Tygerberg MTB Trails

[KB280DT]

On 1/3/2024 at 9:09 PM, Albatross said:

Those wild chickens (my pet name for them) are normally passive until they have a brood to protect. Then it’s a case of give them space or feel the wrath of a head attack.

I like to call them "polisie hoenders" - our cat has an intense fear for them 😂

[MORNE]

On 12/11/2023 at 1:20 PM, Newbie321 said:

Anyone else run into what looked like two vagrants on Rooikat/hillcrest yesterday? They looked friendly enough when I rode past them but still a bit concerning with them going against the flow and in quite an isolated spot.  

 

On 12/11/2023 at 4:03 PM, ChrisF said:

 

Not sure how well you know this area - when you cross the tar road at Hillcrest, the security booth is a few hundred meters to your right, just down the road. 

Confirmed Second sighting today around 1pm. I was catching my breath at the blue bench on the way to Bloemendaler when i saw these 3 hiking up the trail.

Why would they be hiking up to the mast? Are they guys working on the telkom tower? Highly Doubt it. In anycase, people shouldn't be walking up the trails regardless of their motives! @tygerbergmtb @Morne Veer etc

Please bring this to Hillcrest attention urgently?   

This is somewhat worrying….

Edited January 21 by MORNE

[Morne Veer]

 

Hallo Morne

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.  Personally, I saw these same "guests" about 4 weeks back at the same location.  I informed the landowners and their security office.  Been told these are KhoiSan Rastafarians, who are after a specific flora from that region. 

The landowners and security are aware of their presence from time to time and we've informed them each time of sightings.  Assume it is not all that difficult to get access into Hillcrest from outside of normal access, and quite tricky to get to them with vehicles etc. 

Been told they are not dangerous at all and very friendly, and although that might be the case, during my personal sighting of them at close range, I was extremely uncomfortable with them having panga-like tools, which they use for their self-help-vegetation activities.

Have alerted the role players of latest sighting.

Kind regards

[MORNE]

15 minutes ago, Morne Veer said:

 

Hallo Morne

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.  Personally, I saw these same "guests" about 4 weeks back at the same location.  I informed the landowners and their security office.  Been told these are KhoiSan Rastafarians, who are after a specific flora from that region. 

The landowners and security are aware of their presence from time to time and we've informed them each time of sightings.  Assume it is not all that difficult to get access into Hillcrest from outside of normal access, and quite tricky to get to them with vehicles etc. 

Been told they are not dangerous at all and very friendly, and although that might be the case, during my personal sighting of them at close range, I was extremely uncomfortable with them having panga-like tools, which they use for their self-help-vegetation activities.

Have alerted the role players of latest sighting.

Kind regards

Thanks, appreciate it. Given  the recent M.O for attacks on cyclist using weapons you can buy from builders for R40…if I were to see a random guy who didn't ‘belong’ there carrying said weapons, i’d probably sh!t myself and never ride there again. Ive been bike jacked down the road from Conties before. I pay for the membership to be able to use the traverses to get between the farms and avoid the roads. Hence why my spidey senses are on high alert here.

Edited January 21 by MORNE

[Jewbacca]

20 minutes ago, Morne Veer said:

 

Hallo Morne

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.  Personally, I saw these same "guests" about 4 weeks back at the same location.  I informed the landowners and their security office.  Been told these are KhoiSan Rastafarians, who are after a specific flora from that region. 

The landowners and security are aware of their presence from time to time and we've informed them each time of sightings.  Assume it is not all that difficult to get access into Hillcrest from outside of normal access, and quite tricky to get to them with vehicles etc. 

Been told they are not dangerous at all and very friendly, and although that might be the case, during my personal sighting of them at close range, I was extremely uncomfortable with them having panga-like tools, which they use for their self-help-vegetation activities.

Have alerted the role players of latest sighting.

Kind regards

Are they the group who wear hessian sacks for clothing?

I remember one year doing the old Fedhealth race that encompassed a fair portion of the trail network, we climbed up through the quarry and there were about 30 or so Rastas/Hessian sack people moving about harvesting herbs and bushes.

There is another group that live in the mountains above Kalk Bay ish.

By all accounts they are pretty cool and peaceful. My dogs don't even bark at them anymore when we stumble upon them while running in the mountains.

[Newbie321]

18 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Are they the group who wear hessian sacks for clothing?

I remember one year doing the old Fedhealth race that encompassed a fair portion of the trail network, we climbed up through the quarry and there were about 30 or so Rastas/Hessian sack people moving about harvesting herbs and bushes.

There is another group that live in the mountains above Kalk Bay ish.

By all accounts they are pretty cool and peaceful. My dogs don't even bark at them anymore when we stumble upon them while running in the mountains.

If I remember correctly one wore the sack, almost though it was initiation or something

[Robbie Stewart]

Nevermind

Edited January 21 by Robbie Stewart

[Vaultboy]

21 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Are they the group who wear hessian sacks for clothing?

I remember one year doing the old Fedhealth race that encompassed a fair portion of the trail network, we climbed up through the quarry and there were about 30 or so Rastas/Hessian sack people moving about harvesting herbs and bushes.

There is another group that live in the mountains above Kalk Bay ish.

By all accounts they are pretty cool and peaceful. My dogs don't even bark at them anymore when we stumble upon them while running in the mountains.

There is also another concern: Unsustainable harvesting. A lot of rastas would have you believe that they are 'in sync' with nature, etc, but this is seldom the case. They're more than likely going to hammer this area, then move on to the next. From a cyclist perspective, that might be a relief: they will only be a concern at Hillcrest for a little while, but the problem will then move somewhere else. 

The real long-term solution is a collaborative effort between some philanthropic landowner willing to set old lands aside that can be rehabilitated, and used for sustainable harvesting. The stuff that the rastas take out are fairly easy to propagate. 

[Robbie Stewart]

Being the son of a landowner, I can attest to the fact that generally it is frowned upon when unknown people just move around on your land. In this case it is only slightly different in that the club has agreements in place to allow cycling on these farms, but even then, it is controlled. 

I do not know any farmer who will just willingly entertain this. And rightly so, it shouldn't have to be.

I am not sure how this is going to be managed, but I am not in favour of encountering anyone other than a fellow cyclist on a trail that I am riding, sometimes alone. 

This is a recipe for trouble. It has to be stopped before it gets out of hand.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

So @Jewbacca tell us about the GNARRRRRR

[Jewbacca]

2 minutes ago, Captain Fastbastard Mayhem said:

So @Jewbacca tell us about the GNARRRRRR

HAHAHAHA 

Look at you stirring the pot today!!

Rhino and the old DH at Conties is more than enough GNARR for me these days!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

15 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

HAHAHAHA 

Look at you stirring the pot today!!

Rhino and the old DH at Conties is more than enough GNARR for me these days!

you gave me the spoon, jewie... All I did was a stick the tip in.

[MORNE]

32 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

HAHAHAHA 

Look at you stirring the pot today!!

Rhino and the old DH at Conties is more than enough GNARR for me these days!

The last time he rode a bike, the geological composition of Contermanskloof, and the earth, was different. Im not even sure the dinosaurs had been discovered yet…

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

The last time he rode a bike, the geological composition of Contermanskloof, and the earth, was different. Im not even sure the dinosaurs had been discovered yet…

We'd found you out behind the local floozy's geraniums, so I guess that's a yes. 

 

[AllAboutRides]

Good evening all MTB'ers and Hubbers

If all goes well I will be back on the trails again by hopefully end of May after 3 years of no bike and riding due the financial impact of covid 19......YES......only recovering now 😞

Been a member of the club since 2010 but obviously since 2021 not, so I'm really looking forward to get back in the saddle and meeting like minded people again.....I can do with some motivation to get rid of my "bier pens" and "wine drinking" 🙂

Is it safe to ride alone on some of the Tygerberg Trails, I use to ride Bloemendal; Majik Forrest and a lot of the Klipheuwel / Fair Cape Trails alone....was all fine back then but surely things have changed.

Feel free to share some feedback and even contacts for joining groups..... I live in Pinehurst, Durbanville

See ya on the trails soon!

Best Regards

[ChrisF]

7 minutes ago, AllAboutRides said:

Good evening all MTB'ers and Hubbers

If all goes well I will be back on the trails again by hopefully end of May after 3 years of no bike and riding due the financial impact of covid 19......YES......only recovering now 😞

Been a member of the club since 2010 but obviously since 2021 not, so I'm really looking forward to get back in the saddle and meeting like minded people again.....I can do with some motivation to get rid of my "bier pens" and "wine drinking" 🙂

Is it safe to ride alone on some of the Tygerberg Trails, I use to ride Bloemendal; Majik Forrest and a lot of the Klipheuwel / Fair Cape Trails alone....was all fine back then but surely things have changed.

Feel free to share some feedback and even contacts for joining groups..... I live in Pinehurst, Durbanville

See ya on the trails soon!

Best Regards

 

Meerendal has seen the biggest change in this time .... totally neglected and pretty messed up, until about a year ago.  Patrick has done a decent job of repairing most of it.

 

Slow first ride to scout for the bits still needing TLC.  

 

Dorstberg climb has been redone.  Turn up BEFORE rhe bench after Stairway to Heaven.

 

The Dorstberg decent is nice ... but take your time to learnt it .... been a few broken cyclists there ....

 

 

Not sure of Hoogekraal.

 

 

Rest pretty much as you remember it ... obviously wirh a few small layout changes.

 

 

BIGGEST change .... risky cycling to the trails from the sea side .... plenty redistribution incidences ....