Table mountain and signal trail safety

[Odin775]

I'm going down to Cape Town soon and I just want to know how safe is the trails around table mountain specifically around signal hill? How safe would it be to ride them solo in the afternoons?

 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I'm going down to Cape Town soon and I just want to know how safe is the trails around table mountain specifically around signal hill? How safe would it be to ride them solo in the afternoons?

Pretty darn safe. We ride there (well, try to) most thursday evenings and occasionally on the weekend, and there are LOADS of people on the mountain. 

[Odin775]

Pretty darn safe. We ride there (well, try to) most thursday evenings and occasionally on the weekend, and there are LOADS of people on the mountain. 

 

Ok this is great news. I've just seen some of the mainstream media posts of people that have been attacked but couldn't find anything recent. 

[TyronLab]

That may just be a symptom of "Some guys rode their bikes, and everything was OK" not making very interesting front page / clickbait material. 

[Tomik]

It's pretty safe but there have been muggings of MTBers (maybe just one?) on Signal Hill side so be alert, especially in the mid-week afternoon when not many people are on the trails. I would try ride with someone at least - there are some nice new trails that perhaps locals will know better. 

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

Buddy Approach like in diving, hiking etc. And go when there are other people around. 

[Chingy182]

Weekends are much safer as trails are buzzing with hikers and bikers.

Tuesday morning 10am is a different ball game and it's more the luck of the draw in my opinion.

 

Around Table mountain I feel it's generally safe.

 

I'm not so keen on Rhodes Memorial/Newlands Forest side though.

To be honest, I haven't ridden aforementioned at all due to my own perceived dangers of those areas and things I've heard/read.

 

Up on Lions Head I feel it's generally safer going around Camps Bay side of the mountain.

I've heard there is some dodgy guys hanging around on the Bo-Kaap side going down.

[gogo@]

Saw this on the book of faces earlier today -- warning from the MCSA.  Some useful contact numbers below.

Focus is on Newlands ravine and saddle it seems but I see Signal Hill is also mentioned.

 

The Mountain Club of South Africa - Cape Town Section

22 hrs · 

WARNING: Regarding violent crime on Table Mountain and Peninsula hiking areas

The General Committee of the Mountain Club of South Africa (Cape Town Section) regrets to advise members of the increasing possible threats to their personal safety while hiking and climbing in and around the Table Mountain National Park, and elsewhere.

The Club urges members to exercise caution when planning hiking routes. There are currently very few areas that can be considered completely safe, and you are advised to be aware of areas that have seen a recent escalation in crime.

The recent series of assaults on trail runners & hikers on the Saddle at the top of Newlands Ravine, as well as on walkers, hikers, runners and cyclists in Newlands forest, represent a significant shift in the level of violence involved, unfortunately similar to that of the tragic attacks in the Kalk Bay and Karbonkelberg areas earlier this year. 

The MCSA (Cape Town Section) is integrally involved with the Table Mountain Security Action Group (TMSAG), an initiative involving over forty mountain user groups, neighbourhood watches and security associations, who are pursuing positive actions behind the scenes to combat these hazards in very difficult circumstances.

The TMSAG is actively lobbying ALL the authorities to come up with a meaningful plan to protect mountain users – locals, visitors and tourists alike – and to apprehend those who would threaten us in what should be a safe and peaceful environment.

High-risk areas:
Newlands Forest in its entirety, Newlands Ravine, the Saddle behind Devil’s Peak, the slopes of Devil’s Peak, the Blockhouses and nearby mountain biking trails. All these areas have seen several assaults recently, and while some of the perpetrators have, of late, been apprehended, others remain at large. There are also reports of people living there, hence the increased risks.

Other areas considered to pose a risk to safety:
Signal Hill and Lion’s Head, Noordhoek & Kommetjie Beach, Sandy Bay & Karbonkelberg, Vlakkenberg, Blackburn Ravine, Elephant’s Eye, Kleinplaas Dam area, Black Hill and Red Hill, Slangkop, Peer’s Cave and Sunrise Beach.

Safer areas:
Currently these include Silvermine East and the Kalk Bay mountains, where there have been fewer reports of incidents of late, while Cape Point, Silvermine West, the Back Table, Orange Kloof and the Apostles remain relatively crime-free at the present time.

Vehicle break-ins:
A significant increase in the number of vehicle break-ins is occurring at the end of Tafelberg Road, at the Rhodes Memorial parking areas and on Signal Hill Road.

Mountain users should remember that crime shifts in response to increased security in an area pushing the perpetrators to somewhere else. It is unlikely that the Table Mountain National Park will ever be totally crime free, given Cape Town’s population and demographics.

The best thing you can do is to be aware, keep hiking and look after your own safety.

SAFETY STRATEGIES:
1. Hike in a group. While this does not preclude being attacked, it may serve as a deterrent.
2. Be aware of potential threats. The suddenness of an attack leads to panic, which may exacerbate the situation. An alert, obviously aware group, poses a harder target.
3. If attacked, it is advisable NOT to resist. Handing over your “valuables” decreases the chances of being harmed (although unfortunately, this is not always the case).
4. In the event that you can see that an attack is imminent, hide your cellphone in the vegetation or rocks, so that you are able to summon help much faster afterwards.
5. Keep the emergency contact numbers on your phones. Check that all members of the party have these numbers. Also keep those numbers somewhere on your person.
6. Keep a look out on social media for the various ‘Safe Hikes’ and ‘Take Back Our Mountain’ initiatives, in which the MCSA is an active participant, and lend your support. These are proving to be highly successful. 

Emergency numbers (for crime or accident situations)

021 937 0300
Metro Emergency Medical Services, who will activate Mountain Rescue, and have the ability to escalate your call to all relevant agencies.

021 480 7700
Public Emergency Communication Centre, which is central control for reporting crime, on the mountain or anywhere else.

These control centres can easily communicate with each other and all emergency services, and are currently your best options.

It is utterly unacceptable that we are forced to endure the threat of violence while enjoying our mountains and beaches. The MCSA is striving, along with many other mountain user groups, to do whatever we can to combat crime, keep up pressure on the authorities, and to work towards evolving solutions to improve safety.

The MCSA (Cape Town Section)
11 October 2018

[Kenty]

Sad thing is , sometimes its great to ride/run solo....I do alot of trail running and recently ride trails on my MTB...while running /riding in a small group is great , its solo , where the soul gets refreshed and the mind can wander....sad to think that in SA today one cannot , without risk , just go do your thing solo...

 

I was attacked and stabbed in March this year while 8k into my long trail run and this was even before I got onto the trails ...in my suburb and YES I was solo...but why not???...we are being targeted and while I firmly believe that my attack was opportunistic , right time for the attacker and wrong timing for me , many of these MTB/runner attacks are actually planned ...guard your STRAVA routes closely and NEVER start your STRAVA from your home OR keep the route in private mode....

 

I strongly suggest that if you are put off your cycling or running then take up surfing...the GW,s have plenty seals in CT to keep themselves entertained....

[Eddy Gordo]

Most attacks/robberies are opportunistic. You will even get one or two guys who latch on, ask for water etc and then rob you the momdent the timing is right.

[sluiper]

I was doing the route from Rhodes Memorial to the Blockhouse a few weeks ago with my son.

About halfway up the track that joins the 2 jeep tracks I stopped to wait for my son. As I stopped, I saw 4 guys' heads pop up from behind a rock about 50 meters ahead on the left hand side. They had been sitting out of view which made me suspicious so I decided to rather turn around and head back down. Also, it's a pretty steep, technical section so most people would be going very slowly up here.

I had video running but didn't get their faces. Image is from the video and the flat rock almost in the middle of the image is where they were sitting. 

Be careful out there.

 

[Odin775]

Thanks for all the advice I think I will rather go on the trails when there are other people around. Been in an attempted bike jacking and it is a very unpleasant experience. Seems a group ride would be the safest to explore table mountain. 

[Hairy]

https://twitter.com/CTCycleLanes/status/1156892900879417345