OVERVIEW

Deelfontein lies in the heart of the Vredefort Dome, a unique geological formation caused by the impact of an asteroid roughly 10 kilometres wide about 2 200-million years ago. It is incidentally South Africa’s newest world heritage site. The farm lies on the southern side of the Vaal River, nestled between two of the concentric ridges typical of the dome area. It is here, on 170 hectares of bergland covered with near-pristine bushveld that you will find more than 50 kilometres of mountain-bike trails to explore.

On your bike

The terrain is mountainous bush- and grassveld. The mountain-bike routes include dirt road, farm tracks and at least 19 kilometres of single-track sections on which you can explore the mountain tops. Configured as a network of single-track loops branching off a jeep track backbone, the trails offer many options of distance and grading. There are easy, level and short options for the young, the unfit or those who want to enjoy the magnificent views. For serious training, the highly technical routes take advantage of the more than 200-metre elevation differences and offer serious challenges.

Despite the secluded setting, Deelfontein is only 40 kilometres from the N1 freeway and 140 kilometres from Johannesburg. Riding opportunities are not limited to Deelfontein – the rest of the dome beckons, with more than 100 kilometres of dirt road winding through the mountainous terrain. This is the home of the Crater Cruise MTB race, one of the premium mountain-bike events in South Africa.

Off the bike

Deelfontein offers a variety of exciting outdoor activities:

• Swimming in the heated 15 m pool
• Hiking on a variety of shorter and longer day hikes or on the five-day Meteorite hiking trail
• Mountain biking on more than 50 km of trail, ranging from easy to extreme.
• Stargazing in the equipped observatory
• Birdwatching in a variety of habitats

GPS: 26°56́́́′37,80″ South /  27°16′16,48″ East

Deelfontein Mountain Biking & Hiking in the Vredefort Dome on Trailforks.com