Bonniedale Farm MTB Route (Closest city/town: Mossel Bay)

Western Cape - Garden Route

Bonniedale Farm

CLOSEST TOWN > Mossel Bay

TRAIL DESTINATION > Attaquaskloof Ox-wagon Trail

DISTANCE > Various

GRADING > Difficult to extreme

OVERVIEW

Get ready for a breathtaking ride along a route now rated by many MTBers as SA’s toughest one-day mountain-bike ride, boasting an insane 2 350m altitude gain over 126km.

A choice of two routes both starting at Bonniedale Farm, the 35km takes you along farm roads and the 120km circular with steep slopes, brutish climbs and some extreme downhill challenges along a combination of jeep-track and purpose-made singletrack trails.

Elevation 364m

This is a difficult one to rate as the area is magnificent but the altitude profiles are extreme with loose badly damaged steep bits that make short portages unavoidable.

The historical interest quotient is high as a result of ox wagon and elephant tracks dating back as far as 1689.

On your bike

Crank off from the farmhouse, and get ready for some immediate hike-a-bike action as you judder through the river bed and hit the jagged climb to the east.

Traverse this stunning fynbos plateau before climbing steeply into the contorted peaks beyond, but
this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Many a grinding ascent and dangerous descent await on this arduous crank to Chandelier Game Farm near Oudtshoorn.

Off the bike

Bird-watching, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, rock art, or 4x4 trails to rock climbing and abseiling.

Bonniedale is a 1,650 ha fynbos farm situated in the Attaquaskloof within the Outeniqua Mountains between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. the farm is surrounded by the Attaquaskloof Nature Reserve, home to a range of antelope (kudu, rhebuck, bushbuck, klipspringer), as well as hyena, lynx, baboon, porcupine and other small mammals. Bonniedale Farm encompasses more than 16 square kilometres, offering outdoor activities ranging from bird-watching, hiking and horse-riding to rock-climbing and abseiling, swimming in rock pools, Khoisan rock art and 4x4 trails. There is also a large dam with paddle ski's and a 130m flying fox foefie slide

Other nearby attractions include the Cango Caves, various game parks and reserves, crocodile, leopard and ostrich farms, an ox wagon museum, whale-watching, Great White Shark-diving, deep-sea angling and bungee jumping.

CONTACT:

Contact details: Nico and Danette Hesterman

Telephone: 044 695 3175

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.bonniedale.com

GPS: 33°52’23.8”S 21°51’35.0”E

Weather: {weather Mossel Bay, South Africa}

FAST FACTS

GRADING:

Difficult to Extreme

DURATION:

Anything from 1–9 hours

CONFIGURATION :

One-way, plus other options

START POINT:

Bonniedale Farm

TERRAIN:

Gnarly and extremely steep jeep track; some singletrack

MAP:

Maps available from Bonniedale Farm

MORE INFORMATION:

Permission is required to ride
some sections; chat to Danette at Bonniedale to
arrange access

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Once-off fee per cyclist
per stay

FACILITIES:

Farmhouse accommodation, chalets, camping sites, permanent tents with beds, a lapa & kitchen tent and equipped caravans. Conference Hall ablutions. No cell phone reception.

BEWARE OF:

Brutish climbs and extreme downhills

HOW TO GET THERE

Turn left off the R328 at Haelkraal, approximately 25km from Mossel Bay.
Continue for 8km to a gate on your right with a Bonniedale sign. Turn in and travel another 18km.

BEST TIME OF YEAR

Summer riding for the insane only.