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Safety guide for hikers

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Over the weekend, Cape Town residents were alarmed when first-time hiker, Ebrahim Dawood, was discovered battered and bruised the morning after he was reported missing by his fellow hikers. Dawood ventured into the popular hiking trails of Newlands Forest, located on the slopes of Table Mountain, where he decided to take a different route to his group, but never met them at the planned meeting spot. Upon locating him, Dawood informed the Wilderness Search and Rescue Team that he had in fact been robbed by three unidentified men and was reportedly thrown off a cliff, where he sustained injury to his head.  But while Dawood had survived, an Icelandic teenager was not as lucky. His body was found by a man on a morning hike in Platteklip Gorge on Sunday. It’s unclear what led to his death and police are investigating the incident.

Given the explosion of hiking culture in the Mother City, Merle Collins from the South African National Parks (SANParks) Cape region provided key tips for avoiding injury and robbery on hiking trails.

Collins explained that hikers should firstly never hike alone, but preferably venture in groups of four or more and when separated, hikers should re-join their groups as soon as possible.

If hiking groups are separated due to unforeseen circumstances, those on the correct path should alert authorities about the situation.

While mountains do not have designated paths, hikers are encouraged to stick to footpaths and refrain from rugged terrain.

“Tell somebody who is not hiking with you which route you are taking and at what time they can expect you back, so that if you don’t arrive back in the time frame they can alert the authorities and launch a search and rescue operation, ” she stated.

Pertinently, hikers are encouraged to wear the appropriate gear, specifically adequate hiking shoes and light-weight jackets, and to remain hydrated so as to prevent unnecessary injury or dehydration.

With regards to safety mechanisms, Collins says that while SANParks has an established dedicated safety team that patrols the area, particularly hot-spots, the mountain remains an open area where anyone is easily able to access hiking routes.

“75 per cent of it is open access; you can access it from virtually anywhere. So, as much as we would like to prevent all muggings, it is virtually impossible for us to do so. But that does not mean that we are not concerned; if we see a trend in a particular area, we obviously adapt our security measures.”

In addition to its patrols, SANParks has a dedicated K-9 unit, inclusive of 12 dogs, and during the winter period it searchers sleep caves and removes suspicious individuals lurking on the mountain.

Collins explains that over the past seven years, in 2010 SANParks recorded a spike in incidents, where 34 incidents was recorded for the year, a figure that has dropped to approximately 10 incidents.

“Unfortunately, one incident gets such a lot of attention, that it creates a perception that mugging on Table Mountain is out of control, which is simply not true,” she noted.

Collins further states that SANParks has included within its safety measures various other stakeholders, including community policing forums, the South African Police Service, and police stations located alongside the park.

As hiking has in recent years transformed into a growing trend, congestion on the City’s hiking trails appears to be a cause of concern. She encourages all mountain users to be considerate when sharing paths with volumes of people.

“Hiking has imploded over the last few years, it has become the most popular activity for Capetonians and visitors and congestion is a serious issue… [So] users are getting into altercations [since] they are not considerate or well-mannered.”

Given calls for SANParks to construct footpaths in popular hiking areas, Collins reminds users that the mountain remains a natural conservation area, which is to be respected and enjoyed in its “wild” state.

“Remember it is a wilderness terrain, it is a conservation area and we conserving the natural heritage – so we going to keep it wild and we are not going construct a path,” she continued. VOC

VOC 91.3fm


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