The Mountains are Calling …
Tired of city traffic and pretentious trails? Then go load up on some mountain biking stoke in Grootvadersbosch Conservancy. Miles of head space, free-range people, home-grown food and the trails are truly on the level, bru …
Story and Photographs ~ Jacques Marais
Explore Here …
A few kilometres away from Swellendam – the third oldest magisterial district in South Africa and often referred to as ‘The Republic’ – you will find a little mission village by the name of Suurbraak. Time seems to have stood still in this tiny dorp, where traditional farming methods are de riguer and coal stoves are still used for baking boerekos treats.
Most households here own a cow, horse, donkey or goat, and chances are you’ll encounter animals languidly lazing along the main street. Suurbraak’s remote setting is one of many charms, and it is no wonder world-class artists like Donovan Julius (find him on Facebook) have made their homes here at the foot of the Langeberg ranges.
However, it is the wild spaces that awaits you beyond the village edge where you will find true adventure, and there’s bucket loads of it. This corner where the Hessequa and Overberg Regions meet boasts a pristine paradise, brimming with rare botanical species, endemic birds and – best of all – some of SA’s top MTB Trails.
Rural farmland unfolds along the fynbos foothills and into the rugged adjacent peaks, with the mountain range delineating the watershed between the Overberg and adjacent Karoo. The relic forest in the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is like something out of Jurassic Park, and it is a perfect place to let your inner adventure loose.
But here’s the rub … if you want to ride your bike, heading to the CapeNature Reserve is a wasted exercise. Over the past decade, management have put zero effort or thought into improving or maintaining the mountain bike trail, which is a great pity, as it traverses via scenery of jaw-dropping proportions.
So, saddle up, say goodbye to the friendly locals, and crank for the hills, buddy, because you’re about to crank onto some superb singletrack. The outstanding Grootvadersbosch Conservancy – a rural project lauded by the environmental community as one of the Western Cape’s top conservation successes – awaits, adjacent to the CapeNature Reserve.
The Table Mountain Fund (www.thetablemountainfund.org.za) joined forces with a group of local landowners forming the Conservancy and this in effect kick-started the trailscaping process driven by Aileen Anderson. Work started on the extensive trail network in 2014, and these routes have since been extended to include hikers and trail runners.
This means the whole of the outdoor tribe will have easy access to the natural beauty and diversity of this exceptional nature escape. In addition, Grootvadersbosch Conservancy employs scores of locals to help clear aliens and re-establish indigenous vegetation, with a vision to eventually link trails all the way from Heidelberg to Swellendam.
For more information, click on www.gvbconservancy.co.za