How it works
Sign up now
Create your account and connect Strava. Add a photo and choose the name you want to appear under on the leaderboard.
Sign up before 1 November and you will be ready to go the moment the Summer Challenge opens. You will also get the route reveals and season updates as they land.
Until then, the Sneak Peek routes are yours to explore. Nothing counts towards the leaderboard before 1 November, so use them to get a feel for Cape Trail and see what you are getting yourself into.
Run the routes in any order
From 1 November, all twelve routes are open.
There is no set order and no weekly schedule. Pick the mountain, pick the day and go. Do two in a weekend or spread them across the whole season. Run, hike or walk them, and come back as many times as you like.
Twelve routes. One summer. Your way through them.
Publish your result
Your completions are private by default. Nothing appears on the leaderboard unless you choose to put it there.
When Cape Trail verifies a route, you will get an email asking whether you want to publish your time.
Publish all of them, not only the ones you think are fast. The leaderboard is more fun when it shows the real days too, and it gives you something to chase when you come back.
Go back and beat it
Your first time does not have to be your final time.
As the season rolls on, the boards fill up and your own targets start appearing. Go back to a route you have already done, have another crack at it and see what happens.
Cape Trail keeps your best verified time for each route.
Find your people
Cape Trail is more fun with other people on the same routes.
How we verify a route
Cape Trail checks your Strava activity against the route itself. Most of it happens automatically, but there are a couple of things we need from you.
Start and stop your watch where the route page tells you to. Every route has that spot marked. If you start too late or forget to stop, your recording might not line up with the route.
If an activity only partly matches, it gets flagged for a human to look at. That human is one person, not a mysterious Cape Trail control room, so give it a day or two.
We never adjust times by hand.
If something looks wrong, email howzit@capetrail.com and we will have a look. What we cannot do is recreate a recording that was never made. If the watch never started, or the activity wandered too far off route, there is nothing reliable for Cape Trail to verify afterwards.
Why it works this way
Cape Trail exists to give you a reason to explore more of these mountains.
We find the routes, test them, map them and give you the information you need to take them on. The rest is yours. Chase a time, chase a friend, walk the climbs, stop for the view or spend three months trying to knock five minutes off the route you cannot leave alone.
Every route page has its own practical and safety information, including exposure, water, parking, reception and weather considerations. Read it before you head out. Conditions on the mountain can change quickly, and knowing the route is part of taking it on.
At the end of the season
Complete all twelve routes before the season closes and you have completed the Summer Challenge.
You are officially a Mountain Goat.
And twelve is not quite the end.
Complete the full challenge and Route 13 unlocks. We are not telling you much about that one yet, except that there is a little surprise waiting with it.
Finish Route 13 and you earn one final title.
Tough Badger.
You will know why when you get there.
About
Why we built Cape Trail.
Mountains challenge us, push us out of our comfort zones, and remind us how small we really are.
They help us disconnect from noise, reconnect with ourselves, and discover what we're capable of.
Cape Trail exists to help more people experience that feeling through great routes, seasonal challenges, and a community that loves being outside.
We want to make Cape Town's trails easier to discover, easier to follow, and more rewarding to explore, whether you're training for your first trail run or heading into the mountains every weekend.
Cape Trail isn't really about competition.
It's about finding a route that excites you, getting outside, and coming back with a good story.
Discover More
Routes that take you beyond your usual trails and help you find your next adventure.
Free & Open
Participation is free and always will be. No fees, no premium tiers, just more reasons to get outside.
Tread Lightly
We encourage responsible trail use, respect for nature, and leaving the mountain better than we found it.
Local Good
As Cape Trail grows, we aim to support trail maintenance, local makers, and outdoor opportunities for young people.
Keep Cape Trail Free
Cape Trail is currently a passion project built and funded by one trail runner who loves these mountains. If you've enjoyed spending time here, you can buy her a coffee (or help keep the website running) here.
See you out there.
Cape Trail is in its first season. Routes, challenges, and the community are all just getting started.