There are teams of concerned citizens, volunteers, event organisers and trail running groups working together to help maintain and develop the trails that we are all able to enjoy.

Stuart McConnachie, Race Director of RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT) and co-founder of trail running group Tuesday Trails, says we are extremely fortunate to be able to escape into the bubble of nature within a city. 

“We are all custodians of these wild spaces and need to respect the wildlife and the natural environment of the mountain. 95% of all the UTCT race routes cover the Table Mountain National Park, a privilege for us as trail runners and race organisers. Partnering with SANParks makes this possible, and through our Trail Fund we are able to support the SANParks Honorary Rangers and now also Friends of Table Mountain, who are doing amazing work in rehabilitating some of the trails.”

Stuart McConnachie carrying logs up the trail with his son Jasper. (Photo: Supplied)

Friends of Table Mountain (FOTM) is a group of concerned citizens who have created a community of volunteers and funders who are making a big impact. Andy Davies is the Chairperson, and says the group was formed in March 2020 after some individuals were involved as volunteers on the Table Mountain task teams formed by Minister Barbara Creecy at that time: 

“Our passion for the park is why we have become involved in trail rehabilitation. It is so satisfying to see the results — a path that was overgrown and damaged — you go back and see the steps in place and people enjoying the trail. We have a Facebook group with over 6,000 members now and the organisation is a registered NPO.”

At a meeting with the SANParks CEO in September 2020 it was suggested that Friends of Table Mountain could collaborate with SANParks with the rehabilitation of the trails on Devil’s Peak in order to reinstate the Batrun permit, so that the event could again take place. (Batrun is a challenging trail running race that ascends the three summits of Devil’s Peak, Maclear’s Beacon and Lion’s Head, in the dark). This became the first trail rehabilitation project for Friends of Table Mountain, and they worked closely with the SANParks Honorary Rangers, a group of volunteers who give up their time to assist with alien clearing, clearing rubbish and snares, security patrols, trail clearing and the rehabilitation of footpaths.

Davies says: “Through the Honorary Rangers we are able get permission for this rehabilitation work. SANParks understandably does not want just anybody to be digging holes or chopping down trees on the mountain, and the Honorary Rangers play a key role in facilitating us being able to do this work.”

(From left) Alic Kapito, Gift Barton and Toby Adams ready to carry logs up Table Mountain.
(Photo: Supplied)

Toby Adams is an Honorary Ranger who works closely with Davies and Friends of Table Mountain. Davies says he himself was initially very involved with the supervision but now Toby Adams and the team they have in place are getting on with it. 

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“Toby is a legend, he was up there today working in the rain with the guys. He has been an essential part of the supervision work and making these projects happen,” says Davies.

“With the Devil’s Peak Project, we had two community service days and many trail runners pitched up for that, carrying 250 logs and equipment up onto Devil’s Peak. Tuesday Trails runners were a great help with this and the community continues to be involved.”

After the Devil’s Peak project the team successfully fixed the badly eroded Corridor Ravine and Slangolie trails above Camps Bay. Individual mountain users, some corporates and smaller companies, running groups and race organisers, have all chipped in to help fund the materials and labour that makes this work possible, with their most recent focus being on Rooikat and Nursery Ravines.

Davies says: “Recently an active mountain user, Paul Cartmel, approached us with a R 10,000 donation and asked us to sort out Nursery Ravine. Through his networks we raised additional funds and we are working on that right now. Tuesday Trails committed R11,000 and UTCT offered some sponsorship — every contribution adds up and enables us to purchase the materials needed and to pay the Trail Apostles.”

The ‘Trail Apostles’ Gift Barton and Alic Kapito working the trails on Table Mountain. (Photo: Supplied)

The Trail Apostles, a team of experienced and hardworking tradesmen working on the trail rehabilitation, were so named when they were working on the Missing Link trail beneath the Twelve Apostles on the Atlantic Seaboard side of the mountain, and the name has stuck. Gift Barton and Alic Kapito form the current Trail Apostles team. 

Adams says the Honorary Rangers do a vast amount for Table Mountain National Park: “We get a wish list from SANParks each year and we see what we can tackle from that list during the year. We do visible security — foot and bike patrols, graffiti removal, maintenance of infrastructure, a wide range of things, all done on a voluntary basis. There is a group that does alien clearing every Wednesday in Newlands, young and old get involved. Anybody can join, and we need more volunteers.

Current project at Nursery Ravine with SANParks Honorary Rangers/Friends of Table Mountain signage
(Photo: Supplied)

“We collaborate with Ultra-trail Cape Town and others who help us with funding in order to rehabilitate footpaths. So far, with Friends of Table Mountain we have done Devil’s Peak, Corridor Ravine at the end of the Pipe Track, Cecilia Waterfall and the Rooikat trail and now Nursery Ravine.”

Adams says: “The UTCT team also helps us to identify trails that need rehabilitation. For instance, next we will head to the back of Suther Peak. It is a horrible section coming down from the top of Suther Peak onto the saddle above Sandy Bay. UTCT has found a sponsor who will contribute, and we will get stuck in there. You will be able to walk from Sandy Bay Nek, to Suther Peak and down Karbonkleberg — it will be a lovely walk where at the moment is just a slippery sandy route that no one would want to tackle.”

Davies says that the Suther Peak project will be at least six weeks’ work for the Trail Apostles.

Left to right, Gift Barton, Andy Davies and Alic Kapito working the trails on Table Mountain. (Photo: Supplied)

“The Mountain Club of South Africa has sponsored us with a brushcutter, and with that, we should be able to make real progress with clearing paths. It is so nice to see the trail running events like UTCT, The Special Edition, Batrun and others reinvesting into the mountain. The financial support they have given us makes such a difference, and it’s also good to see the link with a running group like Tuesday Trails. Celtic Harriers trail runners and Harfield Harriers have also become involved,” he says. 

Davies believes that civic organisations have an important role to play in society: “The greater community really wants to add value and help with many of the problems that we have in South Africa. What it takes is leadership and coordination to leverage that passion to get things fixed. It’s no use just complaining all the time. So many people emigrate and then come back — we should redirect that effort into fixing what we can. Government still needs to do their job, and it’s important that we hold the government accountable, but we can do our bit to make it a better place for all.” DM/MC

RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town takes place from 25-27 November and entries are open, although some of the events are close to capacity. https://www.ultratrailcapetown.com

You can follow Friends of Table Mountain on Facebook:  

and make a donation towards trail rehabilitations here. 

Maryann Shaw works as a public relations professional focusing on sports, athletes and events. As a writer, she seeks to tell peoples’ stories and share them with a worthy audience.