Jump to content

Road Bikes Charged for MTB Activity at Cape Point


Lucky Luke.

Recommended Posts

It was R60

http://www.sanparks.co.za/parks/table_mountain/tourism/access-cards-permits.php

 

Where can I buy a day permit for cycling in the north of Table Mountain National Park?
  • Day permits are available for sale from the main Cape Town Tourism Sales Office in the centre of town at the corner of Burg and Castle street. They are open seven days a week and the permit is sold at R60 a day. Tel: 021 487 6800.

 

It's supposed to go up today!

yeah, edited to include that...

 

Just seen that the 12 entry pass is R 125 at the moment. Luke - what, exactly, did the guy say you were paying for? What did he give you as a receipt / proof of purchase?

 

My Green Card*

The TMNP My Green Card is available exclusively to residents of Cape Town, costs R125 and provides the holder with 12 free entries into any of the Table Mountain National Park’s pay points: Cape of Good Hope (Cape Point); Boulders Penguin Colony, Oudekraal and Silvermine, as well as to the braai and picnic areas at Tokai, Newlands and Perdekloof. It offers fantastic value.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 39
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

After seeing this and listening to the Wana Bacela talking about the mugging at Rhodes mem yesterday on Cape Talk this morning, I don't have much hope for MTB in the park.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was R60

http://www.sanparks.co.za/parks/table_mountain/tourism/access-cards-permits.php

 

Where can I buy a day permit for cycling in the north of Table Mountain National Park?
  • Day permits are available for sale from the main Cape Town Tourism Sales Office in the centre of town at the corner of Burg and Castle street. They are open seven days a week and the permit is sold at R60 a day. Tel: 021 487 6800.

 

It's supposed to go up today!

 

R60 applies to "

 north of Table Mountain National Park?"

 

Cape Point is 2x the price, and having a valid Wild Card does not help you when you are on a bike. Apparently rules changed recently - in July. 
 
The whole system is ridiculously confusing. You need to spend hours phoning and reading their site, and even then you might not get the story straight as to how much you are in for.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thing I discovered today - you need an activity permit to get mugged on Black Hill as well. If the pipe-wielding bandits don't get you, the rangers will.

Edited by Lucky Luke.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

R60 applies to "

 north of Table Mountain National Park?"

 

Cape Point is 2x the price, and having a valid Wild Card does not help you when you are on a bike. Apparently rules changed recently - in July. 
 
The whole system is ridiculously confusing. You need to spend hours phoning and reading their site, and even then you might not get the story straight as to how much you are in for.

 

 

Tokai was also R60, supposed to apply to the WHOLE TMNP where MTB is allowed, which is F ALL

 

Edit: as in F-all place where MTB is allowed

Edited by Flowta
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thing I discovered today - you need an activity permit to get mugged on Black Hill as well. If the pipe-wielding bandits don't get you, the rangers will.

Upper blackhill, yes. There's an old broken down fence that runs up the slope - anything on the road side of the fence is council land (that's where the BH MTB trail is) and anything on the mountain side of the fence is SANParks land. The single track that leads down the koppie passes into Council land around where that whole cache of used tyres is (on the way down)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a valid Wild Card, purchased mostly so that I can ride my road bike in Cape Point reserve, which is reasonably close to my house.

 

On the SAN Parks and Wild Card websites, there is mention of activity charges for MTB (as most of us are aware), but *nothing about road biking*. Every reference to any kind of cycling activity to be charged for, (understandably, given trail maintenance costs and perhaps also security issues) is phrased as 'mountain biking'. 

 

Today I discovered that road biking is also somehow an 'activity'. Despite being in possession of a valid Wild Card, which allows me free entry into the reserve in a car, if you come on a bike, you also need to pay *R125* for the day, even if it's no more than your chosen mode of transportation, and will not be ridden on any trails.

 

I'm happy to pay for an activity, if that activity requires some kind of expenditure by SAN Parks - ie. trail maintenance. However, as the rider of a 7kg bicycle on a tar road, in my view I should actually pay less than a car, which actually has financial overhead in terms of road maintenance. 

 

In short, it's a huge rip off - feels like we are being punished for using bikes instead of cars, and the roads are in poor condition anyway, despite Cape Point being a huge money-spinner for SAN Parks which bankrolls a large proportion of their organisation.

 

Did you actually pay it?

 

Oh, yes SANParks does NOTHING in terms of maintenance with respect to MTB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tokai was also R60, supposed to apply to the WHOLE TMNP where MTB is allowed, which is F ALL

 

Edit: as in F-all place where MTB is allowed

 

Yes, totally happy to pay for trails. Not so much for tar roads, where I was led to believe my R430 Wild Card would be sufficient.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you actually pay it?

 

Oh, yes SANParks does NOTHING in terms of maintenance with respect to MTB.

 

No, I did not pay it. I went in anyway, without paying, had a chat with the rangers sent to find me, then went to the visitor centre, chatted some more, found out I was in for R120 and at that point I told them I was not interested and went home. So I did manage to get about half an hour of riding in without getting ripped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, totally happy to pay for trails. Not so much for tar roads, where I was led to believe my R430 Wild Card would be sufficient.

Ah, no. From what I posted earlier, you also need a cycling permit. So you have 2 choices: 12 entry wildcard (My Green Card - R 125) and a cycling permit (R 460) or your R 430 unlimited entry wildcard and the cycling permit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, no. From what I posted earlier, you also need a cycling permit. So you have 2 choices: 12 entry wildcard (My Green Card - R 125) and a cycling permit (R 460) or your R 430 unlimited entry wildcard and the cycling permit.

 

After all that I am glad that the Argus closes their entrance once a year for road cyclists :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just sickening. Locals are getting fleeced in more ways than foreigners. We should have special rates when we produce our I.D

 

Well, multi million rand salaries must be paid. So everything goes up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If everyone keeps riding it illegally, there will be more rangers and less muggers :P

 

Just one ranger would be great. I have never seen one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout