Patryskloof MTB Routes

OVERVIEW

Not really a hard core route, but nice enough for a quickie if you have an hour or so to spare. It is an out and there option, just on 15km, mostly along gravel and jeep track, and not very steep despite the location on the steep slopes of Du Toitskloof. The surface is rough in places, and watch out for stacks of devil thorns (best would be to use linings and slime).

A second route option is a fast and undulating gravel road out on the Nonna De Wet secondary road out towards Robertson and past the Nuy Cellar. Both routes starts and end at the Patryskloof Guest Cottage.

On your bike

Patryskloof Farm Track
From the Patryskloof Guest Cottage, turn right onto the Overhex tar road and then right again 200m later through a red gate and towards the mountain. After 1.3km, take the right at the Y-junction and pedal through a small vineyard and up towards the kloof. After 900m, you get to a faint jeep track, which you follow for 1.1km to the end of the trail right up against the kloof edge (3.3km).

Head right back to the Y-junction (5.4km) and this time follow the route to your right. There’s a bit of a climb into the next valley and a steep drop down along loose pebbles to an old hut (6.9km). Keep to the right along the jeep track and follow it for 1.5km until it forks to the right through a stony river. Another 600m will take you to a beauty of a swimming hole on your left until the track peters out at a camping spot above the stream (9.4km).

It’s a fast blast back down, and all you have to do to get back to the farm cottage is backtrack along the same route. The route is just on 15km in total and should take anything from an hour to 90min to complete.

Klip Lapa Route
From Patryskloof, turn left along the secondary road to Robertson which turns to dirt after 200m or so. It’s fast downhill stuff for 2.2km, then the surface change to tarmac again until you hit the turn-off left past Nuy cellar (4.5km) on the Toontjiesrivier road. You will reach the glorious Toontjiesrivier gabled homestead 5km later, with the ride mostly uphill to get here. Mostly downhill awaits you once you’ve climbed beyond this well-known guesthouse, and you can hammer it until you reach the Klip Lapa turn-off left (14.3km). The road narrows and gets a bit rougher, and you need to follow the sign to Klip Lapa left after 400m. Another 1.2km will take you to Klip Lapa (15.9km) itself, a self-catering resort with stone and wooden chalets built around a big swimming pool.

Keep going along the gravel road for 800m to where the road forks at an old motor car. If you go right, you will get to a farm house 500m later. (A farm road continues further up the valley for another few kays, but you would need permission from the farmer to follow this). I also explored left from the old Morris along a rough track for 1.4km before turning around, but am not sure whether this is a private road or not.

Bang back along the route the way you came, and check out all the dual-track and 4×4 tracks disappearing into the hills on either side of the secondary road. There’s a lot more good stuff out there, and all you need is to get permission form the landowners in the area.

Off the bike

Lots of hiking and other activities in the Worcester area, with the Brandvlei Dam a popular spot for water sport. Good (and cheap!) wineries, including Nuy Cellars just down the road.

CONTACT:

Route Contact Details: Liezl Moller (Landowner)

Telephone: 023 341 2667 / 083 715 2355

Website: www.wheretostay.co.za/patryskloof

Telephone: +27 23 341 2667

GPS: 33°37’45.8”S  19°36’30.8”E