For years, the Nel family has been coming to the High Hantam Karoo area whenever they needed an escape – being drawn back to the expansive bushveld over and over. In April 2021, Johan & Ronelle Nel decided to make things more permanent – thus beginning the construction of the two guesthouses for which the Handvol Gruis to Hantamland mountain-biking trail.

Handvol Gruis is tucked away in the low-lying valley, but with a tranquil poplar forest and several large farm dams nearby. You need to navigate approximately 15km of gravel road to get to the farmhouse, but once there, it feels as if you’ve finally escaped the rat race. The arid plains make for easy riding on a mountain bike, with at least 14km of gravel roads and jeep-track to explore. Most of the riding is flat, but there will be sand drifts here and there, so be sharp. Hantam, the second guest cottage, stands instead on a high-lying plateau, surrounded by scree-studded cliffs reaching right up to the very underbelly of the clouds. On any given day, the aroma of the succulent-Karoo vegetation will make you stop in your tracks. 

Saddle up from your back door and pedal in a generally northerly direction to the largest of the farm’s earthen dams. The shale dongas below the dam outlet makes for a technical MTB play park of epic proportions, with gravelly drop-offs, chutes, gullies and jumps to keep you busy for hours. There’s no specific route, but the whole plain makes for the perfect outdoor playground. The real deal awaits when you tackle the gravel pass onto the escarpment. The ascent from the plains makes for a solid 4km climb onto the verdant Karoo mesa, with endless roads, tracks and game paths to explore on your bike. This is exceptional trail running terrain, too, but you need to stick to the tracks, as the tufty sour grass veld makes for tough conditions underfoot. Explore the hiking trail onto the western cliffs for unparalleled sunset views, or meander down to the high-lying water pans to the south of the access road.

All in all, you’ve got a 30-40km route to explore if you combine the valley and the escarpment. None of the trails are currently marked, but watch this space …

For more detail and some fast facts, check out our blogpost on Handvol Gruis here.

You cab also access a Northern Cape Trails guide specifically for Hantamland here.