The Route – Cederberg Edition

Stage 0 – Registration

Registration takes place on Thursday 6 February in Clanwilliam, from 15:00 till 19:30. There is secure parking arrange where you can leave your vehicle at registration, as this is also where the ride will finish on Sunday 9 February. Once registered, there will be a shuttle bus taking you into the Biedouw Valley, where dinner and a ride briefing awaits you

Overnight – Biedouw Vallei Wegbreek

Stage 1 – Biedouw Vallei to Heuningvlei

53 Km – 1730m Elevation

Don’t let the distance fool you, today’s ride starts with a punchy gravel climb out of the valley towards the plateau before a steep and hairy descent into Wuppertal. From Wuppertal it’s all jeep and single track as you take a scenic loop through rooibos farms before cutting back through Wuppertal, crossing the river and then tackling the final climb for the day up towards the Heuningvlei Plateau.

Overnight – Heuningvlie Backpackers

Stage 2 – Heuningvlie – Biedouw Vallei

61 Km – 1420m Elevation

Stage two sees you heading out of Heuningvlei along goat paths as you crisscross dry streams and wind your way along a single track between the sandstone formations, before commencing a descent back towards Wupperthal, then veering off to the east just before the village, back onto s single track climb descent through epic Cederberg wilderness, before a much-needed refreshment station back in Wupperthal, before you tackle the steepest climb of the weekend, getting back out of Wupperthal and dropping into the Biedouw Valley again, for some well-deserved rest back in camp.

Overnight – Biedouw Vallei Wegbreek

Stage 3 – Wupperthal – Clanwilliam

99km – 1240m Elevation

When a 99km finale is considered the easiest stage of the weekend, you know the past two days were tough and you deserve a bit of a break, so we nicknamed this stage active recovery. With very little technical riding, this stage is all about enjoying the majestic views, and really experiencing the scale of the Cederberg mountains up close. This morning starts off in the centre of Wupperthal, and kicks off with a steep climb out of the valley along the Eselbank Pass, with the first refreshment station waiting a the top of the pass, where you can go and have a look at the waterfall, before continuing along the undulating plateau where you should be able to keep up a relatively high pace towards the Maatjiesriver Junction. A few kilometres after the junction you will turn off the main route to go and visit a rock art site, before the final flat section passing by South Africa’s highest vineyards at Cederberg Wines. From here it’s all downhill as you continuously descend over the last 30km, through some of the most awe-inspiring scenery anywhere in the Western Cape. Passing the final refreshment station and checkpoint at Algeria, before finally finishing off back in Clanwilliam, where a hot shower and lunch await.

The Route – Overberg Edition

Stage 1 – Stillbaai – Witsand

After an early breakfast, you will depart around 07:00 from for a long, but mostly easy ride out of Stillbaai, with a couple of kilometres of single track across the farms, before joining the district road taking you though vermaaklikhied, followed by a few punchy climbs, and then an easy cruise into Witsand/Port Beaufort. A lunch buffet will be ready on arrival. Late afternoon there will be a sunset boat cruise on the Breede River (Drinks for own account). Returning to the Hotel for Dinner.

Overnight: Witsand/Port Beaufort

Stage 2 – Witsand – Arniston

Today is a really special stage, as you criss cross through local farms and the De Hoop national park, with the last 15km across private property that is exclusively open for this event, skirting around wetlands boasting incredible birlife, as well as loads of plains game to be seen as you make your way from Witsand to Arniston. Another highlight of the day is a ferry crossing of the Breede River.

Overnight: Arniston

Stage 3 – Arniston – Elim

Breakfast served on the verandah overlooking the sea between, before departing
towards Cape Aghulus, the Southern Most tip of Africa, and the meeting point of the Indian and
Atlantic Oceans where we will make a quick coffee stop, before tackling some very rewarding single track through the Aghulus National Park, before ending the day off with a well deserved swim and lunch at Black Oystercatcher Wines – including a wine tasting.

Overnight – Elim

Stage 4 – Elim – Stanford

Breakfast served on the Verandah overlooking the wine farms, before kicking off the
last days riding, and boy, do we have some surprises for you today. The ride starts by riding through a private wildlife ranch, before stopping for coffee in quaint town of Baardskeerdersbos, and then along gravel roads winding through dairy farms and canola fields, before finishing off with single track originally build for the iconic ABSA Cape Epic MTB race (known as the Tour de France of Mountain biking) taking you to our final stop in Stanford. After freshening up, and enjoying a delicious lunch, you can either take a shuttle back to Stillbaai if you left your car there at the start, or you can make use of the complimentary shuttle service via Hermanus to Cape Town

Overnight – Stanford (Optional)

The Route

Stage 1 – Somerset West – Stellenbosch

54km – 1850m

Stage one is not to be taken lightly, but is just oh so worth it, winding its way through the incredible Helderberg trails with epic views over false bay, and Table Mountain in the distance before the compulsory portage takes you over the spine of the Hottentots Holland range, and drops you into the Mecca of Mountainbiking that is Jonkershoek. Snaking your way along what can only be called epic tracks, finally reaching the finish line at the Jonkershoek gate, where a light lunch awaits, before a short transfer to your overnight accommodation at Val de Vine.

Overnight: Val de Vine – Stellenbosch

Stage 2 – Stellenbosch – Stellenbosch

69km – 1530m

Stage two is a loop, so no need to pack up your room this morning. Starting at the hotel, you will take on an loop that is over 80% singletrack, enjoying some of the absolutely world class trail network that the Stellenbosch area is known for. The loop will take you through the Eden forests, then across Coetzenburg up along Helshoogte onto the Banhoek trails, and then returning via Idas Valley, back across town, and finishing right where you started, at Val de Vine, for some much deserved rest and relaxation.

Overnight: Val de Vine – Stellenbosch

Stage 3 – Greyton – Hermanus

85km – 893m

Stage three might be the longest stage overall, but it is far less technically challenging than the previous two, which means you will have more time to enjoy the absolutely fantastic views. A 60 minute shuttle after breakfast will get you to the start of todays stage, in the picturesque village of Greyton. From there a mixture of gravel roads, jeep track and some superb hand built singletrack will take you via the Klein River valley, into Stanford where a ferry will escort you across the lagoon, before tackling the last section of the stage into Hermanus, and a well deserved rest and a post ride celebration overlooking Walker Bay.

Overnight: Misty Waves Hotel, Hermanus