Who We Are
South African hiking experts, trail runners and guides from diverse backgrounds, committed to sharing our love of our trails, adventure travel and our country with the world.
Personal journeys, local knowledge.
Cape Trail Tours grew out of a simple idea: that travellers deserve the same Cape we get to enjoy as locals. The mountain at dawn, the swim afterwards, the farm lunch that runs long, the trail nobody else seems to know about.
We plan personally from the first enquiry, match routes to your ability and goals, and make decisions on the day with the benefit of knowing these mountains well. Our published programmes are starting points; almost every guest travels on an itinerary shaped around them.
- South African hiking experts, trail runners and guides
- Personal planning from the first enquiry
- Routes matched to your ability and goals
- Local knowledge and flexible decision-making
- Experienced guides and operational support
- Genuine connections with the places and communities we visit
- Options for first-time adventurers and experienced trail runners
- Bespoke travel rather than rigid packages
The team.
Guides, planners and hosts who live for the trails and take real pleasure in sharing them.
Warren King
Founder & CEO
Vision, journey design and the big picture
Warren moved from private banker to hiking, trail running and adventure tourism entrepreneur. He spent 15 years at Investec Bank before helping create some of South Africa's most prominent trail-running events.
A passionate traveller, outdoor adventure addict, accomplished open-water swimmer and lover of all things mountain, Warren has experienced the thrill of hiking, trekking, swimming and running in over 40 countries. His global hiking and running experiences have provided him with valuable insights into emerging active travel destinations like Georgia, Mongolia and Slovenia, giving him a unique perspective on the world of adventure tourism and its exciting future.
Now based in Cape Town, he combines his love for active adventure and exploration with his entrepreneurial vision to create distinctive activity-based travel experiences.
Russell Nugent
Director of Operations
Logistics, planning and guest support
Russell brings together experience in healthcare, event organisation and endurance sport. He is a practising optometrist and the founder and organiser of a major annual road marathon in Upington, and has worked on one of South Africa's long-running multi-day trail events.
As an ultra-distance trail runner and triathlete, he understands the physical and logistical requirements of endurance experiences from the inside.
His role focuses on seamless operations, planning and guest support, and on delivering professional experiences for local and international travellers.
Angela Kavallieratos
Head of Trail Experience & Guest Relations
Personalised itineraries and thoughtful guest care
Angela is a competitive trail runner and mountain adventurer with a background in Speech Therapy and Audiology. Her experience spans European marathons, mountain expeditions in Nepal and extensive exploration of the Western Cape's trails.
She creates personalised itineraries that show guests the best of the Cape while carefully considering different fitness levels, interests and confidence levels.
Her focus is on combining strong trail knowledge with thoughtful guest care.
Nicole Smit
Marketing & Customer Experience Manager
From first enquiry to the final day
Nicole combines extensive travel-industry experience with a passion for hiking, trail running and horse riding. She has designed and sold holiday packages, coordinated travel logistics and managed customer communication for many years.
She supports guests from their first enquiry through to the end of their Cape adventure, bringing together digital marketing, travel planning and personal customer service.
Zibele Bala
Head Trail Guide
Guiding, mentorship and access to the mountains
Zibele is a trail runner, mentor and advocate for making trail running accessible to more people. Originally from Qumbu in the Eastern Cape and now based in Khayelitsha, he has achieved strong results at events including the Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB Marathon and the Cape Town Trail Marathon.
He supports and mentors young runners through Trail Taxi, which helps athletes from under-resourced communities reach mountain trails.
Through Cape Trail Tours, Zibele introduces visitors to the beauty and diversity of the Cape while guiding them safely through the mountains.
Kelly Shepherd
Trail Guide & Running Coach
Fynbos, conservation and pre-tour coaching
Kelly is a molecular biologist, conservation advocate, ultra-distance trail runner and certified running coach. Her research focuses on plant survival and conservation in the fynbos biome, including work involving the endangered Ceder tree.
Her trail achievements include winning the women's category at the Cederberg Traverse 100km, finishing second at the MaxiRace Cape Winelands 75km and completing a 280km self-supported Drakensberg traverse.
Kelly brings the Cape landscape to life through her knowledge of fynbos, wildlife and conservation, and can provide pre-tour coaching to help guests prepare physically and confidently for their adventure.
Come and walk with us.
Tell us whether you are imagining a mountain-focused holiday, a supported trail-running challenge, a Cape Peninsula journey, time in the Winelands or a combination made entirely your own.