If you have a Wild Card you can get in for free at TMNP (Silvermine) but if you are going to climb there you need an Activity Permit (R270 per year) for climbing as well.

How many of you know this and have this Activity Permit?

Apparently MCSA members don't need an Activity Permit.

This from the MCSA:

"Recently one of our members whilst trad climbing on Lions Head was approached by a Parks Board Ranger & asked to produce his Activity Permit. Activity Permits are not in fact required for trad climbing. They are required for Sports Climbing but this does not apply to card-carrying MCSA members. If you are approached by a Parks Board Ranger & requested to produce your permit I would suggest that you politely explain the position to him and suggest that he obtain confirmation from the Park Manager Paddy Gordon."

"Please pass on details of any approaches that you may receive from Parks Board Rangers to Brian Lambourne."

"Also see http://www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mou ... hp#permits for more info"rmation on TMNP's activity permits."

TMNP website says:

"The TMNP Activity Permit is required by individuals who regularly make use of the Park"
In addition to this they state that
"Holders of an activity permit will not be required to pay the entrance fees when accessing TMNP pay points to carry out their specified activity."

So get an activity permit and you don't pay for entrance to the park...With my George number plates I have an excuse til the end of the year though.
But yes...my MAIN problem with this is that it is NOT advertised and that they do not issue them at the gate.
There should be no reason someone from out of town can't buy a activity "day permit" from the gate instead of having to buy a year permit!

What about bouldering? Is that included?
The TMNP website uses the following words:

"Level 2 – Hang-gliding and paragliding, sport/rock climbing (R270)"

I'm not sure what they classify as rock climbing...?

Can anyone define "regularly" for me.

I would guess two weekends a month would count as regularly...

So......I need none of this then. O_o

I reckon if you go one day a weekend only twice a month or so you can hardly be considered a "regular" user of the park.
Anyone who knows anything more about this care to comment?

I mean it seems the "rangers" at Silvermine are not quite saying the same thing as is advertised to the public on their freaking website!

Day pass at Silvermine: R30 per person, staggering...

Activity permit: R270 per person per year, for climbing, so the card pays for itself in 9 visits...

de meff is iesie...

@Turtle: The problem is no one has confirmed that if you have this "activity card" that you do not have to pay at the gate. I have mailed them and not received any reply.

Is there anyone that actually has one of these cards that can actually tell us whats what?

Turtle I completely agree and I will get one as soon as my Wild Card expires.

The MAIN issues I have with the activity permit are
The fact that you are not informed at the gate that you need one (no sign, as there is for entrance).
You also CANNOT purchase a day permit at the gate if you are from out of town.
There is different information available from their website and from their mouths (their website CLEARLY states that if you have an activity permit then you do NOT pay additional R30 for entrance, while Tinus and I have both now been told by them that you do ... although they appeared uncertain themselves).
And what is with this "regular user" kak? I want to have a Wild Card so I can access other SANPARKS places. So if I am not a regular user of Silvermine then I don't want to buy an activity permit for the once a month of so I go climb there and then I don't pay to get in either because of the Wild Card

Anyway, I'll be getting one just to get rid of the hassle...but am looking forward to giving them a big earful if they try to may me pay an additional entrance fee on top pf my permit
They should just get their act together and train their staff correctly on what their policies are, as are advertised to the public.

@Armitag3: I have one, I don't pay at the gate, I go 1-2 time a week to walk meh dawg. It works for me perfectly. I rarely go elsewhere anymore, so I'm not sure where you can use this card... but for Silvermine, I'm sorted.

@Thermophage: Shocker: I didn't know out of towners can't get a day permit... thats really s&^t!

Sorry I can't be of more help here...

j

Dankie oom Jacques

Ya man it is kak. Anyway...one can always talk their way out of these situations.
If you paid at the gate then you have paid to use the park...like you said...You have paid MORE than theproportion of the cost of the activity permit.

Awesome. That makes all the difference. Thanks for confirming. I just wanted to hear from someone that actually knows the card works. None of this quoting websites and guards. (That bs was just confusing and contradicting.)

Guess I will have to shop one then. Silverminor needs a revisit. ^_^

Hey man, confusing yes...but the website does not at all contradict itself
Tis the silly guards contradicting the website...
Ai...that 23 at Silverminor is rough man :S

Regular (definition):
Being caught by a silly guard jumping the fence & avoiding day fees more than twice in one month.

Not being from the republic of cape town it does not make much difference to me, but if I was a local Id be getting that card - sounds cheaper than day fees.

peace

Old school, bud, none of this sock cock new school!!

sock cock?

Hi All

Just a friendly reminder that the current status of climbing permits in Table Mountain National Park is as follows:

Trad Climbing – requires no activity permit
Sport Climbing – requires an activity permit unless you are a card-carrying MCSA Member
Bouldering – requires no activity permit pending the finalization of the Bouldering EMP

Please be aware of SANParks Rangers requesting spot fines or issuing tickets for failure to produce activity permits. Kindly be respectful to rangers but do not allow yourselves to be bullied by them. Unless and until the legal position changes, the agreement between SANParks and the MCSA is as above.

The MCSA would also like to know every incidence that does occur where a climber is challenged in respect of the above by a SANParks ranger. Please email Delaney on delaney@rockchicks.co.za should this occur so that we can keep a log.



Yours sincerely

Delaney Carpenter – Chairperson of the Rock Climbing Sub-Committee of the MCSA Cape Town Section on behalf of
Brian Lambourne – Chairman of the MCSA Cape Town Section

Hi All

Further to the recent challenges from SANP Rangers with climbers in Table Mountain National Park, the Mountain Club of South Africa has drafted a letter which climbers can download from our website and print out to take with them to show to any rangers who may question their climbing activities in the park.

The letter can be found and downloaded off our Website: http://mcsacapetown.co.za/home

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you so much and kind regards
Delaney