Cape Town danger areas

[Chingy182]

13 hours ago, jeanke6 said:

On Monday I have time all day some happy to do a ride of +100k. I’m used to do marathon stage races and training for a long distance off road duathlon so what you are proposing sounds like something I am aiming for. Any gpx routes to find or will it just be a matter of following the most ridden tracks on strava?

Welcome to SA.

I live in Tokai and the trails here are really nice - you may find a few sections after recent heavy rains where you may have to carry your bike for a short distance to clear rockslides, etc.

I can just start by mentioning that all trails and routes are mostly safe over weekends with influx of walkers, cyclists, etc. You are more likely to run into trouble 10h00 on a Tuesday morning when the mountains are quiet.

From the Waterfront you can do 2 routes to Tokai area.
1 - You can ride along the road that runs all along the beach through Camps Bay to Hout Bay. 
From there you can get into Constantia side via Constantia Neck, where you can access local Green belts and make your way to Tokai trails.  Riding in Tokai you can go up to the Tokai Mast (+-800m elevation from the gate), ride into Silvermine and do a loop around there, you can go down what is called the Donkey Trail back into Tokai and ride all the fun trails back down to the gate. 

Tokai is not very well sign posted if you are new to the area, but people are very friendly and always willing to give you advice and directions on which routes to take to the most fun parts of the trails.

2 - You can cycle from the Waterfront to Table Mountain and cycle to the Kings Blockhouse.
You will find many cyclists on this route most late afternoons and plenty on weekends.
You can go back down the mountain into Newlands Forrest where you can cycle through the trails over Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which ends/starts at Constantia Neck.
Same as above, you can access local greenbelts, etc. from here to Tokai trails.

Both of these routes will give you 100km easy with something like 2000m elevation. Possibly a lot more if you decide to go to the top of Tokai Mast.

Finally, I would stay off the cycle path that runs from the city to Milnerton/Blouberg beach.
However, from these areas you would also be very close to the Tygerberg Trail Network.
 

[mikkelz]

New season, same ****.

https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/490099/dangerous-avoid-signal-hill-and-lions-head-for-now-says-hiking-expert

 

"Recently, three mountain rescuers were mugged after finishing a rescue on Lion's Head, marking the latest in a spate of muggings in the Table Mountain National Park."

 

"On Friday, British ultramarathon star Tom Evans was attacked at knife point while on a training run at the end of Table Mountain road.

He has since announced he is pulling out of next weekend's RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town."

[mikkelz]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzyfmCZtm_v/?igshid=NmJiYWZiY2E0Mg==

Sad. 😔

[nonky]

3 hours ago, mikkelz said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzyfmCZtm_v/?igshid=NmJiYWZiY2E0Mg==

Sad. 😔

It gets much worse:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12765069/British-elite-runner-Tom-Evans-mugged-knifepoint-wedding-ring-watch-iPhone-trains-South-Africa-race.html

https://news.sky.com/story/elite-british-runner-forced-to-pull-out-of-race-after-being-mugged-at-knifepoint-in-south-africa-13011212

https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/western-states-100-champ-attacked-and-mugged-in-cape-town/

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a45889819/tom-evans-mugged/

[Fisan]

3 hours ago, mikkelz said:

New season, same ****.

Unfortunately it's not the same ****. This **** is the worst we've ever had. 

Three seperate muggings on LH/signal hill in the past 12 hours alone.

[dexterdent]

It boggles the mind that this is even possible in a City that wants to remain a tourism hotspot - it's not THAT big an area, and there are not THAT many muggers. Maybe we should get that angry guy from the other thread to come sort it out for us?

[Mtree]

Park Rangers and SAPS have had a big presence there recently, or so I have been told...

[Johan A Marais]

22 minutes ago, dexterdent said:

It boggles the mind that this is even possible in a City that wants to remain a tourism hotspot - it's not THAT big an area, and there are not THAT many muggers. Maybe we should get that angry guy from the other thread to come sort it out for us?

Yip, and he can use the R400 Fox shock as a weapon, and we can all meet afterwards at Cycling Friends to have coffee with ND... 🤐

[wolver]

44 minutes ago, Mtree said:

Park Rangers and SAPS have had a big presence there recently, or so I have been told...

Don't expect much from Rangers who are on a wage of R208 a day...

[Mtree]

1 hour ago, wolver said:

Don't expect much from Rangers who are on a wage of R208 a day...

They do enough to ensure bones are broken, enough said. 

That said, R208 a day is a measly amount of money. No wonder they are always a bit grumpy. 

[DJR]

57 minutes ago, Mtree said:

They do enough to ensure bones are broken, enough said. 

That said, R208 a day is a measly amount of money. No wonder they are always a bit grumpy. 

ENTRY fee for Cape Point is now THREE HUNDRED AND SOMETING RAND per day for an adult..........methinks I will demand my own personal ranger in future!

Edited November 24, 2023 by DJR

[splat]

On 11/24/2023 at 10:12 AM, nonky said:

It gets much worse:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12765069/British-elite-runner-Tom-Evans-mugged-knifepoint-wedding-ring-watch-iPhone-trains-South-Africa-race.html

https://news.sky.com/story/elite-british-runner-forced-to-pull-out-of-race-after-being-mugged-at-knifepoint-in-south-africa-13011212

https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/western-states-100-champ-attacked-and-mugged-in-cape-town/

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a45889819/tom-evans-mugged/

That wasn't the end of it.
3 runners (and even a marshal apparently) were mugged during the event itself

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/three-ultra-trail-runners-mugged-during-100-mile-race-in-cape-town-20231125

[wolver]

Another mugging on Signal hill just behind the houses at the Bo-kaap end of Tamboerskloof. Happened at 10:55am Sunday 26/11. Phones and watches taken.🤬

[Robbie Stewart]

Why is this being allowed? Why is the WC government and SAPS and SANParks not doing anything about it? Is the plan to completely muck up the tourism industry in the Cape, which is the top tourist destination in SA? 

[Mtree]

13 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

Why is this being allowed? Why is the WC government and SAPS and SANParks not doing anything about it? Is the plan to completely muck up the tourism industry in the Cape, which is the top tourist destination in SA? 

A lot has to do with the recent release of prisoners at the end of October...
(Think someone else mentioned this as well)

Durbanville and the Northern suburbs have seen an increased presence of criminal elements as well, not just a Table Mountain/Southern suburbs issue.

[DJR]

18 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

Why is this being allowed? Why is the WC government and SAPS and SANParks not doing anything about it? Is the plan to completely muck up the tourism industry in the Cape, which is the top tourist destination in SA? 

Good question.

I'll tell you a fictional story based on true events (like they say in the movies)..................

A cyclist, obviously shaken, dressed in cycling kit and bleeding from a good few cuts and bruises came into the police station.

He reported getting pushed off his bike on Table Mountain, on the slopes of Devils Peak, assaulted and robbed of his phone and bike. He then ran down the mountain all the time trying to see where the criminals took his bike. At the Rhodes Memorial parking lot he encountered SANPARKS rangers. He told them his story and that they asked him where he last saw the thieves, which was as they exited the park above Groote Schuur Hospital. Oh, then you must report it to the SAPS ...........nothing they could do once the robbers have left Table Mountain National Park..........he managed to get someone pick him up and take him to the Woodstock Police Station........into whose area the robbers fled...........they asked him where the mugging happened.........just above Rhodes Memorial........then you must go the the Mowbray Police station because that is their area.........and that is where I met him! Sadly, they were not much more helpful..............didn't have a vehicle available.........the criminals were by that time many kilometres away anyway. He got his report taken, in an extremely laborious way by a cop who could hardly read or write, got his case cumber and was told to claim from his insurance.

I am 100% sure that was the end of it from SAPS and SANParks side. His bleeding face, his bruised body and the psycholgical scars hopefully healed with the help of his private medical aid and support system of friends and family, no thanks to the non-existent help he got from the powers that be.

OK, I know it won't make for a good enough movie script.........too much truth I suppose.........bit THAT is why thing are the way they are! 

Edited November 27, 2023 by DJR