MTb v Trail running v Hiking

[Headshot]

My wife raised this with me yesterday evening - no doubt it has come up here and elsewhere before...

 

That is the fact that MTB riders have to pay to ride in TMNP while trail runners and hikers- who often use the same tracks we do (and which we maintain and build) use Tokai for nothing. I have had some close shaves with runners and hikers in the past on Vasbyt for instance.

 

Are there any plans to make other users pay for the privilege. If not, surely they should stay off the trails we pay to ride on (jeep track excepted)?

 

I am about to cough for another years riding at Tokai. It will take ten rides to cover the cost at R45 per session, which will happen quickly so still good value. The rates TMNP charge is high. I still recall the days of R5.00 a go. :-)

[marko35s]

My wife raised this with me yesterday evening - no doubt it has come up here and elsewhere before...

 

That is the fact that MTB riders have to pay to ride in TMNP while trail runners and hikers- who often use the same tracks we do (and which we maintain and build) use Tokai for nothing. I have had some close shaves with runners and hikers in the past on Vasbyt for instance.

 

Are there any plans to make other users pay for the privilege. If not, surely they should stay off the trails we pay to ride on (jeep track excepted)?

 

I am about to cough for another years riding at Tokai. It will take ten rides to cover the cost at R45 per session, which will happen quickly so still good value. The rates TMNP charge is high. I still recall the days of R5.00 a go. :-)

Must admit I haven't had too much of an issue with hikers on the ST over the past year but I did see a group of maybe twenty head up Fairy Garden one day last week. I sat around a while to listen for screams but nothing... To me one or two, if they are aware, isn't too bad but a group that size is just asking for an accident.

The years activity card looks steep when you pay (I came close to tears when buying mine) but I must have been up there close to 200 hundred times since last July (I may be a little obsessive!) and viewed like that it provides really good value.

As far as I am aware Parks only charge hikers at places where there are *facilities* such as braai areas etc (Silvermine is an obvious example) so I doubt they will levy a charge for hikers at Tokai.

Edited May 14, 2014 by marko35s

[Hackster]

Good point.

 

The response would probably be that MTBers have become the largest user group at Tokai these days (true?) so we probably create the most wear and tear on trails/roads/facilities.

 

I do feel that MTB single track should be signposted, 'riders have right of way'.

[Mntboy]

A potentially flammable subject. Here's my 2c: Trail runners must definitely pay, hikers subject to start point. If they start where we do they must pay,every where else should be fine.

[Giant-Ryder]

im a trail runner (due to a cycling injury) and i pay but i stay off the single tracks.. dont want another injury, but i respect all the cyclists that pass me, greet them and give way to them as i myself am a MTBer as well.. but should i come early and there is no one at the pay point then duh no one pays

[Flowta]

Must admit I haven't had too much of an issue with hikers on the ST over the past year but I did see a group of maybe twenty head up Fairy Garden one day last week. I sat around a while to listen for screams but nothing... To me one or two, if they are aware, isn't too bad but a group that size is just asking for an accident.

The years activity card looks steep when you pay (I came close to tears when buying mine) but I must have been up there close to 200 hundred times since last July (I may be a little obsessive!) and viewed like that it provides really good value.

As far as I am aware Parks only charge hikers at places where there are *facilities* such as braai areas etc (Silvermine is an obvious example) so I doubt they will levy a charge for hikers at Tokai.

 

Aren't there technically facilities at the corporate braai area?

 

Also nothing stops hikers walking to Silvermine and using the facilities

[Flowta]

im a trail runner (due to a cycling injury) and i pay but i stay off the single tracks.. dont want another injury, but i respect all the cyclists that pass me, greet them and give way to them as i myself am a MTBer as well.. but should i come early and there is no one at the pay point then duh no one pays

 

You are one of the nice people that do pay, most trail runners don't because it's not required, which is the point the thread at the end of the day.

[marko35s]

Aren't there technically facilities at the corporate braai area?

 

Also nothing stops hikers walking to Silvermine and using the facilities

Technically yes but that has to be booked, not sure if that is the case at Silvermine where the facilities (for what they are) seem to be open to the public.

I would like to see you convince the wife to carry the coal/wood from Tokai to Silvermine, I sense a fight arriving not too far up the mountain

 

Edit. There is no truth in the rumour that the last time I went for a hike at Silvermine I may have inadvertently shown them my MTB access card and told them I was there for a ride.

No really...

Edited May 14, 2014 by marko35s

[Kranky]

I don't believe that paying users should have more rights than non-paying users. Unless, of course, there are clear policies, rules and signage in place that dictate such things. There are some places where limiting the type of user would make a lot of sense, like the DH trails for safety. But I wouldn't necessarily make the distinction purely on fee payments.

 

We're all mountain users, irrespective of our chosen discipline, mutual respect and friendliness is the only way to have a happy mountain.

 

What I will say is that it would be nice if SANParks used more than just a token amount of the mountain biking fee for trail maintenance. Heck, even some basic environmental management would be welcome (i.e. burning the snake trail area after the logging).

Edited May 14, 2014 by Nick.

[jcmeyerSS]

Hiking is what I end up doing when I plan to go trail running.

 

Hiking is what I end up doing when the mtb trail gets too steep.

[Headshot]

The T and T guys were out in full force taking full moon snaps on vasbyt yesterday evening. They stopped out of the way and it wasn't an issue - just a bit disconcerting coming round a corner because you don't know what to expect or how big the group is...

[Mntboy]

The T and T guys were out in full force taking full moon snaps on vasbyt yesterday evening. They stopped out of the way and it wasn't an issue - just a bit disconcerting coming round a corner because you don't know what to expect or how big the group is...

Didn't realize that we get visitors from the caribbean! Awesome!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

The T and T guys were out in full force taking full moon snaps on vasbyt yesterday evening. They stopped out of the way and it wasn't an issue - just a bit disconcerting coming round a corner because you don't know what to expect or how big the group is...

 

Joh, Did they ever!!! I came around the bottom corner just as they were about to take it. I can only imagine what would have happened had someone come careening around that corner without looking, as some okes usually do when exiting the carpark... They were all over the place.

[DJR]

The T and T guys were out in full force taking full moon snaps on vasbyt yesterday evening. They stopped out of the way and it wasn't an issue - just a bit disconcerting coming round a corner because you don't know what to expect or how big the group is...

 

Hey, the moon was so great, I even stopped to take a picture myself. Must say, I find the Trail & Tar runners quite a friendly lot.

[Headshot]

Hey, the moon was so great, I even stopped to take a picture myself. Must say, I find the Trail & Tar runners quite a friendly lot.

 

They are, no issues at all, I got claps and cheers, its just disconcerting meeting them unexpectedly when concentrating on a tech piece of trail...

[Shebeen]

Common sense law applies. You're at the parking lot looking up towards the mountain - in general cyclists go right, hikers/trail runners go left.

 

We mtbers can't complain about the hikers/trail runners who go right if we keep on going left.

 

 

The T and T guys were out in full force taking full moon snaps on vasbyt yesterday evening. They stopped out of the way and it wasn't an issue - just a bit disconcerting coming round a corner because you don't know what to expect or how big the group is...

Personally I've always though this is a terrible idea, and an accident waiting to happen. Hope TnT have the balls to take the rap if it ever does occour.