Eighteen months after a near-fatal fall on Table Mountain, 64-year-old Tania Morkel has completed her astounding 64 x 64 challenge—climbing the iconic peak 64 times in 64 consecutive days—and has raised more than R125,000 for Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) and Table Mountain National Park.
Flanked by members of WSAR, SANParks rangers, Western Cape EMS medics and her proud family, Tania summited Platteklip Gorge one last time on Monday morning, completing an inspiring journey of healing, gratitude, and giving back!
Image: Wilderness Search and Rescue
ALSO READ: These are the best reasons to quit a hike
On 13 September 2023, Tania plunged 18 metres down a ravine while hiking on Table Mountain. With life-threatening injuries that included multiple spinal and skull fractures, a punctured lung, and damage to her internal organs, she spent 23 days in intensive care—most of it on a ventilator.
Her survival made possible by the swift response of WSAR and the efforts of an Austrian hiker who stabilised her until help arrived on the mountain.
Now, just over a year later, Tania has transformed her trauma into triumph.
Morkel’s challenge of summiting the iconic peak 64 times in 64 consecutive days initially aimed to raise R64,000 for the WSAR. Once a volunteer wildfire firefighter herself, she also sought to support Table Mountain National Park by improving trail signage and safety features for future hikers.
The response to her mission, which she successfully conquered on Monday, exceeded expectations as she more-than doubled her fundraiser mark, reaching over R125,000 on GivenGain.
“I hope these funds help them reach the next person in need and keep every hiker a little safer,” said Tania, whose campaign has shone a spotlight on the crucial work that WSAR volunteers perform, often at their own expense.
Image: Wilderness Search and Rescue
In a tearjerker moment at the top of her final climb, the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness EMS paramedic who treated Tania after her fall handed her a bouquet of proteas and Cape florals—a symbolic token of appreciation for Table Mountain’s ‘Iron Lady’, as the WSAR has dubbed her.
“Tania’s determination on the mountain and her generosity off it embodies the true spirit of volunteerism—a way of giving back to the community and making a positive impact on others,” said WSAR spokesperson David Nel. “The generous support for her fundraising campaign will help to ensure that our teams continue to provide a world-class rescue service to the outdoor communities of the Western Cape.”
With each climb—many of which she shared with friends, family, and even her rescuers—Tania rekindled her bond with the mountain that nearly claimed her life.
ALSO SEE:
Zoalize Jansen van Rensburg dazzles in India as she champions child safety on the Miss World stage
Feature Image: Facebook / WSAR
