Tokai MTB Trails are (mostly) Open

[ChrisF]

Trails might be open and vegetation restored before this little popcorn show subsides ....

[Headshot]

16 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Can you raise the closed flag on the tokai Trailforks landing page so it’s abundantly clear please. In this day and age reading is a scarce but critical skill . How so many get by in life without being able to read is beyond me

Its been there since 29 April 2025. About mid page below the big map. If you scroll down further it shows a list of trails, all of which are marked in red - closed. Reading is one thing - seeing is quite another 🙂 

[Robbie Stewart]

The boxes are still out in full force destroying clearly marked as closed trails.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJwSh1-sqUS/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[marko35s]

Edited June 30, 2025 by marko35s

[Sid the Sloth]

1 hour ago, marko35s said:

Lekker to have this. Thank you. 

[marko35s]

Okay then, bit of a whoopsie today...

Despite our multiple complaints SANParks alien clearing teams have been dumping logs and branches in multiple water courses over the last few years (their mandate is to move all slash a minimum of 20 meters away from any watercourse or trail), this was the reason both DH1 & Boulders flooded last year. 

Well today they hit the jackpot when the fast running water brought down enough of the debris to completely remove the Fairy Garden bridge. It wasn't so much damaged as lifted up and deposited further downstream. We have made our extreme displeasure known to SANParks and fully expect absolutely bugger all change in the contractors behaviour.

So basically Fairy Garden will be closed for about a week for a complete bridge rebuild, I will update as soon as the bridge is back and I have gained at least some control of my temper.

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, marko35s said:

Okay then, bit of a whoopsie today...

Despite our multiple complaints SANParks alien clearing teams have been dumping logs and branches in multiple water courses over the last few years (their mandate is to move all slash a minimum of 20 meters away from any watercourse or trail), this was the reason both DH1 & Boulders flooded last year. 

Well today they hit the jackpot when the fast running water brought down enough of the debris to completely remove the Fairy Garden bridge. It wasn't so much damaged as lifted up and deposited further downstream. We have made our extreme displeasure known to SANParks and fully expect absolutely bugger all change in the contractors behaviour.

So basically Fairy Garden will be closed for about a week for a complete bridge rebuild, I will update as soon as the bridge is back and I have gained at least some control of my temper.

Typical SA contractor work ethic. “It’s not my problem “.

[capediver]

7 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Typical SA contractor work ethic. “It’s not my problem “.

In a normal world, sub-contractors are monitored to ensure they comply with the terms of their contract....non-compliance usually means non-payment....

[DJR]

10 hours ago, marko35s said:

.................I will update as soon as the bridge is back and I have gained at least some control of my temper.

Sorry to laugh Mark. I can just picture the smoke coming out of your nostrils.......better not open your mouth or the flames will set the bridge on fire........and what then?

Edited July 2, 2025 by DJR

[marko35s]

1 hour ago, capediver said:

In a normal world, sub-contractors are monitored to ensure they comply with the terms of their contract....non-compliance usually means non-payment....

Not here trust me. This lot bugger off up the mountain and are roundly ignored.

We find, and report, all sorts of stuff where they work - littering, cigarette butts dumped out of car ashtrays, the poison they used left abandoned in open containers, oil cans dumped in water courses, all the slash dumped in water courses or next to the trail and more. One team were caught stealing a riders hydration pack (no action taken on that one, they were just allowed to continue working once the pack had been retrieved).

Years of reporting has achieved nothing and even now some would have you believe that the MTB trails are the biggest problem on the mountain.

[Shebeen]

While I personally believe online petitions are complete waste of time.

This one has been launched to get Sanparks attention with the many NPOs and volunteers doing their jobs for them. not sure how much TokaiMTB falls into this venn diagram, but if you like signing petitions clickety click

 

https://www.change.org/p/savetablemountain-6c6a0005-d0fa-4382-bc93-7e7eff347bbd/exp/cl_/cl_sharecopy_490637074_en-GB/4/419287226?recruiter=419287226&recruited_by_id=bc6441c7-a0e1-41ac-8d39-4e67e302072c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490637074_en-GB%3A4

[DieselnDust]

4 hours ago, capediver said:

In a normal world, sub-contractors are monitored to ensure they comply with the terms of their contract....non-compliance usually means non-payment....

Eeeer. Not if this is a government deal bru. 

[Chingy182]

On 6/30/2025 at 6:28 PM, marko35s said:

Thanks for this.

I'm just trying to find out still if going up to the Mast is also closed as with Level 4 & 5 closures?

[Headshot]

SANP proudly displays its empowerment objectives on its website which mantra seems to override issues of efficiency and environmental protection. This means that start up contractors with no track record or possibly skills or training are given potentially lucrative contracts to clear aliens and even supposedly maintain MTB trails at Tokai. The kind of thing Mark has outlined are the result. 

In a famous incident a couple of years ago TMNP paid an unknown contractor to work on Boulders I think it was. He/she/it did very little if anything of value and a chunk of cash that could have gone to real trailbuilders or even TokaiMTB was simply wasted. 

TMNP would rather work this way than employ full time well trained alien clearing and maintenance  teams. 

It won't change anytime soon. 

[Headshot]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

While I personally believe online petitions are complete waste of time.

This one has been launched to get Sanparks attention with the many NPOs and volunteers doing their jobs for them. not sure how much TokaiMTB falls into this venn diagram, but if you like signing petitions clickety click

 

https://www.change.org/p/savetablemountain-6c6a0005-d0fa-4382-bc93-7e7eff347bbd/exp/cl_/cl_sharecopy_490637074_en-GB/4/419287226?recruiter=419287226&recruited_by_id=bc6441c7-a0e1-41ac-8d39-4e67e302072c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490637074_en-GB%3A4

Signed and shared.

[marko35s]

1 hour ago, Chingy182 said:

Thanks for this.

I'm just trying to find out still if going up to the Mast is also closed as with Level 4 & 5 closures?

Sorry - we weren't too clear on that. Four & Five are closed in the direction of Silvermine.

Mast route is open, it's a bit of a muddy slog once you pass Mamba until you get to the 'lookout corner' but same as ever after that.

For what it's worth I would wait until it is a bit drier up there, it's doable now but I would hesitate to recommend it as 'fun'.

Edited July 2, 2025 by marko35s