Many an Instagrammer and hiker had a long wait for Cape Town's Lion's Head to be open again, but now photos of the maintenance done on the routes are circulating social media - and people aren't happy with the results.
The popular mountain peak reopened on Friday after weeks of maintenance, extended by a fire that hit Lion's Head and signal hill at the end of January, although certain trails were still being upgraded or repaired and thus remained closed.
Hikers were excited to take it on again over the weekend, but some have noticed and questioned the workmanship by South African National Parks (SANParks) that had gone into the steelwork to upgrade the ladders, staples and chains.
Shared widely by Table Mountain Watch, a Facebook group that shares updates about Table Mountain and it surrounding area, they posted an alert to avoid using the trail that's open due to rusting and bad welding.
Hiker David D'Aguiar also shared photos after his hike on Saturday, commenting that "[Table Mountain National Park] have done a HACK JOB on Lions Head with the new steelwork. It is an insult to all who love the mountain. The ladders look like they were assembled from scrap metal (joints in every rung?) and the staples are a disgrace."
Tim Lundy, a seasoned hiking expert, also believes the work was done up to scratch.
"Sadly the job that was done has made Lions Head even more dangerous and unsafe than it was! Looks like it was done very cheaply. So for now I'm advising everyone to stay away until a proper job has been done to make it a safe zone/route."
According to SANParks' Table Mountain National Park Volunteer Rangers group, the matter has been alerted to SANParks officials and "was forwarded to the department of SANParks responsible for the repairs".
Arienne Möller, who manages the group's online presence, also defended SANParks on social media.
"Please remember that SANParks has limited funding and at this point in time even more limited resources. We are dealing with unsustainable amounts of people going up Lion's Head on a daily basis and they are doing the best they can for what the situation is. With this, please patient. If you want more dramatic results, please feel free to approach one of the Parks board or one of the section rangers. We would appreciate all the help and suggestions we can get."
Traveller24 have reached out to SANParks for comment.
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