Tokai MTB blaze: The damage to the trails & how you can help
A little over a week ago a fire blazed the mountains above the southern suburbs of Cape Town including the popular Tokai MTB network of trails.
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Today we can report that following an inspection of all the trails, the damage is extensive but nowhere near the devastation of the 2015 fire. The list of trails unaffected by the fire include Fairy Garden, My Roots, Your Roots, DH4, Boomslang, Snake Eyes, Rinkhals, Puff Adder and The Bridal Path. A significant relief is none of the wooden structures on the lower trails were damaged.
The bad news is the fire burned through the Donkey, Broken Road, DH0, DH1, DH2, Boulders, All Mountain, Lizard and Cobra Trails. Partially damaged were Vasbyt, DH3 and Mamba. However, thanks to the work done after the 2015 fire, where many wooden features were replaced with rock, structural losses have been limited. At the time of inspection, numerous tree stumps and roots on or near the trails were still smouldering but last week’s rainfall helped extinguish some of them.
The good news is Tokai MTB has already begun repair work on Vasbyt, DH3, Lizard and DH2. Whilst the trails are currently closed, Tokai MTB is constantly engaged with SANParks, working towards a safe reopening date. In the interim, to help fund the rebuild and expedite the opening of the trails please consider donating through the below snapscan link. //
