TRAIL INFO
Closest Town: Oudtshoorn
Grading: Easy to Intermediate | Duration: 2 hours
Location (Area/Province): Central & Klein Karoo and Western Cape
Configuration: Various – from 11km
Start Point: Old Cemetery
TRAIL BASICS
Access: Public access
Beware of: Thorns, sun, ghosts
Facilities: None
Cell Reception: Good
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OVERVIEW
This route starts and has the most interesting bits in an old unfenced cemetery.
On your bike
From the starting point the trails head upwards in pretty much every direction, there is glass, building rubble, bergie belongings and cacti on most of the single tracks, or alternatively there is a rocky road that will bring you to the top of the hill without crossing the departed in any way.
At the crest of said hill the golf course is in front and to your right, the prison, front and left with a corridor gravel road between the two that goes onward like a windblown spider web, so you could ride pretty much whatever direction you fancy with some reasonable degree of security as this is all open land with no real hiding places for boogiemen an such and eventually, fences or roads that will lead you back to town.
The direction of choice is to take the corridor past the prison fence, the first left fork and consistently head left and toward the Swartberg until reaching a normal farm fence, then move rightwards staying close to the wire running on your left along the top of a hill with magnificent views of three mountain ranges surrounding Oudtshoorn.
At turnaround which is clearly marked by another fence, there are single tracks on tight technical hardpack clay surfaces that get really interesting after good rains, but even dry – attention should be focused on the thorny bits that will inflict pain on the unwary
The return trip means that the fences are on your right, some distance to the right if you use some of the other available tracks, providing short fast downhill bits that demand attention when being attacked, with the final bit above the “dead centre” the most exciting and again, demanding of attention and respect,
Off the bike
The Cango Caves are worth a visit, in fact they are awesome. The next best is the rock pool cliff jumping at Meiringspoort – and then there are bird brained ostriches all over the place.
CONTACT:
Website: www.oudtshoorncycles.co.za
Telephone: +27 44 279 1062
GPS: 33°35’09.5” South / 22°12’46.4”East
WEATHER FORECAST
