Petrus-se-Brand Cycle Route -Diepwalle to Harkerville
The Persus-se-Brand mountain bike trail is a great ride through the Knysna forest with exhilarating downhills, streams to refill your water and great scenery. It is a one-way trail and can be done from either the Diepwalle Forest Station or Garden of Eden on the N2 between Knysna & Plettenberg Bay. Diepwalle Forest station is the highest point on the route which means more downhills and thus better suited to the beginner mountain biker, the route markers are also more visible from this side. Starting from Diepwalle, go down the access road to the forests station back to the R339 (Knysna – Uniondale road), follow this road towards Knysna to a point were the trail forks off to the left pasta gate, +-2.8km from the start. For about a kilometer the trails follows the contoured bed of the old narrow-gauge forest railway that use to run here till you reach a T-junction and turn left. From here it is a +-2.5km downhill till you reach the Petrus-se-brand river (a small stream). From here starts an easy uphill to were one momentarily leaves the forest momentarily at a place called ‘Kleineiland’. From here another decent into the Kleineiland river valley and then across a low-water bridge over the Kleineiland river, the lowest point on the route. Upstream from this bridge there ae some good swimming holes for a refreshing dip. From here starts quite a steep climb, rising 190m in 4km. At +-17.6km the trail T-in with the Fisantehoek road (public road), turn right here. You can follow this road all the way to the N2 between Knysna and Garden of Eden (turn left to Garden of Eden). Alternatively, +-1.2km after reaching the T-junction, there forks a path off tho the left, this about 3.4km of mostly single track and is the most exhilarating part of the course. This also comes out on the N2 between Knysna and Garden of Eden(turn left to Garden of Eden).
- Route: Beautiful views. Ride through pristine indigenous forest, small sections of fynbos and plantations. Low water bridge crossings.
- Trail Type: Jeep tracks, single track and logging roads.
- Surface: Smooth to rough gravel. Dirt tracks. Muddy after rains. Tree roots across track.
- Technical: : Feathered braking, gear shifting on the fly while descending, moderate to steep inclines and declines. Bumpy surfaces. Negotiate moderate obstacles.
- Exertion:Moderate (high when wet).
- Distance: 22.4 km
- Route Duration: Approximately 2 – 3 hours
- Difficulty: 7/10
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Diepwalle to Harkerville Petrus-se-Brand Cycle Route Map:
