gravel

  • |

    Loeriesfontein Windmill Trail

    ByMtbApp

    Loeriesfontein occupies a unique place in the Northern Cape landscape — the self-declared capital of Bushmanland, set in a flat Hantam basin surrounded by low mountains and sandy plains, 65km north of Calvinia on the R357. The town is known locally for one extraordinary attraction: the Fred Turner Windpump Museum, a free open-air collection of 27 working windpumps from South Africa, the United States, Canada, England and Australia that was assembled in the school playground at the request of Dr James Walton — a Cape Town-based engineer and windmill obsessive who put out a national appeal for windpump collections. Loeriesfontein was the only respondent. The result is one of the most unusual and genuinely delightful museums in South Africa: the Atlas Ace, the Conquest, the Australian Southern Cross, the English Hercules, the American Aeromotor, the Canadian North, the Star Zephyr — all creaking and spinning in the Bushmanland wind that never seems to stop.

    The Cycling

    The 45km Loeriesfontein Plains Loop follows farm gravel roads through the flat semi-arid terrain surrounding the town — a quiet, meditative ride through typical Bushmanland landscape where the working windmills on every farm horizon are the primary visual reference. Every 15-20km, a windmill marks a water trough — historically the only reliable water source for stock and human travellers across the Bushmanland plains, and still functioning today as it did when the first Trek Farmers crossed this country.

    The Gannabos Quiver Tree Forest (20km return, southeast toward Nieuwoudtville) adds one of the most visually spectacular elements of Namaqualand landscape to the day: a dense grove of wild quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma) that is among the largest in southern Africa, with specimens reaching 8 metres in height and their distinctive bottle-shaped forms casting long afternoon shadows across the rocky koppie terrain.

    Getting There

    Loeriesfontein is on the R357 between Calvinia and the Kamiesberg, 65km north of Calvinia. GPS: -30.9333, 19.4333. From Cape Town: N7 north to Vanrhynsdorp, R27 east to Nieuwoudtville, R357 north to Loeriesfontein (460km total). No fuel station — fill up in Calvinia before arriving.

  • |

    Bitterfontein Gravel Grind

    ByMtbApp

    Bitterfontein is one of South Africa’s smallest towns by any measure — a handful of buildings on the N7 between Garies and Kamieskroon, with a general dealer, a church and a school. Its name (Bitter Spring) refers to the brackish water that disappointed the first Trekker farmers who arrived here. For gravel cyclists, it is precisely the unremarkable nature of Bitterfontein that makes it interesting: the flat Namaqualand coastal plain surrounding the town is among the least-travelled cycling terrain in the country, with 60km of farm roads and the N7 corridor linking it to the wildflower destinations on either side.

    The Riding

    The 60km loop to Garies and back follows the N7 south to Garies (35km of quiet two-lane tar road through typical Namaqualand flat coastal scrub) and returns on farm roads to the west of the highway — a relaxed half-day ride through the wildflower corridor. In a good rainfall year the farmland between Bitterfontein and Garies produces wildflower displays that rival anything north of Kamieskroon, with considerably fewer visitors. The route westward toward the Namaqua National Park’s coastal section at the Groen River (30km) reaches an undeveloped stretch of Namaqualand coast within the park boundary — rugged, empty and accessible with a SANParks day permit.

    Getting There

    Bitterfontein is on the N7, 520km from Cape Town. GPS: -31.0167, 18.2500. No fuel available in Bitterfontein itself — fill up in Garies (35km south) or Kamieskroon (35km north). From Cape Town: N7 north through Citrusdal and Vanrhynsdorp.

  • |

    Britstown Karoo Gravel Loop

    ByMtbApp

    Britstown is one of the most genuinely peaceful small towns in the Northern Cape — a quiet dorp on the Ongers River in the flat centre of the Upper Karoo, 60km from the nearest N1 junction at Three Sisters and surrounded by sheep farming country that has barely changed in character since the Anglo-Boer War. The Britstown Caravan Park on the Ongers River is one of the best-value and most pleasantly situated overnight options in the Upper Karoo — the mature camelthorn trees along the river bank provide shade, birdsong and the contrast of green riparian vegetation against the surrounding beige Karoo plains that gives the park a genuine tranquillity.

    The Ongers River Valley Loop (25km) follows gravel roads along the river valley floor — camelthorn woodland provides shade and birding, and the river itself flows seasonally (mostly winter and spring), with the African fish eagle present when water fills the pools. The broader Plains Circuit (50km) extends onto the open Upper Karoo farmland east and west of town — flat, fast and completely quiet, with the characteristic Karoo dolerite koppies visible on the horizon in every direction providing just enough visual interest to anchor an otherwise infinite flat landscape.

    Getting There

    Britstown is on the R389, 60km south of Three Sisters on the N1. GPS: -30.5833, 23.5000. From Cape Town: N1 east to Three Sisters (700km), then R389 south 60km to Britstown.

  • |

    Namaqualand Diamond Coast Bikepacking Route

    ByMtbApp

    The Namaqualand Diamond Coast Bikepacking Route is the definitive multi-day cycling experience in the Northern Cape — a 400km loop that connects all the defining landscapes of the region: the N7 wildflower corridor, the Namaqualand copper mountain passes, the diamond coast ghost towns, the Cape fur seal colony, the Atlantic shipwreck coast and the remarkable frontier hospitality of Scott’s Seaside Inn at Port Nolloth. It can be ridden in either direction; the north-to-south clockwise version is described here as the preferred August-September wildflower season itinerary.

    The Route Day by Day

    Day 1 — Garies to Kamieskroon (50km): North on N7 through the Anenous Pass approach — wildflowers on the farmland in season — to Kamieskroon. Overnight at the legendary Kamieskroon Hotel.

    Day 2 — Kamieskroon to Namaqua NP and Springbok (90km): West to Namaqua NP Skilpad (peak wildflower day in season), then north through Namaqualand copper country to Springbok. Overnight in Springbok — resupply, rest, and an evening at a Springbok restaurant.

    Day 3 — Springbok to Port Nolloth via Spektakel Pass (90km): North on N7 to Steinkopf, west on R382 over Spektakel Pass descending to the Atlantic coast at Port Nolloth. Overnight at Scott’s Seaside Inn — the most atmospheric overnight on the route.

    Day 4 — Port Nolloth to Kleinsee (72km): South on coastal roads to Kleinsee — the diamond ghost town. Boulder Heritage Circuit, seal colony, Pink Salt Lake. Overnight in Kleinsee.

    Day 5 — Kleinsee to Hondeklip Bay (35km + optional 37km shipwreck route): South to Hondeklip Bay via coastal road. Overnight at Honnehokke Resort — crayfish if in season.

    Day 6 — Hondeklip Bay to Springbok via Messelpad Pass (104km): The hardest day — 104km on gravel, climbing the Messelpad and Wildeperdehoek passes back to Springbok through the copper mountain heartland.

    Self-Sufficiency Note

    Carry minimum 5 litres of water at all times on this route. Mobile signal is absent in many sections. Download the full GPX track and carry a paper backup map. A comprehensive repair kit is essential — the nearest bike shops are in Springbok and Cape Town.

    Getting There

    Start: Springbok, 570km from Cape Town on the N7. GPS: -29.6641, 17.8866. Tel: +27 27 712 8035. Springbok is serviced by Intercape and SA Roadlink buses from Cape Town and Johannesburg.

  • |

    |Ai-|Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Gravel Loop

    ByMtbApp

    The |Ai-|Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is the most extreme cycling environment in South Africa — a UNESCO World Heritage Site desert mountain wilderness where the Orange River has carved a series of epic gorges through a landscape of ancient Namaqua metamorphic rock, and where the flora represents a botanical spectacle found nowhere else on earth. The Richtersveld’s half-mens (Pachypodium namaquanum — a succulent tree that faces north like a person searching the horizon), quiver tree forests, kokerboom colonies and endemic succulent species make it simultaneously one of the harshest and most botanically rich environments in Africa.

    Cycling in the Richtersveld

    All cycling in the Richtersveld is on 4×4 tracks and gravel roads — there are no purpose-built MTB trails. The terrain requires technical competence and, above all, total self-sufficiency: the park has no fuel, no mobile signal in most areas and no services between the rest camps. The SANParks rest camps (Sendelingsdrift, Die Koei, Potjiespram, Tatasberg) provide self-catering accommodation and water — route all night stops at rest camps and plan water carefully. The 50km interior loop from Sendelingsdrift accesses the Hellskloof and Tatasberg areas through the park’s most dramatic geology.

    The |Ai-|Ais Connection

    The Sendelingsdrift pontoon ferry crosses the Orange River to the Namibian side of the park — the |Ai-|Ais Hot Springs Resort, where natural hot springs in the Fish River canyon system provide an extraordinary recovery experience after a day of Richtersveld riding. The full transfrontier loop combining South African and Namibian riding is a multi-day expedition for experienced bikepacking riders only.

    Getting There

    Sendelingsdrift Gate is accessed via Alexander Bay (80km north) on the R382. GPS: -28.3000, 17.1667. Tel: +27 27 831 1506. The approach road requires a 4×4 vehicle. Book accommodation months ahead for peak season (August-September).

  • |

    Loxton Village Gravel Loop

    ByMtbApp

    Loxton is the secret jewel of the Upper Karoo — a perfectly preserved Victorian farming village 60km east of Victoria West where the grid of whitewashed 1890s cottages around the Dutch Reformed Church has changed so little in 130 years that the sense of temporal displacement on arrival is complete. There are no chain stores, no traffic lights, no advertising billboards. The main street is unpaved. The village dam on the eastern edge of town provides a swimming hole for summer heat relief that has served this function for a century. The blesbok and springbok graze the commonage on the village outskirts as they presumably always have.

    For cyclists, Loxton provides the archetypal quiet Karoo gravel experience: flat farm roads in every direction through Upper Karoo sheep country, the enormous sky above, the absence of other traffic and the village church tower as an anchor point on the horizon for the return. The 20km village circuit is a gentle introduction; the 40km hills extension ventures into the low escarpment country northeast of town where game farms add wildlife sightings and the first hint of topographic relief to the otherwise pan-flat terrain. A cold drink at the Village Café after the ride, with the Loxton village square in the afternoon light, is one of the Northern Cape’s most quietly satisfying small pleasures.

    Getting There

    Loxton is on the R61, 60km east of Victoria West. GPS: -31.4667, 22.3667. From Cape Town: N1 east to Three Sisters, R29 north through Loxton direction (700km total).

  • |

    Hanover Karoo Gravel Loop

    ByMtbApp

    Hanover is a quiet Upper Karoo dorp on the R389 between Richmond and Britstown — a characteristic Karoo town of Victorian church, wide dusty streets, corrugated iron roofs and the enormous sky overhead that defines the Karoo experience. The town sits at approximately 1,300m altitude on the flat Upper Karoo dolerite plains — the same geological surface that extends continuously from here to Victoria West, Britstown, Colesberg and beyond, only interrupted by the occasional weathered koppie or river drainage line.

    The 50km Hanover Plains Loop follows gravel farm roads east and north of town through sheep and game farm country — a classic flat Karoo gravel ride with excellent bird sightings (the Upper Karoo is one of the best areas in South Africa for the national bird, the blue crane, which grazes in large groups on the Karoo vleis). The R389 south to Richmond (55km) is a worthwhile extension: Richmond is South Africa’s mohair capital — a larger Karoo town with several excellent guesthouses, a good restaurant and a small fossil museum with Karoo vertebrate fossil specimens from the surrounding farms. The combination of Hanover riding and a Richmond overnight creates a satisfying Upper Karoo cycling day.

    Getting There

    Hanover is on the R389 between Richmond and Britstown. GPS: -31.0667, 24.4500. From Cape Town: N1 east to Three Sisters, N9 north through Hanover direction. From Colesberg: N10 south toward Hanover (120km).

  • |

    Hopetown First Diamond Gravel Route

    ByMtbApp

    In 1866, on a farm near the Orange River at Hopetown, a 15-year-old boy named Erasmus Jacobs picked up a pretty stone that he used to play skip-rock on the river. His neighbour Schalk van Niekerk recognised it as unusual and sent it to Grahamstown for testing. The stone was identified as a 21.25-carat diamond — the Eureka Diamond, South Africa’s first. Within two years, news of the discovery had reached Europe; within four, Kimberley had been founded; within ten, the entire trajectory of South African history had been altered irreversibly. All of it began on a gravel bank beside the Orange River at Hopetown.

    The Route

    The 45km Hopetown Orange River Loop follows the gravel farm roads beside the Orange River and across the flat alluvial diamond plains surrounding the town — the same geology that produced the Eureka Diamond and the subsequent rush of prospectors who swarmed the riverbanks looking for diamonds in the gravel. The Hopetown Museum documents this history with a small but well-curated collection that includes the discovery story, the subsequent commercial rush and the social upheaval that followed. The museum is worth an hour before the ride — riding the historical landscape with context transforms the experience entirely.

    The flat alluvial terrain makes the riding technically accessible for all fitness levels — the challenge is distance and heat rather than climbing. The Orange River provides visual punctuation on the valley sections.

    Getting There

    Hopetown is on the N12 between De Aar and Kimberley. GPS: -29.6167, 24.0667. From Kimberley: N12 south 120km. From De Aar: N12 south 50km. From Cape Town: N1 to Three Sisters, N9 to Hanover, then east to De Aar and south on N12.

  • |

    Aggeneys Desert Mine Gravel Ride

    ByMtbApp

    Aggeneys exists because of the Black Mountain Mine — a world-class base metals deposit discovered in the 1970s containing zinc, lead, copper and silver in extraordinary concentrations. The mine and its associated company town were developed in the early 1980s in one of the most remote inhabited areas of South Africa, surrounded by flat Bushmanland desert with no other settlements for 50km in any direction. The town has the characteristic self-contained quality of a mining company settlement — functional, well-maintained and entirely focused on the operation of the mine.

    For cyclists, Aggeneys is primarily significant as a staging point — midway on the Pofadder-to-Pella bikepacking route across the Bushmanland interior, and on the main desert route between Springbok and the Bushmanland towns to the east. The 40km desert loop around the town on gravel farm roads and the R358 corridor provides a day of straightforward but scenically distinctive riding through the quartz-strewn Bushmanland plains, with the mine infrastructure providing an unusual industrial backdrop to what is otherwise completely empty desert.

    Getting There

    Aggeneys is on the R358 between Springbok direction and Pofadder. GPS: -29.2833, 18.8500. From Springbok: N14 east to Aggeneys junction, then south on R358. Confirm fuel availability before extending beyond Aggeneys toward Pofadder.

  • |

    Kakamas Vineyard Ride

    ByMtbApp

    Kakamas is the last town before the Augrabies Falls National Park on the N14 — a small Green Kalahari service town built on the Orange River irrigation scheme that transformed this desert stretch of the river into productive vineyard and date palm agricultural land in the late 1800s. The irrigation channels that radiate from the Orange River create a network of quiet farm roads that are ideal for flat, accessible gravel riding through some of the most unusual agricultural landscapes in South Africa.

    The Ride

    The 25km Kakamas loop follows irrigation channel roads through vineyards, date groves and orchards along the riverbank — flat, low-traffic riding in a landscape that oscillates between lush cultivated green and the ochre-red Kalahari desert. The Griqua cultural history of the area adds a layer of historical significance — Kakamas was established in 1898 as a labour settlement for destitute Griqua people under the Dutch Reformed Church, and many of the original settlement buildings remain. A northern extension toward the Griqua heritage landscape provides longer gravel riding on desert farm roads for riders wanting more distance.

    Getting There

    Kakamas is on the N14, 20km east of Augrabies Falls and 90km west of Upington. GPS: -28.7739, 20.6281. Kakamas Tourism: +27 54 431 0838.