Hillcrest & Kliprug Trails

The Hillcrest and Kliprug mountain bike trails comprise of two concentric loops, the lower green route (7km and 250m climbing) and higher red (7km and 250m climbing).

Do both and you are in for a really fun 14km ride. The trails are well marked and the signs are easy to see and follow. The green route was designed by Meurant Botha and is a preferred choice for Western Province XC races.

The trail is testing rather than technical and includes some atmospheric climbs up and thrilling descents(one is called 'Elastoplast Valley') down through the shady and cool trees in the kloof. If you're feeling confident, try the see-saw fence crossing! Newbies can expect to hone their switchback and balancing skills here, whilst the more experienced riders can try the red route, which tests one's climbing abilities up to 400m, before descending the 'Porcupine's Plunge' series of 8 switchbacks down the face of the mountain. If you don't do the descent, you can continue 300m up and over into the top of the Contermanskloof Trail.

An addition in mid-2010 was the Kliprug Trail, a 7km extension of the Hillcrest trail over a neighbouring farm, designed as an alternative access to the Contermanskloof trail. Access is from the top of the Hillcrest green route (well marked) along a ridge before dropping down into a beautiful and remote valley, home to some great wildlife and birds. Take time to sniff the wild garlic and relish in the solitude as you traverse the contours of this rough and ready characterful trail that is shared with cows from time to time. They use the route markers as scratch posts, so don't expect to always find them upright, and they leave plenty of souvenirs on the singletrack for you to bunny hop over! A fast run along the (mostly cow-built) twisty singletrack on the valley floor will have you wooping with glee, brings you to a picturesque dam surrounded by blue gums. Here you can turn right over the dam wall into Contermanskloof, or left, and start the 1.5km technical climb up and out of the valley back to Hillcrest.