, Hard Decisions & The Road to Chuile
A powerful day on the Annapurna Base Camp trek — pre-dawn hike to Poon Hill, an emotional sunrise over Annapurna, and tough decisions as the trek continues toward Chuile.
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 3: The Trek Begins (From Kathmandu to Ghorepani)
After everything it took just to reach Nepal, you would think the universe might grant us a gentle start. In fairness… it tried. Part 1 Part 2 Kathmandu to…
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 2: The Airport Olympics (How We Finally Got to Nepal)
For part 1 go here. We arrived at Cape Town International four hours early, convinced the biggest threat to our Annapurna trek was being bumped off the flight. …
Annapurna Hardcore — Part 1: Flight Chaos Before the Trek (How Getting to Nepal Became the First Challenge)
Every great adventure begins with excitement, anticipation… and apparently, a complete collapse of the global flight system. There is a war going on after all. Our Annapurna trek hasn’t…