OVERVIEW

Thabela Thabeng is situated centrally within the Domeland World Heritage Site, and mountain bikers have long visited this remote mountain retreat in search of amazing cranking options here within the Vredefort Dome mountains and on the banks of the Vaal River.

On your bike

All the hiking trails are also suitable for mountain biking, except Bobbejaankrans. The trails can be combined into a 24km route. Thabela Thabeng means ‘be happy in the mountains’, so penetrate deep into the mountains by going up the kloof at Thabela Thabeng, where the National MTB Championship downhill of 1997 was held. Catch your breath and admire the view.

Then, what took you an hour to push and pedal up flashes past in a radical downhill as you barrel over rocks, concrete strips, hairpin bends and rutted jeep tracks. In minutes the downhill spits you out over the Venterskroon road. The gradient eases off as you thread your way across the Vaal River floodplains, passing through verdant riverine forest down to the river which forms the glittering centerpiece of the Dome Conservancy.

Day passes are available for R150 – no prior booking necessary! So, saddle up, get on your bike and get to Thabela Thabeng!

Off the bike

Thabela Thabeng is the ideal venue for an active holiday, offering rafting, paddling, abseiling, river boat cruising, fly-fishing, hiking, game-viewing and birding.

GPS: S 26°51’38” / E 27°17’14”