Riding the Drakensberg Contour Path (Vid)

[DanKoty]

An adventure that started as an experimental ride on the contour path from Champagne Castle to Cathedral Peak ended up being way more than we bargained for.

 

http://omhb.co.za/video/41

 

Any of you guys found good spots for riding ON the berg ?

[beanz]

Nice one - I like your sense of adventure. When did you do this? Judging by the greenness and state of the vegetation it looks like summer.

I go for a berg hike most years with some mates the last weekend of september. In 2 weeks time we're doing much of your route, last year we did Mnweni.

I'm definitely going to be assessing the rideability while I'm at it. As for Mnweni, there were sections that looked fantastic for riding. It's tribal land, so lower down there are a lot of cattle grazing and forming tracks. There's nothing like cows to create fantastic natural berms and trail features. So you can ride a lot of it and it's amazing. Also at Mweni you don't need special permission with the parks board etc. I contacted the visitors center and they told me it was cool to ride anywhere.

I've wondered how many of the Drakensberg passes are rideable (down only - they're all too steep to ride up). We went up Rockeries and down Mweni. Mweni is way to steep and exposed to ride at all, some of the other passes may well be rideable most if not all the way. Especially the ones the drug smugglers like to use!

How epic would it be to descend from Lesotho down the drakensberg on a mountain bike?

[Stretch]

I am glad this is not achievable really because bikes have way more impact on the tracks than hikers do...and well...I would like to see the berg remain like that

[Kranswurm]

I am glad this is not achievable really because bikes have way more impact on the tracks than hikers do...and well...I would like to see the berg remain like that

 

Agreed

I know those paths well and they are not for bikes.I would be severely peed off if I come around a corner to find a lot of bikes stuffing up the trail

[beanz]

I am glad this is not achievable really because bikes have way more impact on the tracks than hikers do...and well...I would like to see the berg remain like that

 

It's not like bikers would have that much impact on on the trails. There is no other way to get there but to pedal up or carry bike up (apart from mikes pass at cathedral peak), so very few people would get there anyway. There just aren't that many users of any form.Most of the paths, including the main contour path have become quite overgrown as seen in the video. They could do with any usage (of an unmotorised form). I did a 8 day solo hike in the berg a few years ago, and for 5 of them saw nobody. Over Xmas / new year as well.

Many of the best bike trails in the Alps are hiking trails. Why can't the d-berg be a multi use environment too and developed as a destination for the enjoyment of mountain bikers.

For some reason hiking as a pastime isn't that popular anymore. Maybe modern life, maybe many former hiking types do mounting biking instead. E.g. you used to have to go into a lottery to get onto the Otter trail, now you can just book it. The Drakensberg should be looking to reinvent itself as a mountain biking destination (in a properly managed way of course) rather than be left to become the domain of cattle thieves and dope smugglers as it is now.

[nigelhicks]

RAD - nice one guys! ...

 

hahahaha been there tried that too - Tried to do Bushmans nek to Drak Gardens with my ballie when I was 14 ... Also took like 5 hours compared to the 2 it should have taken ....

 

So much portaging its insane ... but the experience is WELL worth it!

 

Next time maybe scout the trail on foot first though .. hahaha

[Stretch]

It's not like bikers would have that much impact on on the trails. There is no other way to get there but to pedal up or carry bike up (apart from mikes pass at cathedral peak), so very few people would get there anyway. There just aren't that many users of any form.Most of the paths, including the main contour path have become quite overgrown as seen in the video. They could do with any usage (of an unmotorised form). I did a 8 day solo hike in the berg a few years ago, and for 5 of them saw nobody. Over Xmas / new year as well.

Many of the best bike trails in the Alps are hiking trails. Why can't the d-berg be a multi use environment too and developed as a destination for the enjoyment of mountain bikers.

For some reason hiking as a pastime isn't that popular anymore. Maybe modern life, maybe many former hiking types do mounting biking instead. E.g. you used to have to go into a lottery to get onto the Otter trail, now you can just book it. The Drakensberg should be looking to reinvent itself as a mountain biking destination (in a properly managed way of course) rather than be left to become the domain of cattle thieves and dope smugglers as it is now.

 

mostly concerned about the delicate flaura and fauna being destroyed as a result of braking and getting wild on the downhills..and possible degradation of the trails. This will only happen on the downhill section of course

 

That said. you are right, I have considered riding the berg on many occasions and it is just not doable. the paths are too extreme to be able to do it effectively without a whole heap of hiking...as these guys found it...therefore the impact is and will remain negligible.

 

All that said the hikers that litter are doing way more damage...

Edited September 12, 2014 by Stretch

[Kranswurm]

Bikes coming down Phillips Folly a couple of times would destroy those switchbacks and the erosion would be catastrophic

[DanKoty]

100% Agreed in terms of the preservation of the fauna&flaura - obviously it would never be our intention to cause damage. However I do think some sort of balance could be struck i.t.o curating a few routes in/over the berg that would be rideable and hopefully environmentally sustainable.

 

I'm quite a novice when it comes to hiking in the berg, but we did a Mnweni/Rockeries route a year or two ago - I wouldn't have thought that much of it was rideable outside of the lower berg - portaging a bike up Mnweni would be a tough task!

[beanz]

Bikes coming down Phillips Folly a couple of times would destroy those switchbacks and the erosion would be catastrophic

 

I'm not disagreeing with you, I just wonder how much impact a few bikes would have compared to the usual traffic of dope laden donkeys. Anyone riding the berg would have to take some care. But yes this section would be the hardest hit.

[Stretch]

100% Agreed in terms of the preservation of the fauna&flaura - obviously it would never be our intention to cause damage. However I do think some sort of balance could be struck i.t.o curating a few routes in/over the berg that would be rideable and hopefully environmentally sustainable.

 

I'm quite a novice when it comes to hiking in the berg, but we did a Mnweni/Rockeries route a year or two ago - I wouldn't have thought that much of it was rideable outside of the lower berg - portaging a bike up Mnweni would be a tough task!

 

wasnt intended at you guys...just a general observation that those less caring for the berg might do a lot of damage...just as we are seeing uninformed hikers destroying it through litter

 

on a side note..I went to go see the bushmans paintings at giants about a year ago....at the site there was littler all over the place despite a black bag specifically for it. I watched an educated guy flick a lit cigarette into the bush and asked him about the consequences..he just looked at me blankly and shrugged!

 

so I would had to see a person like that ripping it in the berg on a bike

Edited September 12, 2014 by Stretch

[Kranswurm]

What you have done is get me thinking of another trip into the berg in summer.My favourite weekend is a dash up Didema Gorge.Sleep in Schoongezicht Cave if the river has not moved too close,and then waterproof everything and kloof down the river back to the juction.

[beanz]

Yeah, love the berg! I'm stoked to be there in two weeks time. Didima gorge to Zulu cave and back on the contour path.

Edited September 12, 2014 by beanz

[Kranswurm]

Yeah, love the berg! I'm stoked to be there in two weeks time. Didima gorge to Zulu cave and back on the contour path.

 

Another good 3 day trip is to do Didima,turn left up Eastman's Ridge,Monks Cowl and down.

Does mean doing a car drop tho

[Kranswurm]

[DanKoty]

That kloofing sounds like a proper adventure Kranswurm.