Riemvasmaak Hot Springs MTB Trail

Riemvasmaak is one of South Africa’s most emotionally layered landscapes — a community of Nama and Coloured people who were forcibly removed from this ancestral valley in 1973 during the apartheid era, when the government classified the land as a military buffer zone with Namibia. They received their land back in 1994 in one of South Africa’s first post-apartheid land restitution settlements, and today manage it as a community conservation area that welcomes visitors to a landscape of volcanic rock gorges, natural hot springs, ancient San rock art and desert mountain beauty.

The Setting

The Riemvasmaak valley is formed by the Aurus Mountains — a dramatic ridge of ancient volcanic rock above the Orange River valley. The geological history is written in the landscape: orange, purple and grey volcanic formations, river-carved gorges and the extraordinary hot springs where geothermally heated water emerges from fissures in the rock at temperatures of 60°C, flowing into natural rock pools. Soaking in the hot springs after a morning ride through the valley is one of the finest experiences in the Northern Cape.

The MTB Riding

Trails at Riemvasmaak are informal — jeep tracks and gravel valley roads through the conservation area terrain. The riding is moderate in difficulty on compacted surfaces but demanding in terms of route-finding and the harsh beauty of the landscape. The route to the Bushman’s Cave San rock art site provides additional historical depth to a day’s riding. Mobile signal is absent throughout — one of the great total-disconnect destinations in South Africa.

Getting There

Riemvasmaak is accessed via a gravel road from Kakamas (approximately 80km). GPS: -28.5500, 20.0500. Tel: +27 54 431 1535. High clearance vehicle recommended. Book accommodation before travelling — capacity is limited.

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