On Saturday, 24 May 2025, I laced up my trail shoes for a 15 km group run from Long Beach in Simonstown to Scarborough. It wasn’t a race. It wasn’t about pace. It was about presence. Organised by Take Back Our Mountain (TBOM), this collective effort with Deep South trail runners and local clubs wasn’t just a show of endurance—it was a statement.
We ran for safety. We ran for visibility. We ran because too many of us, especially women, no longer feel safe on our mountains.
The Unspoken Threat on Our Trails
For many Capetonians, Table Mountain and its surrounding peaks are sanctuaries. The network of trails that thread through fynbos, forest, and coastal cliffs offers more than exercise—it gives solace. But in recent years, these spaces have become less of a refuge and more of a risk.
Muggings have increased. According to reports from local safety networks and mountain watch groups, the majority of victims—up to 70%—are women. These attacks are not isolated to obscure paths. Hikers and runners have been targeted on popular trails, near entrances, and at scenic spots known to locals and tourists alike.
Some incidents have involved weapons. Others have escalated into trauma that leaves more than physical bruises. What unites all of them is the sense of violation—of a place that’s supposed to be ours, taken from us by fear.
Strength in Numbers: The TBOM Philosophy
It’s into this growing climate of caution that Take Back Our Mountains emerged. TBOM isn’t a formal security service. It’s a grassroots movement—volunteer-led and community-driven—aimed at reclaiming Table Mountain through presence, visibility, and unity.
Their philosophy is simple: safety in numbers.
TBOM organises weekly hikes and runs across different regions of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). Anyone can join—there’s no fee, no bureaucracy, and no prerequisites beyond the willingness to show up. They hike with intention: to remind would-be criminals that the mountain is watched, that people care, and that hikers are not alone.
On today’s run, that ethos was alive. We were a group of 200-plus runners—some regulars, some new. We spanned ages, races, and experience levels, united by a shared goal: to run free without fear.
A New Kind of Community Patrol
What makes TBOM different from formal law enforcement or state-sponsored safety patrols is its grassroots power. This is not a reactionary group waiting for another incident to happen. It’s a proactive presence. Think of it as a kind of community watch—but with trail shoes, hydration packs, and a relentless love for the outdoors.
The impact is tangible.
When TBOM shows up to hike a known mugging hotspot, word spreads. Criminals avoid those routes. When TBOM hosts a community walk in an area previously deemed risky, hikers return. There’s power in solidarity, and TBOM has harnessed that in the most natural way—by simply showing up.
But here’s the crux: they shouldn’t have to.
Where is SANParks?
The Table Mountain National Park is a World Heritage Site.
It falls under the management of SANParks, a national body mandated to conserve, protect, and manage South Africa’s most iconic natural areas. But when it comes to safety, many feel SANParks has dropped the baton.
We’ve heard the excuses: the mountain is too big to patrol fully. There’s not enough budget. Crime is a societal issue. All true. But not enough.
Trail safety cannot be outsourced to volunteers forever. While SANParks has made some attempts—collaborating with law enforcement, installing signage, and deploying rangers—the frequency and severity of incidents suggest that these efforts are not enough. They are not systematic. They are not visible. And they are not felt where it counts—on the trail, in the moment, when someone’s being followed, mugged, or left behind.
TBOM’s work is vital. But it should be a supplement, not a substitute.
Running from Long Beach to Scarborough
The 15 km route we took today was quintessential Deep South beauty: rugged coastline, windswept dunes, sea views that make you pause mid-stride.
But even here, there have been reports of muggings. Places we once roamed freely have acquired warning signs—not from officialdom, but from word-of-mouth caution.
Yet today, we reclaimed it. Not aggressively. Not with fanfare. Just with presence.
We greeted our TBOM marshal volunteers, encouraged hikers we passed, and looked out for one another.
In the stretch of trail between Simonstown and Scarborough, the fear lifted. The mountain felt like it was ours again.
That’s what TBOM does best: it makes you believe that the mountain still belongs to the people.
Not Just a Women’s Issue, But a Gendered Reality
The fact that most victims of mountain crime are women is no coincidence. It reflects broader patterns of violence in South African society. It also reflects the deeply gendered experience of accessing outdoor spaces.
Men often run alone, with headphones, at dawn. Women, by contrast, coordinate their routes with military precision: “Which path?”, “What time?”, “Are we a group?”, “Do you have pepper spray?”
TBOM’s presence has opened trails to women who previously gave them up. It’s also built bridges between trail communities and running clubs—spaces often kept apart by geography, economics, or old fears.
On today’s run, we were joined by runners from all over Cape Town. That diversity matters. Visibility matters.
The Power of the Unpaid
Here’s what’s remarkable: TBOM does all this without funding, without institutional backing, and without compensation.
Volunteers put in hours organising events, scouting routes, coordinating safety patrols, and managing comms. They do it because they care. They do it because they know what’s at stake: access, freedom, and justice on the mountain.
But passion alone won’t keep this going. To scale up—to offer more patrols, to buy radios, to train volunteers in basic safety and first aid—TBOM needs funding.
What Can You Do?
If you hike, run, or love the mountain from afar, there’s something you can do right now: support Take Back Our Mountain.
👉 Donate.
Your contribution helps buy safety gear, cover costs for community events, and keep the movement growing. Even R50 goes a long way.
Click on the link to contribute here.
👉 Join a Hike.
If you’re in Cape Town, join one of TBOM’s weekly group hikes or runs. It’s free, friendly, and a great way to connect.
👉 Spread the Word.
Share their work on social media. Tell your hiking friends. The more people know, the safer our trails become.
👉 Hold SANParks Accountable.
Write to them. Demand increased ranger patrols and better collaboration with community safety groups. TBOM is doing the work—SANParks needs to meet them halfway.
We Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between Safety and Solitude
There’s something sacred about walking alone on the mountain. About running a ridgeline with just your thoughts. About pausing at a viewpoint without glancing over your shoulder.
Right now, that’s not possible for many of us. But TBOM offers a path forward. Not through fences or fear, but through collective care.
Today, as we ran toward Scarborough with the wind at our backs and the ocean at our side, I felt it: the mountain is still ours. But only if we protect it—together.
Support Take Back Our Mountain
💸 Donate: here
📱 Follow: @takebackourmountain on Facebook
Because no one should be afraid to run free on Table Mountain.
Thanks
The trail running community —Deep South, Muizenberg Trail Dawgs, Komrun Club, FHAC, Mates, and Gonzo
TBom marshal volunteers
Photo credits belong to:
TBOM FB page
Laila Barthus
Aslm thanks Gabiba. Another well written blog