A Climb To Safety | Table Mountain’s Rocky Path To Mountain Security

by | Apr 19, 2024 | Featured, Industry News, Opinion, Run, Safety, Safety, Sports

Table Mountain has long held the allure of beauty, adventure and magnificent vistas of the inner city, surrounding beaches, and nestling neighbourhoods. With its flat tabletop peak, this iconic landmark is visited by over 800,000 tourists every year, and recently achieved the prestigious status of ranking fifth out of the “Seven Wonders of the World.”  However, behind the mountain’s enchantment lies a dark shadow, one that rises with the sun and sets late into the night, compromising its hikers, trail runners, climbers, and cyclists that frequent its paths and peaks – their safety.

Cover Pic Photocred: Fahwaaz Cornellius for CRRC

No longer tales of its terrain and climbs to the top, but rather incidents ranging from petty theft to serious crimes, which leave the image of Table Mountain tarnished. Despite the best efforts of implementing mountain security, the spectre of danger still looms large and begs the question: Can Table Mountain rise to the challenge of reclaiming its reputation as a safe space of serenity? 

Mountain Safety On Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Photocred: Fahwaaz for CRRC

The surge of incidents towards the end of 2023 sent ripples through the community, prompting heightened vigilance and a re-evaluation of safety practices. As a result, we’ve seen glimmers of hope, with much needed community involvement, increased police presence, and enhanced safety protocols.

Bryony McCormick, the founder of Chicks Who Trail, shared her experience as a victim of a recent mugging on Table Mountain. The incident occurred while she was hiking with her 11-month-old baby, her dog, and a friend on a well travelled path in Vredehoek in broad daylight. Bryony and her friend were among four separately reported muggings that day, an event that has since left her hyper-aware and cautious when on the mountain. While she acknowledges that there have been fewer reported attacks and muggings recently, Bryony remains vigilant, expressing “we are not out of the woods just yet.” 

Mountain Safety On Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Photocred: Chicks Who Trail

Over the last 18 months, the trail running community has suffered numerous security setbacks impacting both local and international runners. Before, trail runners could run alone or in smaller groups, now, that’s no longer a reality. According to Bryony, community runs offer safety and support and Cape Town’s group-runs have emerged as a triumphant and secure alternative for individuals seeking to explore the mountains.

Table Mountain’s safety leads to a stronger sense of community

With a multitude of options such as Tuesday Trails, Trail Dawgs, Hout Bay Trail Leopards, Gone Run, Forest Friends, Kom Run, Chicks Who Trail, Deep South Trail, Community Track, Running Late Club and more, there’s a group tailored to every terrain-preference, neighbourhood, and skill level in Cape Town. Bryony acknowledges the abundance of running groups as a testament to the community’s dedication to safety, ensuring that no one has to navigate our trails alone. 

Mountain Safety On Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Photocred: Zac Zinn for Tuesday Trails

Stuart McConnachie, founder of Tuesday Trails & race director for UTCT – echoes Bryony’s sentiment, sharing that the sense of community has just grown stronger from the recent incidents. He says, “trail running has not lost popularity due to increased-crime, but rather all the current situation has done is push people towards more group running.” He highlights the evolving sense of camaraderie as a great thing for the sport, emphasising that our continued and increasing foot traffic steer us forward to a safer and more positive future for Table Mountain. 

What is the most effective response in a worst-case scenario?

While we can try to prevent the unfortunate event of a mugging, we need to understand the most effective response should we encounter this situation. The takeaways from Bryony’s experience, is to comply with the attackers. Following such a distressing incident, swift reporting to the authorities is crucial for immediate assistance. Using resources like the Buzzer app or reaching out to the South African Police Service (SAPS) can help facilitate the process. Providing detailed descriptions of the offenders, including their appearance can better the chances of catching, charging and preventing repeat offences.  

Mountain safety remains a high priority, and needs both government funding and security intervention to curb the crime. While we wait, there are a number of community driven activations that work tirelessly to stop mountain-goers from becoming another crime statistic – Table Mountain Watch, Friends of Table Mountain, Take Back Our Mountain, to name a few. 

5 Things that you can do from your side

  1. Run in groups of at least 3 people (where and when you can). 
  2. Run during peak hours, and be aware of venturing into the mountain at quieter times. Also familiarise yourself with specific hot zones and frequently targeted areas. 
  3. Save all relevant emergency contacts so you know who to inform in case of an emergency (see end of article for details). 
  4. Download the Buzzer App and inform someone of your running plan (checking in once you have safely completed your run). 
  5. Discuss how you would respond in the unfortunate event of a mugging to better equip yourself in case you encounter such a situation. (For example, if you are going to carry pepper spray on you, test it before use)
Mountain Safety On Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Photocred: Fahwaaz Cornellius for Tuesday Trails

Save the below contacts for emergencies to mobilise the right people. 

  • Serious incidents or observations need to be reported to the city PECC: 021 480 7700
  • Mountain Rescue: 021 937 0300 
  • TMNP: 0861 106 417 

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