If you want to rid yourself of stress, and just explore an amazing remote area of wild coast, then Mkambati is the place. This is a very safe nature reserve full of Eland, zebra, bush buck and wildebeest that have no idea what mountain bikers are.
Distance 43km
Single Track 25%
Jeep Track 60%
Gravel Road 15%
Tar 0%
Un-ridable 0%
Highest Point 135m
Lowest Point 6m
Total Ascent 540m
Fun Factor 9/10
Aerobic Factor 8/10
Short Description Wildcoast exploration at its best! Animals galore!
Technical Difficulty Not technical at all. Great holiday exploration.
Aerobic Difficulty Rolling hills. Not too steep.
Getting There:
Getting to Mkambati is an adventure in its own!
Get yourself on the R61 which is the road linking Port st Johns with Port Edward. Virtually halfway between the two is the bustling little town of Flagstaff. Take the Holy Cross turn-off to the East. This turn-off sits just North of Flagstaff on the R61. Follow all the signboards to Holy Cross Hospital, then when you reach Holy Cross after 23km, continue past it. Then start following all the Mkambati Clinic sign boards for a further 37km. It is quite a drive to get here, but it is well worth it. It is also best to stay for more than just one day to really absorb the peacefullness and remoteness of Mkambati.
Route Description:
If you want to rid yourself of stress, and just explore an amazing remote area of wild coast, then Mkambati is the place. This is a very safe nature reserve full of Eland, zebra, bush buck and wildebeest that have no idea what mountain bikers are. So they tend to be quite curious, rather than run away, which makes for a great mountain bike safari. There are also basically no thorns so bundu bashing after interesting animals with the bike is not a risky business.
The route I have mapped takes you along the reserves marked jeep track and gravel roads up to the Mkambati river waterfall, which is a sight to see. A waterfall just meters from the crashing waves. Here one can just sit for hours in awe of creation! But the route does not stop here! From here you continue on a single track path to the Mtentu river mouth. Stop here for a snack or swim, then return back the way you came. Nothing stops you from exploring animal paths in this park, as you can not really get completely lost before finding one of the marked tracks again.
The route I chose, takes you down to Gwe-Gwe camp, which is one of the accomodation options in the park. Only really safely accessable by 4×4……. or MTB! Then from here follow a singletrack path along the beach accross some rivers before heading back north to the track, and then back to the start.
This nature reserve has some awesome mountain biking potential!
There is 42km worth of the most breathtaking views, and the most wild life I have ever seen on my bike!
Contact Details
- Email: natasha.kleinhans@ecpta.co.za
- Phone: 043-701-9600
- Website: www.easterncapemountainbiking.co.za
