ROUTES Version 1 by Jacques Marais

routes your guide to getting outside

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Your TOP Adventure Routes!

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Full trail descriptions and maps on where in SA to Run, Bike, Hike, Canyon, Paddle, Swim …

40 MOUNTAIN BIKING MTB Routes & Rides

TRAIL RUNNING HIKING Trail Run Routes Hikes & Climbing Routes

ADVENTURE Canoe, Sea Kayak, Swim, Rock Climb, Kloofing & more

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EDITORIAL HEAD OFFICE Telephone (CPT): Jacques Marais 083 444 5369 Postal Address: POeDITORIAL Box 503, Simonstown 7995 Street Address: 44 Elgin Circle, Fish Hoek 7975 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Jacques Marais - jacques@jacquesmarais.co.za Managing Director: Lize-Marie Marais - info@business-affaires.com Art Director: Charmane Kirkland - charmane@storylinestudio.co.za Publisher: Graham Bird - tweet@global.co.za Printing: Les Martens - les@samedia-services.co.za Editor: Jacques Marais (Cape Town, South Africa) Editorial Role: Founder Member and Editor of ROUTES; also the main Features Writer, Sharp Shooter, General Dogsbody and Slave Driver. Favourite Trails: Oak Valley in Grabouw for MTB, and Oorlogskloof near Nieuwoudtville for Trail Running. Favourite international trails: Slick Rock and Poison Spider, near Moab, Utah, USA. Best Toy Ever: Silverback 275 Slider, probably the coolest bike I’ll ever ride. And my NIKON D800 camera, of course! Occupation: Director (Jacques Marais Media); freelance writer and photographer for a dozen-plus premium publications around the world. Designer Please Complete … Publisher & Printing Please Complete … ADVERTISING Sales Manager: Ashleigh Bird - tweet@global.co.za CONTACT US Website : www.routesmag.co.za Subscriptions info@business-affaires.com Printing: SA Media Services Design: Storyline Studio (www.storylinestudio.co.za) Publisher: JM MEDIA Distribution: On the Dot

Run, walk or mount up and get spaced out in a place where kokerbome and lunar rockscapes rear up from plains as old as the continent itself. Welcome to Planet Aukoerebis, Northern Cape’s best-kept secret... Visit www.northerncape.org.za for more information. 2

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JM Media

On the Dot

CONTENTS

EDITORS LETTER At-frigging-last ... ROUTES is that long-overdue and unashamedly outdoor-centric Trail Guide outsiders have been craving for years. In between these covers you’ll find all the dirt and gravel and roots and mud and sand and hoicks and drop-offs that count, and we can guarantee the only tarmac you’ll taste will be while you’re driving to get to your route. Here’s the beef … every issue of ROUTES will highlight a hundred cool adventure trails, with up to date information, maps, images and contact details to make sure you can get out and go solo on any trail of your choice. Our mission is to remain utterly utilitarian and - instead of fluffy articles and re-hashed nutrition tips - we aim to do one thing and one thing only: to bring you the inside info on all those glorious trails in SA waiting to be explored. The design and packaging aim to position ROUTES somewhere in between a Rough Guide to Riding, a Coffee Table Glossy and a Map Book. And as we believe in the burgeoning e-reader market, the magazine will be available electronically as well for any number of tablets and smart mobile devices.

I’m tempted to say ‘And that’s not all!’ as they do in those direct marketing adverts, but bugger that. You’ll have more than enough time to make up your own mind over the next few years as you page through ROUTES and I’m 100% confident you will agree that there is no better trail resource on the African continent. Keep your eyes peeled, as we plan to extend our publishing schedule to include both winter and summer editions in the near future. Enough jabbering, guys! Dive in between these luscious covers and get ready to head OUTSIDE!

Jacques Marais EDITOR ROUTES Magazine

In short, we feel it is time everyone pulled together to develop a solid trail culture in South Africa, inclusive of everyone from Joe Rigid with his hypermarket dik-wiel to those young DH dudes grabbing air on trails around the country. To make mountain biking a sustainable sport, we must act inclusively to bring as many weekend warriors into the fold as possible. After all, the more riders there are, the more viable it will be to create trails, and this means more riding options for the fat track tribe as a whole.

In between these covers you’ll find all the dirt and gravel and roots and mud and sand and hoicks and drop-offs that count, and we can guarantee the only tarmac you’ll taste will be while you’re driving to get to your route.

MOUNTAIN BIKING OVERVIEW (20x DPS / 20x FP / 10x Adverts) Magical MTB Trails to crank, from the De Hoop Nature Reserve ‘Whale Trail’ near the southern tip of Africa, to Mashatu Nature Reserve’s Big 5 stage tour bordering the Limpopo Province. Plus, there are dozens of routes in between, covering everything from the Eastern Free State’s Maloti Mountains to the Transkei Wild Coast … Are you ready to ride? Ten MTB Events to Do Before You Die TRAIL RUNNING OVERVIEW (15x DPS / 15x FP / 10x Adverts) TRAIL RUN Routes, tramping off from the verdant forest of Grootvadersbosch near Heidelberg in the Western Cape, to the gruelling Rhino Peak in KZN’s Garden Castle region. There’s something for everyone here, with runs in all nine of SA’s provinces. 10 TRAIL RUN Events to Do Before You Die HIKING OVERVIEW (5x DPS / 5x FP / 5x Adverts) 10 HIKING ROUTES, stomping through the antediluvian heart of the rugged Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve near Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape, to the ‘Hobbit Country’ hills and dales surrounding Hogsback in the Eastern Cape. Boot up, South Africa’s Top 10 trails are waiting for you. ADVENTURE OVERVIEW (30x FP / 5x Adverts) Get your teeth into 20 ADVENTURE ROUTES, combining all those outdoor activities that does not exactly fit into the above mould. There’s the 150km Eden Duo Adventure Race, kloofing Kamikaze Kanyon near Kogel Bay, sea kayaking the St Lucia estuary, tripping through the treetops of the Tsitsikamma Forest, or rafting the Blyde River Canyon rapids. Come on, kick-start those endorphins, right here, right now! Events Directory (10x FP) Glossary + Trail Request Fax Form (10x FP)

mountain biking DIRT MENU

addle up and see southern Africa as you’ve never seen her before. Whether you opt for a warp-speed blast or a leisurely cruise, the local landscape is sure to look way better when seen across the handlebars of your mountain bike. We’ve got the whole shebang between these pages: all nine the provinces, plus the low-down on laying fresh tracks beyond our borders. If you own a boney, you should start reading right now … The Regions (Use as is to check layout; will reduce Word Count so it stays same for all 9x provinces).

Eastern Cape Hello Afrika, tell me how you’re doing! There’s rollicking riding to be had in the Eastern Cape, a largely unexplored province unfolding along South Africa’s east coast and immediate interior. This is and will always be Frontier Country, filled with roughshod trails (and many a rough-edges character), and here you can bargain on diverse rides and in-yourface adventure. Trail options are beyond compare, but don’t expect the signage and logistics to match up to the neighbouring Western Cape. Anything goes, from the Tolkienesque expanse of Hogsback’s emerald forests to the sub-alpine slopes rucking up around Rhodes in the southern Drakensberg. The interior juxtaposes the arid savannah 6

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of the Baviaans River Conservancy with montane forest and fynbos of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness, plus there is the breathtaking shoreline. Explore the Sunshine Coast heading north, then immerse yourself within the sub-tropical excesses of the Wild Coast. This is the heartland of the amaXhosa people, and riding here will bang you down way beyond anything approaching manicured routes or cell phone reception. This is wild riding at its best, but don’t go there if you’re not at least a little wild at heart.

Northern Cape Desert storming is the norm for mountain bikers heading onto the endless backcountry roads crisscrossing the plains of the far-flung Northern Cape. Go here, if only to experience a range of mindexpanding rides within an arid region resplendent with ochre dunes, wild flowers in all their full bloom glory and alien quiver trees guarding rugged outcrops in distant mountain deserts. Although the barren Northern Cape is not normally associated with mountain biking, the province boasts several superb riding regions. Namakwaland borders the Western Cape and nudges up against the icy Atlantic, encompassing towns such as Calvinia, Springbok and Alexander Bay, as well as the Richtersveld Desert. Adjacent to Namakwaland you’ll find the Karoo, an endless tableau of scrubland plains, with 100-miler rides along dirt roads linking dorps like Carnarvon, De Aar, Colesberg and Prieska.

The Green Kalahari encompasses the main centre of Upington and the verdant orchards and vineyards stretching along the Gariep, while the Kalahari Proper, all lion grass and undulating red dunes, simmers further north. And do not miss out on the Diamond Fields, a small sub-region surrounding the mining town of Kimberley.

The Cape awaits just bring your bike

• w e n s ’ t a h •W • What ’s hot •

Western Cape Nowhere else in our beloved country will you get more ride for your Rand than in the sprawling Western Cape region. From the iconic Table Mountain, fynbos slopes, windswept beaches and sandstone ranges unfold beyond the horizon to where the hinterland awaits, with the landscape constantly changing as you explore inland. With approximately a hundred MTB routes, the Western Cape is a dream ride destination. The province is divided into half a dozen riding regions, each with a selection of mild to wild options. The Cape Peninsula region, featuring Table Mountain National Park and including Tokai Forest, is our starting point. From here, an hour’s drive will take you into the Winelands Region, where Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek boast an exhilarating mix of vineyard, fynbos and rugged mountain trails. Head north along the N7 and you’ll discover a diverse riding region combining West Coast beaches, the Renosterveld plains of the Swartland, the rugged Olifants River Valley and the inspiring mountainscapes of the Cederberg and Groot Winterhoek Wilderness areas.

The Breede River Valley and Overberg unfolds to the south beyond the inland ranges, and you can ride forever along dusty gravel roads and within some of Cape Nature’s flagship nature reserves. And then, of course, there are the wide-sky spaces and arid plains of the Karoo, with classic mountain passes grinding into the Swartberg ranges. Conquer these and you will cross into the Garden Route, a true mountain biker’s heaven if ever there was one. Crank the tranquil Knysna Forests and bomb coastal cliffs, or defy gravity along the side-winding gravel passes of the Swartberg …

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Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern Touwsberg MTB Route, Ladismith, Western Cape Tsitsikamma MTB Route, Storms River Village, Eastern

Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape Cape

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forest funk

crank

your ride

ranking the Garden Route does not come much better than a ride through the Tsitsikamma Forests from Storms River Village.Escape the summer heat by pedalling into the indigenous forests bristling along the coastal section of the Garden Route National Park near Storms River Village. Various riding options will suit everyone from rookie riders to hard core cranker. The Ride The verdant forests of Tsitsikamma, set within the easternmost corner of the Garden Route National Park, were named 8

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for the ancient Khoi phrase meaning ‘place of sparkling waters’. This term aptly describes the abundant lushness of a region brimming with temperate forest, where gigantic podocarpus yellowwood trees tower over black-water pools. If you’re in the area, the cruise to use starts from Storms River Village, descending steeply for 5km to a low water bridge on the eponymous Storms River in the valley below. This is a great place for a swim, as a calf-crunching climb awaits back onto the coastal plateau. Follow clearly marked signage via either the SAFCOL pine plantations or a stretch of indigenous paradise for a few kilometres of flat riding.

The piece d’resistance of the ride is a glorious panorama across both Storms River Mouth and the adjoining stretch of the national park. Once you’ve taken in the scenery, return either via the plantation gravel roads or the section of trail along the gorge and the indigenous forest, but watch out for bush pig poo. Once you’ve rejoined the original route, crank into the gritty 5km climb back up to the village. And if you’re keen to increase your time in the saddle, check out the Misty Mountains Reserve next door for up to 60km of additional trails to explore. www.mistymountainreserve.co.za

Fast Facts GRADING: Intermediate (steep climbs) DURATION: 2-3hrs CONFIGURATION: Return: from 22km START POINT: Tsitsikamma Village Inn TERRAIN: Gravel road and jeep-track ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Free self-issue permits from gate for first section. Permit for SAPPI section from Storms River Adventures or Tsitsikamma Village Inn. CELL RECEPTION: Good CONTACT: www.tsitsikammahotel.co.za/ Tel +(27-42) 281 1836

How to Get There: From the N2, turn south to Storms River Village (154km from PE and 75km from Plettenberg Bay). Follow this road into the village to the Tsitsikamma Village Inn on your left. Off The Bike: Welcome to Adventure Central! The area surrounding this charming hamlet offers a host of adventures, from tree-top canopy tours and day hikes to black-water tubing. Add the amazing Storms River Mouth, legendary Otter Trail and the world’s highest bungee jump … jeez! More Info: Web site – www.stormsriver.co.za / Tel +(27-42) 281 1836 ROUTES

Time-out in

Touwsberg

f it is mind space riding you’re looking for, pedal onto the Touwsberg tracks for a Klein Karoo trail that will completely recharge your soul. Escape into the rural hinterland of the Klein Karoo along the R62, avoiding the temptation to stop off at the infamous ‘Ronnie’s Sex Shop’. The spoils at glorious Touwsberg Private Nature Reserve - your intended destination - far outweigh Ronnie’s selection of well-used lingerie. The Ride

Touwsberg is the kind of place you need to visit for the whole weekend. Remote self-catering cottages offer easy access to the network of gravel roads, jeep-track and 4x4 routes, plus you can explore forever along the game tracks mish-mashing throughout theTouwsberg ranges. MORE INFO: www.mtbroutes.co.za Tel +(27-21) 78 22 849

I headed in a westerly direction from Kyknet Cottage, cranking onto a steep 4x4 track into the Lootzrivier section (7.5km). An excellent map is available from reception, and the inclusion of topographical information on this makes it a cinch to orient yourself during the ride. Follow the gravel road below the sandstone cliffs until you reach Fonteinskloof (9.1km), the only perennial stream during the sizzling summer months. It is fed from the Rehoboth Eye

a few minutes upstream; this artesian borehole flows at an incredible 150 000l/hour, and is a great place to fill up water bottles. A high-speed run past Rehoboth Dam (13.8km) bombs you down to the Wolverfontein Gate (15.1km). Turn left onto the Plathuis Gravel Road to for a circular route back to Kyknet via Touwsberg Main Entrance (23km). There are stacks of riding on the cards still, so split right to Bobbejaan Krantz at 25.3km. Keep left again after the windmill (29.4km): you’re heading into the Mooikloof region and have a selection of 4x4 tracks, gravel roads and hiking paths to choose from. Take note that most of the paths are rocky and loose, so trust your balance as you bang into kopjes. From Mooikloof (38.3km, depending on route choice) it is a fast downhill blast down to the Wolverfontein turn-off to your right (42.1km). Kyknet Cottage is just down the drag, making for a total distance of 45.2km.

Route Facts GRADING: Intermediate DURATION: 2.5 – 4 hours CONFIGURATION: Network of return and circular routes START POINT: Kyknet Cottage TERRAIN: Gravel roads, 4x4 tracks and rough game footpaths ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Daily permit from Reception costs R35 CELL RECEPTION: None GPS Coordinates: S 33° 36’ 45.2” / E 29° 56’ 01.6” CONTACT: www.touwsberg.co.za / Tel +(27-28) 551 2175 Getting There: Drive onto the R62 and continue north-east until you reach Barrydale - Touwsberg Private Nature Reserve is situated on your left 45km beyond the town.

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The Tsitsikamma Mountain Bike Challenge runs through one of the most scenic routes for mountain bike races you can find anywhere in South Africa. The event not only offers the cyclists a test of skill, but also breathtaking views of the crystal blue sea from the rugged cliffs high above the raging white water.

t s e r o f a e c n e e i r k i e b p n Ex i a t n u o m r u paradise on yo Damn, this is one forest I'd like to lose myself in for a couple of weeks. Give me an MTB, some anti-elephant pepper spray, a zip-lock of fatty biltong, and tell me to shut up and ride. That would be heaven ... In the real world, I'd be happy to just go and ride the annual TSITSIKAMMA MTB CHALLENGE; at least it means I'll get my forest fix once a year. Good vibe, fantastic people, great event! 12

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tour de tuli

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MERCURY

A DUAL SUSPENSION MASTERPIECE

MODEL SEGMENTS MERCURY 1

DESIGN FEATURES bRAkE MODEL UPgRADE AND FRONT ROTORS INCREASED TO 180MM FOR bETTER bRAkINg POwER AND MINIMAL wEIghT gAIN.

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addicts

STRONg AND STIFF DOUbLE bUTTED R6 ALUMINIUM MAIN FRAME AND REAR END wITh ADDED SILICON PROvIDES A SOLID PLATFORM FOR IDS PERFORMANCE.

MERCURY 2

CAbLE hOSE gUIDES FOR DERAILLEUR ENAbLE CONTINUOUS SEALED ShIFTER hOUSINg FOR ExTENDED PROTECTION AgAINST ThE ELEMENTS. SbC OvERSIzED COMPONENTS USED TO ENFORCE DESIgN CONCEPT AND bRINg REFINED QUALITY TO USER’S CONTROL POINTS. FORMED DOwN TUbE wITh ChANgINg TUbINg PROFILE ENAbLES vERTICAL STRENgTh AT hEAD TUbE AND LATERAL STIFFNESS AT bb AREA FOR IMPROvED RIDE QUALITIES. ShIMANO 30 SPEED ShIFTINg

MERCURY 3

Sb ExCLUSIvELY ENgINEERED DUAL SUSPENSION TEChNOLOgY ROCk ShOx 100MM TRAvEL FORkS wITh REMOTE PUShLOC LEvERS gIvE RIDER EASY ON TRAIL ADjUSTMENTS. 15MM QR AxLE (ExCL MERCURY 3) FOx REAR ShOCkS EQUIPPED wITh LEvER LOCk OUT FOR UPhILL EFFORTS OR SPRINTS. ShIMANO CLIPLESS PEDALS whEELSETS ChOSEN FOR RUggED xC/TRAIL USAgE.

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