(Deon)

Sorry but someone has to say it, this whole trial basis thing is a f up. Planned as a means to circumvent process, it has caused confusion, stress and lead to the experience you have endured. Do not expect it to happen before the EMP is signed off, eta December.

You shouldn't be. My suggestion is to let this go. There will always be people sniping and his guy does not have a history of taking pot shots at the committee.

Right. I'm about to get upset. Take this offline if you would kindly.

Access not really a big issue now, the place is destroyed, we all know that. Process and planning is critical right now and rationalisation will get all the info we need on where the future trails will be routed. We have a terms of reference document for this project which obviously secures access to ground truth. The consultant needs to be paid to carry out the rationalisation.. this is also a consideration for the short-term. Thanks for the support.

Slapsock, Vision created and presented, response from the business development unit expressing interest and setting the direction for future management, rationalisation process and EMP process linked and deliverables committed to dates. Stakeholder meetings and comments from other users planned and invitations to representative groups to be sent out soon. What needs to be made clear is that the intention is to have the trails/some of the trails ready before the area opens. This requires a whole new trail plan due to the change in landscape, new conservation requirements and the requirement to establish a product designed for all that creates a flow to minimise conflict. Funding interest is growing and a few possible personalities to possibly be flown in to assist in trails planning. Public participation process coming, you will be informed through various media and can comment of the various presentations.

..bizarre how the events have conspired against mountain biking this year. Not only Tokai, but Jonkershoek and Welvanpas also going up in flames. Then to rub it in, Zuma conspires further and opens his mouth plunging the fuel price into uncharted territory. Really?

It's easy to knock the efforts of some and never realize the repurcussion. You will be surprised how we are judged, your comment earlier being prime. I'm not surprised he reacted like he did.

Guys please. Raptor. I've been involved for enough time to know the workings of the system quite well. Truth is one cannot be on guard ALL the time and time meeting with them is better spent focussing on the issues at hand rather than gagging over a short term closure after a devastating fire. As you say, focus should be on working towards the timeframe of reopening. 18 months is fast track when you compare it to the 4 year projection of creating a world class facility. There are many more issues that affect the outcome of new trails than speeding up the closure. Many factors affect the trails, one of them being the change in landscape in a world heritage site, natural wonder, national reserve with red data list species needing conservation. Some more understanding would be welcome.

explain?

Hold on. No no panties will be drawn at the dawn of crack here. If anyone is to blame it would be me. I have been asking the questions and I should have known better that the term "Silvermine" would be the one spilt into east and west. Truth is I know their strategies and especially the area manager's crafty answers, I could have kicked myself to think it was a straight answer..

Every dog with an activity card in CT is going to be overjoyed. Mind your step..

There are some who refuse to believe this or accept it as a point for the unwillingness to get behind the ideas we had for any expansion. Basically, we could not be trusted to keep off the horse trails after making promises that an expanded DH trail, one that completes the trail from the top, is all the guys were looking for. Within weeks the trail Renaissance Man and I had closed without the help of those making the promises was reopened and despite several efforts from both Parks and the mountain bike community, it remained open and festered in the mind of the new section manager who felt betrayed for committing to us - in good faith. Hands up those who on a daily basis had to contend with the constant nag for more trails, and on the flip side the nag to live up to the promises that "won" 3 new sections of a trail running through restored fynbos. Simple fact, the 10 percent killed it for the 90.

Silvermine's reopening is expected at the end of this month. Panties back in handbags.

By saying it's their event, their problem, you absolve yourself from the issue. Do you cycle? Now, if you were to support the organisers in their already accepted challenge of fighting crime, you would not only be supportive of the immense responsibility you so easily dish out, you would also play a vital role in everyone's future. Start a wave of support, it's the only viable option a community has.

:-(

..and that was that.

The irony of Juju trying on a Trek, 'n groot nogal!

I know, I thought that fine was actually for entering a disaster area closed off from the public due to the fire. Until recently riding out of bounds was R500..

She is a swinger. You want her address? A little lost, sure.

Look, I am not being facetious when saying that you could also ask CoCT to improve the road to make it safer.. what you are suggesting cannot be handled in isolation of the process the TMNP region of SANParks national reserves to go through. Rob just tried, before him Cobus tried, before him Meurant tried, then there is the legislated way. Fact is CoCT too will need to run a process that considers various factors that we as laymen don't consider. All I want at home is a garage for my car and you'd think since it's MY land I could head off to builders warehouse and take advantage of the Weekend Winter Warmer Wild Whale of a Sale, but I too am held to process. Damn, I have to ask the guy down the road who was surprised that there was even a house at the end of the dirt drive.. So too Table Mountain National Park will need to ask Granny Wiggins who walks her "Foofie" once a quarter down that stretch. You cannot blame the Park's staff for the need to follow protocol, this is a national reserve.

Just so you know, in Tokai if a trail was going to be repurposed based on the call of the section ranger, it would need to be substantiated by how frequently other users use the trail.. We never got any singletrack but a few options were open for consideration before the fire, mainly inaccessible jeep track which was due for rehabilitation - we could rehab it into ST.. The one old ST route which seemed near impossible to gain from a heritage angle was in discussion for MONTHS and stopped at the fire.. The Punpudding trail used by hikers, dog walkers, trail joggers and now mountain bikers does confuse, I'll concede. Ed: Oh, and an EMP does exist for the North.

Hi Toby, I am no "official" but have for some time been included in the emails between the City of CT, Table Mountain National Park and various stakeholders, and while not actively involved in the discussion on the subject of route openings initiated by Table Mountain Bikers, can confirm a few questions from recent email updates, my involvement in the TMMTB forum, as well as stringing together some detail emerged in this thread. The answer to your above question is set in bold. As expected, neither Greenbelt nor Cecelia are open to cycling and confirmation that fines will be issued for transgressions on TMNP land has been made clear some time ago.At the time of Cecelia's inclusion for mountain biking in the 2002 EMP, it was not a part of the Table Mountain National Park cluster of reserves and in 2005 following it's induction, was subsequently removed from the list as no mountain bike EMP exists for this area allowing effective management of the activity or an infrastructure keeping the possible conflicting activities apart.The "trial Cecelia agreement" seems to in-fact make up part of the process underway with the Table Mountain Mountain Bike forum (TMMTB) comprising PPA, Amarider, TokaiMTB and Table Mountain Bikers. The TMMTB forum is tasked with revising the management plan (EMP) for mountain biking in the reserve and works with an appointed consultant (through tender) for rationalising and proposing an expanded network of trails in Tokai, and linking network of trails to/from the area north (City). One of these goals is a circum-peninsula mtb/shared-use trail. As each group operates autonomously, it seems it was an initiative of Table Mountain Bikers to secure commitment that the trail in question could be opened for trial shared-use to eventually be included in the revised mountain biking map currently being planned. The intent of the Cecelia agreement was not communicated to the forum by the time the agreement was made public but it is expected will form part of the vision in the next trail planning meeting. While timelines were not provided in the public release of information, the request to refrain from riding until further notice was mentioned. The "trial basis" in Cecelia as handled by Table Mountain Bikers independent of the TMMTB forum, is dependent on the completion of the revised EMP for which the TMMTB forum has a set goal of no-later than the the end of this year - 2015. It requires public participation and various joint document revisions which takes time due to the level of detail. The CoCT Greenbelt approval is not dependent on the Table Mountain National Park required processes but is still subject to further consultation before being adopted as a mountain bike shared-use area. The public has also been advised to refrain from riding this route until further notice.Why the communication of the letter of intent from Table Mountain National Park was publicised as an interim agreement without the need for first completing the EMP is not understood. The communication sent out did however state that these areas are to remain off-limits until further notice.

Cape Pine want a million per compartment, we are all stuck! HEY, can we ski behind the landi?

Geez, hope there is a mountain left standing when the rain clears? HECTIC downpour in Tokai!