WATCH | Between a rock and a walkway: Hermanus residents can't meet in the middle over footpath

The gloves are off in a long-standing battle to build an 850m walkway to join two separate sections of the Hermanus Cliff Path to complete an almost 13km walk or run through some of the world's most breathtaking scenery.  

With its millionaire mansions overlooking the dramatic seascape below, and fynbos lining the concrete walkway, the path is a popular tourist attraction for watching whales or admiring the works of art dotted along the route during the seaside town's annual art show.

All that is missing is 850m to make it one long uninterrupted walk without having to scramble up either of the cliffs, walk a short distance next to a busy road, and then scramble back down from the road to rejoin the path.