Cradle of Humankind MTB Trail (Closest City/Town: Krugersdorp)
DISTANCE » 27 km
0 - 5 RATING »
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GRADING »
EASY MODERATE DIFFICULT EXTREME
[ OVERVIEW ]
<="" b=""> Facilities and attractions in the area include the Sterkfontein Caves, Wonder Cave, the Lion and Rhino Nature Reserve, hot air ballooning, numerous country lodges and restaurants, artists’ studios, wedding and conference facilities, horse trails, game drives and walks.
Security The route is shared with motor vehicles. Where there is public access, always ride in a group. For safe parking, arrange to leave your car at ‘The Shed’, Conservatours HQ on (011) 957 0241 or Logwood Ranch in Nooitgedacht, the Sterkfontein Caves Complex, Aloe Ridge Hotel, Rainbow Trout Farm or Crocodile Ramble HQ at Drift Boulevard, Muldersdrift. Dial (011) 957 3745 or check out the website for an excellent map of the area.
Rated by: Susanna Mills
Getting there:
The World Heritage Site is situated around Kromdraai Road, which is accessible from Hendrik Potgieter Road from the west or the R512 from the east. Travel west along the M47 Hendrik Potgieter Road. Go straight over the N14 freeway, travel 5km and look out for the Kromdraai turn-off on the right.
Minutes from the ‘domestic bliss’ of cluster complexes lining Hendrik Potgieter Road, nestling in a peaceful rural valley, lies ‘The Cradle of Humankind’, a list World Heritage Site. Straddling two provinces from Sterkfontein Caves to Pilanesberg, this is the world’s richest hominid site, a resource of global importance and the heritage of every person on this planet. The whole area is underlain by dolomite which started out as coral reefs in a warm shallow sea some 2.3 billion years ago. The dolomite has given rise to an abundance of water as well as caves and sinkholes into which the remains of long-ago plants, animals and hominids were washed and fossilized over millennia. The Sterkfontein Caves are probably the best known of the 12 sites. At present, only the Sterkfontein Caves and the Wonder Cave are open to the public. Cycling has not been given much, if any, consideration as a means of experiencing this area but millions have been spent on upgrading roads to accommodate more motor vehicles.
On your bike
From Beyers Naudé Drive (M5), take the Kromdraai Road. Cross the Crocodile River and follow this road until you reach a T-junction. Turn right, crossing the Blaauwbank Spruit. Turn right and ride past the Rhino Reserve for 13km of gentle cruising, with panoramic views over the Crocodile River valley, until you reach the Muldersdrift/Lindley junction. Turn right and cross the Crocodile River again, continuing straight along this road (which is actually the extension of Beyers Naudé) until you reach the Kromdraai turn-off.
Off your bike
For a unique upmarket dining experience, book at The Cradle restaurant on (011) 659 1622. Apart from hot-air ballooning, game-viewing, trout fishing, paleontological tours and more, a star attraction of the Conservancy is the Wonder Cave. The cave is estimated to be 2.2 million years old with dripstone formations as impressive as those of the better-known Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape. Unlike the well-traversed Cango, the Wonder Cave is in pristine condition as it was only opened to the public in 1991. Contact (011) 957 0106/9 for information about the hourly guided tours.
CONTACT
Route Information : James Hlongwa, Tourism and Marketing Manager, Cradle of Humankind
Telephone: (011) 355 1208
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.cradleofhumankind.co.za
[ FAST FACTS ]
GRADING: Easy to intermediate
DURATION:
CONFIGURATION : 27 km circuit
START POINT: Various
TERRAIN: District dirt and tarred roads.
MAP:
MORE INFORMATION:
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Public domain
FACILITIES: Numerous country lodges in area.
BEWARE OF:
