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(Deon)

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  1. (Deon)
    Don't confuse pressure with process. The forum is involved in a process which is yielding results. We are not pressuring SANParks into anything but we are looking for the most effective way to speed up the process for new/more mountain bike trails. If this is the "pressure" you speak of, then we are on the same page. The other pressure would be one like the protest in December where unreasonable demands achieved very little other than alienating.. The only value that arose from that march was appointing David Bristow to investigate some of the wild allegations made at a meeting with the various parties, all of which he has denied exists but has a new outlook on info he was originally provided. Re the horse riders, not followed up yet but since we are working towards other goals too, we still have some time.
  2. (Deon)
    We need to pay for an EIA! Yes, the Park could/should pay but if we as a user group are not happy with the expedited timeframe for the current processes, we will NOT be happy waiting for budget to start the study. NB, involving Meurant means that we do have contact with national management "higher up on the food chain". They've seen the goal, welcomed it, encouraged working through the channels and support the bridge-building between users and the regional park (TMNP). They won't from Pretoria override what is best for Table Mountain but can motivate recommended plans that eventually land on their desk. What we tend not to realise is that the same is true for regional senior management as they are ultimately the ones who make the recommendations because it has been approved at every level.. For this to work, regional management are the ones we need the relationship with if we are planning for longevity which by the way, is finally starting to show results. The processes in order of importance; EMP revision, Tokai trails rationalisation, trails implementation and early access. What we need to ultimately understand is that legislated procedure cannot be circumvented, the process is open to public scrutiny. Some have tried before and failed and as result taken a dim view on the processes. The only reason why TokaiMTB continues on this path is that someone has to do it and while sometimes it feels like we are shooting into the dark, we are still hitting targets. Let's meet and chat, your suggestions are without doubt on-point.
  3. (Deon)
    There are several processes all running in parallel. Which one bothers you or rather, which one do you want more progress reports on? It was said by a senior SANParks member in a meeting last week that an all the time this person has been a part of SANParks, they have never seen the users (our) requests get such preferential treatment. The words "bending over backwards" were used when describing the lengths senior management colleagues have gone to in order to prioritise the needs of mountain biking. Again; it's your choice whether you want to believe it or not but it was said on record, so you may even read about it in Full Suss when the article appears. There really is nothing to hide unless it's the contents of a business case for a non-profit company that I asked you treat sensitively until the steps to proceed could be confirmed. Maybe I'll buy you that beer and we can still discuss it in person. You still seem interested and the offer still stands.
  4. (Deon)

    Dopers suck

    (Deon) replied to fandacious's topic in Pro Cycling

    Listed on your site as dirty? 16.2 Any athletes banned from other races due to doping will not be allowed to race at Gravel & Grape.
  5. (Deon)
    It all depends on how one approaches disappointment. Questioning a relationship after one "no" would indicate that no relationship exists. We went back with a different route option that garnered a better response.. It's called trying.
  6. (Deon)
    Not really, Ive taken the horse riders through every step, they know what to do and by the sounds of it starting to arrange something too.
  7. (Deon)
    Q. Are other mountain user groups also currently jumping through the same hoops? A. no, it is only the mountain bikers currently applying for access. Q. Will they piggyback on Amarider's indemnity? A. No, Amarider will cover only mountain biking based on the terms of access. Q. Or not be allowed access? A. Other users can apply for access and use the same template we created (if successful obviously) Q. Or is it just mountain bikers that require indemnity? A. No. This was a mountain bikers initiative used to gain early access. The demand for early entry is there so indemnity was offered as a workaround, not requested by Parks.
  8. (Deon)
    Don't know what to make of this figure but my knee-jerk reaction when hearing how many comments have been submitted is to ask how many mountain bikers are out there? 171? Surely not, when you consider that some of these comments will be opposed to some of the plans. So, less? Regardless, I would place a firm bet that the majority would have approved the doc and the proposed routes (not to say that this puts us out of the woods yet, there could be one comment in opposition that makes a very valid point...). Fingers crossed.
  9. (Deon)
    Drives me mad. And then it's just expected that some poor sod will be sent cap in hand to beg forgiveness.
  10. (Deon)
    They saw us coming. See Tony in the middle pointing to the warp signature..
  11. (Deon)
    Yes. Chris Nixon is probably the best person to give you the blow-by-blow account of the meetings. As a result his XC track is planned at about 1.5km's only, not the originally envisioned trail that stretches across several farms.
  12. (Deon)
    Fixed.
  13. (Deon)
    Thanks all. I'll definitely pass on the gratitude. Just enough time to also mention here that without your support and without Amarider this would all not have been possible... ..to date!
  14. (Deon)
    Nope. Small issue of mountain bikers having a stigma of.. well, just look above.
  15. (Deon)
    Ummm. That is going to be a problem... The link may need to stay closed for some time longer until Parks can get the trees above level 5 cleared. Working for Water (EPWP labour) are having *national* issues and as such, the high altitude teams have stopped working until the problems can be resolved. A few guys who wrote out their own permission slips went riding the route recently and discovered just before receiving fines that the BS was in fact not BS, there really are trees there and they really are falling. They pondered the issue amongst themselves and came up with the "brilliant" idea that the public should pay for the tree removal estimated to be around 150-180k. Of course this does not make any sense, making the public pay such a large amount for a reward of nothing more than 5 months access, so I have suggested that the level 4 and 5 remain closed until the full opening/or until the trees are removed. Tokai management agrees that any money raised should be directed to the trails directly, and there will be a project coming up very shortly where we need to raise a similar amount to pay for a very nice process. Just to be clear.. TokaiMTB does not take fundraising lightly. It is for this reason that we have limited public support to the absolute essentials over the years, saving funding drives to when we have a confirmed and worthy cause where we can finally improve the network of trails from a Park's approved plan. In short, we don't want to waste anyone's money on fluff. Sorry about the Silvermine access thing.. we really have looked at all options.
  16. (Deon)
    I'll be sure to pass on your encouragement to all involved. Thanks!
  17. (Deon)
    I don't know how many names are on that rogue rider database yet but I can tell you that there will be three (that I know of) names added to the list quite soon. The S'mine East issue of rogue riding has been mentioned before, every meeting is usually preceded with a moan. The new Senior Section Ranger will certainly not take it lightly. She is now in charge of Silvermine and Tokai and having come from law enforcement, nowhere in her job description or the EMP does it say she needs to make life easy for us. I'll eventually stop defending people's behaviour if their actions threaten to make life difficult for those abiding by the rules. With al the new trails coming online, it'll be hard to find excuses.
  18. (Deon)
    Seems my work is not done yet. Just got instruction from SANParks to start planning the preventative measures needed to keep riders out of the out-of-bounds areas. Sounds like a lot of work judging the pic above. Will be meeting with various managers on Thursday morning..
  19. (Deon)
    All the options we can influence and all the work we have control over is done.
  20. (Deon)
    A quick summary: We hoped for pine logging to be compete in March and Gums in July. This did not happen despite trying to keep the contractors to their word. Gums particularly are a problem as they block mountain bike access along approved routes. Level 5 access from Silvermine is also a risk as the trees on the higher slopes are dead and continue to fall.I have presented a temp route to the horse riders and submitted a formal request seeking approval to circumvent the Gum through their area and await their word.As part of the proposed early access, we as a mountain bike group need to indemnify SANParks against injury. This has been submitted through Amarider and we now await response from SANParks' legal team. The SANParks risk assessors have read through the document and are happy with the contents in principle. It is important to stress that TokaiMTB has had the support from SANParks Tokai management to explore all options from the start.
  21. (Deon)
    Just started The Bridge... Same but set in States/Mexico. Good acting, quite immersive.
  22. (Deon)
    Exactly! A few guys in the area who watched GM grow up, one of them in the video, can't explain enough just how smooth he has always been. As a lighty choosing lines others couldn't and floating it to look completely effortless.
  23. (Deon)
    So how'd he open the beer?!?
  24. (Deon)
    That will help, thanks. I totally understand that not everyone has the will or time to go to FB or twitter but we also have to choose what is the most effective tool for communication with the widest reach.
  25. (Deon)
    Sorry, I said earlier it was Thursday, it's Tuesdays.. have a look/like at their page. https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTokaiPark/?fref=ts I bumped into Tony once in Lower Tokai on a Thursday and decided just to get stuck in, hence the confusion...
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