MTB / Bike tour route Ballito to Midlands / Winterton - any ideas?

[TYGA]

Hey All,

 

We're toying with the idea of touring by MTB from the King Shaka airport via the Midlands Meander ending up at SSWC 2012 in Winterton in September this year, taking around 4 days to get there depending on the breweries along the way.

 

We'd like to stick to gravel and back road tar if need be. From the air it always looks like a myriad of trails zigzagging all over the show as far as the eye can see....I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or advice on a route for a fun and scenic laid back tour either camping or staying in backpackers etc along the way.

 

Advice would be appreciated,

Cheers.

[The Drongo]

You can ride, using mostly cane track, all the way from King Shaka to Umhlanga.

 

You can ride all the way from Blue Lagoon to Giba Gorge via the old Outsurance / Inanda valley route (safety may be an issue)

 

You can ride all the way to Hilton / PMBg via the Hill 2 Hill route - much of this traverses private land though.

 

You can ride all the way from Hilton to beyond Lions river - some of this traverses private land.

 

You can ride from Winterton to Spioenkop using part of the 3 day B&Bush route - some of this traverses private land.

 

Everything in between - clueless.

 

4 days?? And then some!!

 

Edited February 23, 2012 by The Drongo

[Grebel]

As Drongo pointed out land access may be an issue. The landowners threatened to deny organisers future access for the Hill2hill route because of idiots riding the route prior to the race and afterwards.

 

Inanda would be dicey depending on the size of your group. We had police presence during the Outsurance Expedition and that was a few hundred riders. Mates fish along that river but there is always somebody with a firearm...

[TYGA]

_{Ya that's what I was afraid of, safety definitely springs up as a concern going through densely populated rural areas. The alternative is starting off in Shongweni area or surrounds and taking it from there or any other ideas are welcome!}

[Grebel]

If you stick to District roads and tar back roads you should be OK. Might have to use main roads to link though.

[TYGA]

If you stick to District roads and tar back roads you should be OK. Might have to use main roads to link though.

 

Will have to look into it some more, the idea definitely isn't total bundubashing all the way but to try get a bit of a laid tour with a couple of nice stops happening on the way. May be biting off more than is worth chewing and it's uphill all the way...

[Caerus]

Will have to look into it some more, the idea definitely isn't total bundubashing all the way but to try get a bit of a laid tour with a couple of nice stops happening on the way. May be biting off more than is worth chewing and it's uphill all the way...

 

Go the other way, problem solved. Sounds like it could be a jol though

[Guest]

.... try get a bit of a laid tour...

 

Laid BACK tour! I am not going on any laid tour with you!!!

[Dan Dob]

Phwaor! Quite a hectic trip that... A group of us is planning on flying from CPT to JHB, hiring vans and hoping to get more SS in on the action to split costs. We would head up, do tthe 3/4 days of SSWC and then a few days of singeltrack riding on my old stomping grounds of Howick and karkloof. Keen?

[Grebel]

@XTC1: The logistics could be interesting... A bit of a laid back, no pressure "Freedom Challenge" without the isolation. Going the other way sounds more fun though...Finish with a swim in the ocean!

Edited February 24, 2012 by Grebel

[TYGA]

iRide if your gallavanting was during the week prior to sswc hooking up along the way may be a plan as I have to be in Durban from 17 - 19 of Feb for work so figured I may as well stick around till the fun begins the Thu after that. After sswc I'm going to have to high-tail it home if I want to keep the peace on the domestic front. Was def keen to check out howick karkloof etc