Karoline Hanks takes on ‘Everesting’ challenge for Project Noordhoeked

In July, Noordhoek’s Karoline Hanks will attempt a major endurance feat — climbing the equivalent height of Mount Everest, 8 849m, by repeatedly ascending and descending Chapman’s Peak.

The Chappies Everesting Challenge will see her run up and down the iconic route 14 times, all to raise funds for Project Noordhoeked, a community greening and conservation project she leads.

Project Noordhoeked is a grassroots initiative that employs a small team to protect and restore Noordhoek’s beach, wetland, and mountain areas.

Their work includes collecting rubbish and dog waste off Noordhoek beach, building boardwalks and memorial benches using eco-bricks, and maintaining the gardens around the beach area.

They also care for "Kakapo," the wire whale sculpture filled with collected plastic, clear invasive alien plants, run regular roadside cleanups, and operate a growing community compost centre.

Keeping the project running is a constant challenge.

Ms Hanks finds fundraising challenging, with many organisations vying for a shrinking pool of donations. She hopes this personal endurance test — using her talent and passion for trail running — will inspire people to support the cause.

Chapman's Peak holds deep personal meaning for her.

"I look at it every day. It’s a beautiful trail and one of Noordhoek’s last wild places," she said.

She said recent developments have scarred the mountain and they are determined to help preserve what remains.

While tackling the Everesting Challenge, she said she will be constantly reminded of the mountain, beach, and wetland she is fighting to protect.

The challenge also spotlights the threat posed by invasive alien plants, especially Rooikrans and Port Jackson.

Ms Hanks said these species spread unchecked because they have no natural enemies. They deplete water resources, fuel intense wildfires, and threaten Indigenous plant life.

"Invasive alien plants are a massive ecological disaster," she said.

Funds raised from the challenge will go towards clearing a dense forest of Rooikrans on the slopes of Chapman’s Peak, using skilled teams equipped with the right tools and herbicides.

Ms Hanks has completed tough endurance events before, but said this one feels different. It’s happening on her home ground, in a place she deeply cares about, and no one has attempted it before.

She described feeling excited and fearful in equal measure, but confident she can succeed, especially knowing she has donors to be accountable to.

Beyond reaching the equivalent height of the summit of Everest, she hopes to raise at least R80 000 to help secure the future of Project Noordhoeked.

For her, success means more than personal achievement — it means protecting Noordhoek’s last wild spaces for generations to come.