L.T.G Posted July 31, 2016 Share some mates and I are going down to Howick for a weekend later this year for a bit of R&R&R ((mental)rest and (mental)relaxation and Riding).Karkloof has been on our bucket list for quite some time, so that'll be our primary riding destination, but can those in know give me a couple suggestions of other routes we can ride.We'll get to ride on the Friday once there, all of of Saturday (probably at Karkloof itself) then a short ride on Sunday to sweat out the beer from a visit to the Nottingham Road Brewery the previous evening,before heading back in the morning.As far as accommodation's concerned, I've looked at Old Halliwell Inn and Rockwood Lodges so far.. both seem nice. fanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted July 31, 2016 Share Other options include Howick MTB Trails.. which people often seem to think is the same place as Karkloof. The Howick Trails have existed for over 30 years, making them one of the (if not the) oldest trail networks in SA. There is over 100km of trail in the Howick area and the trails host the Howick Classic, The Howick Enduro and parts of the Mandela MTB Marathon annually. The Howick Trails and the Karkloof Trails border on each other (and actually share some sections of marked routes) but in reality are 2 separate trail networks with very different riding. Please note that a day licence for Karkloof does NOT include the Howick Trails (and visa versa) and so if you planning on riding both sides than you need a day pass for both areas. Please also note the following that is applicable to riding in the Howick area : - It is fire season so if the fire index is red then the trails are closed- The trails are marked but we are currently remaking with IMBA signage so please use common sense and logic when riding unfamiliar trails- No helmet, no ride- No shuttling or vehicles are allowed in the forests/on the trails- Please do not create sneak lines. Sneak lines create erosion and destroy the trails. If you cant ride the trail get off and portage- Sappi Indemnity and MTB day licence are both compulsory. Please carry your proof of payment with and be able to produce it if requested. We are having a constant battle with rouge riders so dont expect any leniency. I didnt know or I forgot dont carry any weight- Timber harvesting is ongoing so please respect all closed trails. Irrespective of if the trails are closed or not, all roads and trails are to be treated as active as timber hauling takes place in the whole area- Day licences are available at The Fainting Goat (Greendale centre : Honesty Box), Howick Cycles (Cash or SnapScan) and Pyga (Yard 41 : Honesty box or SnapScan) GPS Files of the trails are available at http://howickmountainbiking.co.za/index.php/gpx-maps or send me a PM for more details https://www.facebook.com/howickmtb/ Edited July 31, 2016 by Griffin L.T.G, JPD, Tatt and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni Posted July 31, 2016 Share We stayed at a guest house called shafton grange - don't know if they're still around. Big house with a few rooms - all self catering with a nice big stoep to sit and unwind, with a drink after a ride with their dogs at your feet, listening to the birds fly in to roost for the night. Cool thing is they about 200-300 m from the Karkloof country club to hop on your bike and ride to the trails and back without having to load up your car. L.T.G 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanAW Posted July 31, 2016 Share Hi Griffin. Some friends and I are heading down to Howick this weekend. Are both the Howick and Karkloof Trails closed? What would you recommend as the best trail options for a couple days of riding? We are staying at Cedarwood guest house outside Howick. LTG, I'll give you some feedback after the weekend Edited July 31, 2016 by RyanAW L.T.G 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2016 Share I have a friend who is manager at a new self catering accommodation site on the Karkloof road. Situated between Howick and Karkloof. It is cycle friendly and they have a day pass book available for howick trails. He knows most of the trails and can give you some leads. 11 Karkloof Rd. phone Quentin 082 254 2155 www.11karkloof.co.za Edited July 31, 2016 by chainsaw Griffin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2016 Share Hi Griffin. Some friends and I are heading down to Howick this weekend. Are both the Howick and Karkloof Trails closed? What would you recommend as the best trail options for a couple days of riding? We are staying at Cedarwood guest house outside Howick. LTG, I'll give you some feedback after the weekendHowick and Karkloof are all open. The falls side of Karkloof is still closed due to logging but the trails network has been adjusted to make up routes on the non-falls side. Howick is all open. check iride africa for Howick routes. Or find a friendly local to show you the best of the best. You will not be dissapointed. Check Griffins post. Griffin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted July 31, 2016 Share Hi Griffin. Some friends and I are heading down to Howick this weekend. Are both the Howick and Karkloof Trails closed? What would you recommend as the best trail options for a couple days of riding? We are staying at Cedarwood guest house outside Howick. LTG, I'll give you some feedback after the weekend Hey RyanAW Neither Howick Trails nor Karkloof Trails are fully closed.. just sections of them are closed as timber harvesting takes place. In these cases the trail entrances are closed off with bunting and signboard erected to indicate trail closure. As mentioned its still best to treat all roads and trails as active and with caution though as the timber trucks use various entrance and exit points. This is even more important if you unfamiliar with the area At this stage all Howicks Trails are open (although some are not recommended for riding until they have been cleared from recent harvesting e.g Andrews Amble) but I think some of Karkloof's are still closed. Its best to check with Karkloof direct as to what is closed at the moment. There is so much riding and singletrack on both Howick and Karkloof sides that you wont battle to spend a day out there Its even more fun to mix and match the 2 areas together.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2016 Share My favourite is to start in Howick, ride all single track to Karkloof to the club for coffee. Then do Karkloof trails back to Howick. You can do about 50/60 Km of pure single track without touching a road or doing a track twice. The options are limitless. L.T.G and Griffin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanAW Posted July 31, 2016 Share Thanks guys. Sounds like I'm in for a good time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L.T.G Posted August 1, 2016 Share Other options include Howick MTB Trails.. Thanks do much for all the useful info!!Where would be the place be to start the Howick trails? and is a loop that'll bring you back to that start point? Edited August 2, 2016 by L.T.G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2016 Share Most start at Greendale shopping centre.ample parking and coffee shop for end of ride. It is the spar centre on the right as you come into howick. Alternative is karkloof farmers market (not to be confused with karkloof club)But there's no coffee shop. If you staying at 11karkloof I would ride from there. It's next to "middle road" which is a main point of entry to most howick trails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NelAndre Posted August 2, 2016 Share The Howick Trails are awesome and you can keep yourself busy for more than just a weekend. Love it so much we recently became members of The Howick MTB Club. Going down for this weekend (fuel permitting) and cannot wait to get on the Trails again. We stay in Kwavula so we enter the Trails up 6 Beer Hill.... Question: Can I do the Karkloof Trails as a Howick member or do I need a separate pass? Griffin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2016 Share You can ride karkloof, St. Ives and howick routes with a howick licence. Make sure you have it with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2016 Share Note: As Griffin stated earlier. A day pass will only cover a rider for the route where he got the day pass. So if for example, you pay for a day pass at Karkloof you are limited to Karloof trails. If you have an annual membership from Howick or Karkloof club you can use all the tails around Howick/Karkloof. Griffin and NelAndre 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NelAndre Posted August 2, 2016 Share You can ride karkloof, St. Ives and howick routes with a howick licence. Make sure you have it with you.Awesome thanks Chainsaw....will definitely have the board on. See you guys on the Trails... Griffin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeubok Posted August 2, 2016 Share Don't forget about Hilton (only a few km from Howick). Has some really nice trails there too, and on the other side of the highway (the Grace College side). Lots of berms and cool things built there recently Stretch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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