Table Mountain Safety

[BosRot]

I am sure a lot of the CPT based Members read about the cyclist stabbed on Table Mountain yesterday morning. Coincidentally i spoke to a rider at Tokai on Saturday morning who told me he was mugged a week ago by a Bravo male with a long knife as he was going up the long, straight bit of tar road to Rhodes Memorial. The guy jumped him from behind a tree and pulled him off his bike. I am aware of at least 6 incidents which occurred in the area between Rohodes Mem and the Blockhouse over the last 6-8 months . I am sure there are more of you out there who have either been attacked or know of someone who has.

I ride on the mountain at least 4 times a week and no longer take the route down to Rhodes Memorial, but now I am also starting to worry about the area around the Blockhouse. SAPS have 1 vehicle to patrol both Table Mountain and Lions Head / Signal Hill , but the vehicle is hardly ever present on the dirt tracks below Tafelberg Road. I have seen 4 SAPS motorbikes doing a patrol near the blockhouse a few weeks back, but not again since. Why all 4 need to ride together I don't understand. SAN Parks say they have 2 members strategically placed on the mountain with binoculars (1 of them supposedly sits in the little fire hut above the Blockhouse). SAN Parks knocks off at 5pm, so there are no members patrolling on the mountain after 5.

We all know where the hot spots are on the mountain, yet the authorities say that crime on the mountain is within tolerances. Controlling access to the mountain is virtually impossible, as you could theoretically walk up from Constantia Nek and commit your crime at Platteklip Gorge. I know of crimes happening in the Southern Suburbs where the suspects have been tracked on foot over the mountain to Hout Bay.

I am getting more and pissed off at the situation and the apparent lack of will shown by the authorities to get their hands dirty and fight the crime on the mountain. Carrying Pepper spray or a tazer gives you some sort of protection, but it means you have to get to within a meter or two of an attacker (most likely armed with a knife) to retaliate,assuming you are free to move and get to your spray. Not the ideal solution in my mind. Next thing someone is going to ride on the mountain armed with a gun and decide that a walker , who just popped behind a bush to have a pee, is a mugger and shoot.

I am part of the Neighbourhood Watch where I live in the City Bowl. Has the time to set up an entity to try and sort out the crime on the mountain? I have given it some thought and it is not easy to organise, but we need to do something. Anyone out there got some ideas, I would be keen to hear them.

 

 

Question is what is SAN Parks doing about the problem. I have been riding on the mountain for 20 years and recently got chased for the first time by SAN Parks for riding on a stretch of single track where riding is not allowed. SAN Parks pulled out all the stops to catch me.

4x4 Radios and scrambler.

 

The following week I heard a similar story in which a SAN Parks 4x4 tried to push a MTB rider off Signal Hill Road for riding on an illegal path. The MTB rider managed to escape the 4x4 but a road block was set up for him. As he passed the road block a dog was set on him......

 

It seems that SAN Parks is doing everything possible to stop us from riding on certain trails, but what are they doing about the elements that are making it unsafe for everyone on the mountain ?

[Bos]

Question is what is SAN Parks doing about the problem. I have been riding on the mountain for 20 years and recently got chased for the first time by SAN Parks for riding on a stretch of single track where riding is not allowed. SAN Parks pulled out all the stops to catch me.

4x4 Radios and scrambler.

 

The following week I heard a similar story in which a SAN Parks 4x4 tried to push a MTB rider off Signal Hill Road for riding on an illegal path. The MTB rider managed to escape the 4x4 but a road block was set up for him. As he passed the road block a dog was set on him......

 

It seems that SAN Parks is doing everything possible to stop us from riding on certain trails, but what are they doing about the elements that are making it unsafe for everyone on the mountain ?

 

I guess this isnt good news for us If we are hoping they want to help us..

They will use it in teir defence.

 

I admit I have ridden these trails but try and do it at night or very early. Not so much for sanparks but that other Mtbikers don't follow my bad example.

[guidodg]

I do not think it creates a bad example at all...why the hell can we not ride up Table Mountain during the day??

 

I recently visited Italy and anywhere a hiker can go then so can a mountain biker....period! [without paying either!]

[LazyTrailRider]

I do not think it creates a bad example at all...why the hell can we not ride up Table Mountain during the day??

 

I recently visited Italy and anywhere a hiker can go then so can a mountain biker....period! [without paying either!]

 

I agree, it's absolute BS that attention is being paid to occasional MTBers riding singletrack (some of these tracks having been created by us to start off with) which now apparently are "only for walkers", instead of focusing all possible resources on ridding the mountain of violent crime. Yes, there are in some situations annoyance/nuisance and erosion concerns associated with riding singletrack irresponsibly, but these concerns are absolutely insignificant compared to creating an environment where people are safe from violence and theft. I really want to ask rangers who enforce these rules (which are debatably vague) how they honestly feel about how they are prioritising matters.

 

Someone needs to speak to SANParks at a management level about their priorities, and soon. I've dealt with MTO Forestry - who operate Tokai forestry operations - at a professional level (did some systems consulting for their management team, some of their execs MTB themselves, which I guess explains why Tokai is what it is), but SANParks is an unknown to me. From media reports I've seen, their management does not inspire much confidence...

[guidodg]

Besides singletrack with the possible associated erosion problems...what about simply riding up to the dams on Table Mountain on the road? Why the hell is that forbidden?

[Danger Dassie]

I see Crimeline has been urging for stronger action as well.

 

https://www.crimeline.co.za/feedback/mountain.asp

[bradjackson]

I see Crimeline has been urging for stronger action as well.

 

https://www.crimeline.co.za/feedback/mountain.asp

 

Does anyone actually know what happens to these high end bikes that get jacked?

I mean are these okes part of an organized syndicate shipping them across the border or do the bikes generally remain in circulation within the area they were swiped?

Or are they simply stripped for their parts?

 

I know there's lots of speculation, but does anyone know of any evidence to suggest whats happening to the stolen goods?

[Tumbleweed]

Here's an identikit of the dude believed to be responsible for a string of attacks on the mountain:

 

[Capricorn]

Thanks Tumbles: definitely keep an eye out for Mr Sketch..

[Stevief]

Last week i got pulled over by Sanparks for riding singletrack this was at 6 30 am on the bottom slopes of lions head. He wanted to hit me with R700 fine. I talked my way out of it but he warned that he will catch me again if i tried. They were parked at the s bend on kloof street so as you exit the track they get you. They dont patrol the mountain they just sit and wait for MTbers and harass us. To say i was not impresed is an understaement. Now i cant ride alone as i will be mugged and if i do ride i will get fined ... i mean wtf!!!

[guidodg]

It is ludicrous...makes me so angry that firstly we cannot ride on most parts of Table Mountain and secondly that the limited places where one can ride are unsafe...

 

Anyways enough moaning from me...moving to the Dolomites soon where these problems do not exist

[guidodg]

send them a snotty message

 

http://www.sanparks.org/about/contact/default.php

[Capricorn]

Last week i got pulled over by Sanparks for riding singletrack this was at 6 30 am on the bottom slopes of lions head. He wanted to hit me with R700 fine. I talked my way out of it but he warned that he will catch me again if i tried. They were parked at the s bend on kloof street so as you exit the track they get you. They dont patrol the mountain they just sit and wait for MTbers and harass us. To say i was not impresed is an understaement. Now i cant ride alone as i will be mugged and if i do ride i will get fined ... i mean wtf!!!

 

stevie: where u the rider someone else mentioned sometime back that had a 'roadblock' setup to trap you coming off signal hill/lions head?

I'm trying to remember who made that comment and who that rider was, cos i've never heard of SANPARK going thru that much effort to nail a rider for riding on Signal hill...

[Stevief]

stevie: where u the rider someone else mentioned sometime back that had a 'roadblock' setup to trap you coming off signal hill/lions head?

I'm trying to remember who made that comment and who that rider was, cos i've never heard of SANPARK going thru that much effort to nail a rider for riding on Signal hill...

Naa that wasnt me i was just in the wrong place at wrong time it wasnt a roadblock he was just waiting on kloof rd at bottom of stairs of the trail and as i came out bam!

[guidodg]

time to organize a mass ride up table mountain in protest...

[Eddy Gordo]

This is a very interesting post. I was almost attacked a few months ago on the closed tarred road section on table mountain. Anyways, contact SAPS and Sanparks. They are not interested, i told them i will be riding with a firearm and I am gonna shoot anything that tries. Still no response. Fact of the matter is that traffic, san parks etc are not interested in doing the hard work, as they are scared of getting hurt. So they target "soft targets" the avg mtb rider whom they think they can scare. It is the same with traffic, speeding fines are easy, but let them try and police taxis for example, they cant cause they gonna get hurt, or loose out on their under counter money. Anyways as far as table mountain and signal hill goes, you can ride any trail below the mountain on cape towns side, trails on signal hill above the tar rode and over on sea points side is a no go. The only way is a mass get together and toyi toyi, maybe in front of the cable car, this will surely get them to see red at a high tourist destination, can you imagine the publicity. Organise this when there is a full moon, most busiest period, get plenty of placards and every one can just ride up and down in silent protest. They wont be able to do a thing