Bikepacking / Bike Touring

[NC_lurker]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. 👍

I've gone out & back up Seweweekspoort a couple of times and it's only when you turn and bomb down that you realise how much of a climb up it actually is... beautiful scenery & highly recommend it to all! 

 

Edited April 14 by NC_lurker
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[capediver]

Day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...."stuck" at Boplaas...the Gamka in flood...spent 5 lovely rest days exploring the top of the valley...eventually made it out on Saturday by wading across the Causeway...then the massive climb out of the Hell, down Swartberg Pass, refuel at Kobus se Gat and back along the back road through Kruisrivier to Calitzdorp...including a night camped out inside the stone murasie at kp 15 on the road into Die Hel.

Video out soon!!!!!

So many wonderful people and places out there...never ceases to amaze me!!

Maxed out on adventure now for a bit...so need a short break before planning the next one!!!!

 

 

[Zebra]

Respect, proper respect! A R-E-A-L adventure, and some very cool pics - well done on making the effort to take some of these harder-to-take pics, - us desk jockeys (speaking for myself, here!) love every pic!

CHris

[Mamil]

6 hours ago, capediver said:

Day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...."stuck" at Boplaas...the Gamka in flood...spent 5 lovely rest days exploring the top of the valley...eventually made it out on Saturday by wading across the Causeway...then the massive climb out of the Hell, down Swartberg Pass, refuel at Kobus se Gat and back along the back road through Kruisrivier to Calitzdorp...including a night camped out inside the stone murasie at kp 15 on the road into Die Hel.

Video out soon!!!!!

So many wonderful people and places out there...never ceases to amaze me!!

Maxed out on adventure now for a bit...so need a short break before planning the next one!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I grow up I want to be like @capediver

[Shebeen]

16 hours ago, capediver said:

Day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...."stuck" at Boplaas...the Gamka in flood...spent 5 lovely rest days exploring the top of the valley...eventually made it out on Saturday by wading across the Causeway...then the massive climb out of the Hell, down Swartberg Pass, refuel at Kobus se Gat and back along the back road through Kruisrivier to Calitzdorp...including a night camped out inside the stone murasie at kp 15 on the road into Die Hel.

Video out soon!!!!!

So many wonderful people and places out there...never ceases to amaze me!!

Maxed out on adventure now for a bit...so need a short break before planning the next one!!!!

 

 

Oh hell! How close did you come to going up die leer rather?!

[milky4130]

12 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Oh hell! How close did you come to going up die leer rather?!

Took capediver 2,5 hours to get down, I doubt going up ever crossed his mind 😝

[capediver]

12 hours ago, milky4130 said:

Took capediver 2,5 hours to get down, I doubt going up ever crossed his mind 😝

Man...2 days of mentally preparing for the climb if the river didn't subside...I did set a deadline for that route to return but luckily it was safe enough to cross before the deadline came round...honestly I don't think it would have been an issue, guys on the Freedom Challenge do it every year...it just would have taken longer with the leap frogging of bike then bags...but sure glad it didn't come down to that...always forward...only ever look back to see where you've come from.!!

[Shebeen]

On 4/21/2026 at 11:26 AM, capediver said:

Man...2 days of mentally preparing for the climb if the river didn't subside...I did set a deadline for that route to return but luckily it was safe enough to cross before the deadline came round...honestly I don't think it would have been an issue, guys on the Freedom Challenge do it every year...it just would have taken longer with the leap frogging of bike then bags...but sure glad it didn't come down to that...always forward...only ever look back to see where you've come from.!!

I can just imagine the mental jeopardy!

 

I've done it during FC. It wasn't really that bad and that was after riding from PA. Fresh start would be maklik!

[capediver]

Helluva Loop...Day 1:

Calitzdorp to Op-Die-Plaas....59k's....2 passes... Huis River(tar) and Seweweekspoort...... a slow climb up to the Klein Karoo!

From Gasteria Grange in Calitzdorp, it's straight into the climbing...up the Huis River Pass...the day started out with some light drizzle, just enough to get the new Columbia Titanium Whistler Peak shell out for a test run...very happy, warm and dry, not sweaty, waterproof but still breathable with good underarm venting...a good investment...

Huis River Pass is a relatively easy climb with some short runs at 7-8%...(I got a new gear ratio with 11-50 in the back!!) on good tar with a wide shoulder but was fairly busy even on a Sunday morning...the pass also gives a hint of what is to come at Seweweekspoort...folded layers of sandstone..

The pass crosses the Gamka River, which looked like it was flowing but I had no idea of the impact that flow would have on my trip at the time!

A lot has been written about Seweweekspoort...and I had driven it before, gobsmacked at the scenery....nevertheless, it still has a dramatic effect when you enter...from South or North...there is no slow climb lead up to the entrances...its suddenly there! Like a gateway...and breathtaking...when you are going slow, you realise the forces that must have been at play to fold and warp the layers of sandstone....and a river runs through it...I think you cross it 23 times!...lost count, all dry crossings...and the gravel road is in really good condition....

The climb up Seweweekspoort is almost imperceptible...2 -3% with no real dramatic legburners...so by the time you get to the other side, you can feel the 17-odd kms working on your calves.

Op-Die-Plaas is about 7k's from the North exit to Seweweekspoort along the road to Laingsberg, you can't miss it...run by Fritz and Jolen Hunlun, it also plays host to the Freedom Challenge....that 2000k mad ride across South Africa.... as a checkpoint and rest for cyclists carrying their bikes and gear up Die Leer!...more on this later! A fantastic place with options for nice grassed camping at the dam, glamping in one of their tents or the dining option! 2 single beds inside the dining hall! Massive fire place, place to cook and make coffee, and a great pool to chill in! More that any self-supported bikepacker could ask for...they will even supply food if you book in advance!

So...a long day, a slow climb and a great way to start the Helluva Loop Tour!

 

 

[capediver]

Day 2: The Big One! Taking on the Ladder!

Leaving the overnight at Op-Die-Plaas, bound for Fonteinplaas in Die Hell....tracking back to the Northern entrance to Seweweekspoort, the gravel road leads to the most western end of the Gamkaskloof Valley and to the infamous Die Leer.....

Let's not forget that just getting to the staging point above the valley at the top of Die Leer is no mean feat...the neat gravel road turns into a serious 4 x 4 track when you turn off the access road! A huge climb...read: push...to the top at Signal Hill where you'll get the last of comms with the outside world until the local cottages and their wifi in the valley....this is where I started getting notices and messages about the state of the Gamkas River which bisects the valley North to South...rain in the catchment area a few days earlier had prompted the Gamkas River Dam operators North of the valley to open valves and sluice gates to release water from the dam...110% I was told! Farmers downstream were pulling their pumps!  And there was more coming.....It was a gamble as contacts inside the valley did not know the full extent of the river level at the main causeway across the river in Die Hel at that point...knowing I could make it across the stream at the foot of Die Leer, I decided to chance it...after only one day, turning back did not sit well! So down I went!

What an experience...very steep in sections with tight, steep, rocky switchbacks and some places squeezing past prickly thorn bushes and huge swathes of spekboom, the views down to the bottom were spectacular...the descent gets steeper closer to the bottom with lots of loose baby-head boulders ready to send you off the trail! My hands got braking cramps trying to control a fully loaded bike, reminiscent of long downhill runs in Morzine and Le Gets!

Eventually, after 2hrs 45mins, I made it down intact without having to offload any gear and across the stream and into the bowl before entering the Gamkaskloof Valley proper...a helluva climb up....again read: push!!! ...onto the Kleinberg saddle....then that view East down Die Hell...what a sight!

A fast descent  from the saddle found me at Boplaas Cottages and was immediately informed by the resident manager...Gamkaskloof River causeway is flooded...maybe 2m! And for at least a week!!!! No way round or out except back up!!!!

The prospect of a climb back up the ladder was just too daunting so I decided to wait it out...maybe a few days then it'll be cool! ???

So checked into Oom Hannes' cottage and laid out my supplies to see how long I could last...comfortably 4 days...I'll be out tomorrow, no issues!...HA!

Lekka!

 

[capediver]

This is Day 3: Arriving in the top of the Gamkaskloof Valley...The Hell...Die Hell...I heard that the Gamka River crossing the valley was in flood and the causeway across the river to exit the far end of the valley was impassable...it was late, I retired in the very comfortable and tastefully restored Oom Hannes cottage...surely just a short delay...no problem...4 days food...no issues... Until I took a cycle of about 4km down to the causeway....NOPE! The water was not exactly storming over but deep enough and strong enough to prevent any safe crossing by any means! So back to the cottage to dwell on the situation! I had enough food for 4 days, the cottage and surrounds were EPIC!!!! the weather was great...and a last resort was a climb back out via the Ladder...an option I did not seriously consider right then! Balked at the thought actually! So nothing to do but sit tight and make the most of this magnificent part of the world....

not really Hell now is it!!???

[NC_lurker]

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

What shoes are you riding in? Did you take takkies for the climb down die Leer?

Might just be me, but you might want to reduce the overlay music volume. I find myself turning the volume up to hear you talk but then having to turn it down when there's music.

Solving the farm gate lock puzzles, always entertaining 😆

[capediver]

7 hours ago, NC_lurker said:

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

What shoes are you riding in? Did you take takkies for the climb down die Leer?

Might just be me, but you might want to reduce the overlay music volume. I find myself turning the volume up to hear you talk but then having to turn it down when there's music.

Solving the farm gate lock puzzles, always entertaining 😆

I was a big Rapha Explore fan but figuring the rocks at the Ladder...instead of taking 2 pairs, I changed pedals to flats and shoes to the Crank Brothers Stamp Street Fabio Flats....never looked back, they were brilliant! Have a neoprene cuff and liner, breathable, light, stiff enough on the pedals and perfect for scrambling over rocky terrain...and don't mind getting wet....combo'd with Merino wool socks, pedaling wet was no issue and they dried fairly easy! I do have a pair of 5-10 flats but suspect they would have not been that cool to ride when wet! And although stiffer, I know they take forever to dry out!

RE the audio, I did battle a bit on this one as the new Insta360 MicAir gave me some issues and only after someone else had seen the video posted, did they make same comment, so I'll be doing QC on the next few!!! But thanks for the comment, all kinds are welcome!

 

When I booked I got a few gate details but only about the one...there are 4 to get to Fonteinplaas...each with their own bit of head scratching!...(actually 6 but one just has no adjoining fences and another has been destroyed and laying down for a permanent rest on the side of the road!)

[capediver]

Day 4, 5 and 6: BoPlaas rest and recover!

Each day I took a trip down to the river causeway to check levels and although it was dropping, it was not safe to cross, water levels got up to chest high before even reaching the main flow...the river had split upstream so instead of just the main stream restricted to the outside of the bend at the Fonteinplaas side, it had split further upstream into the reeds forming an island and a second, fast stream closer to BoPlaas...this second stream over the causeway was the issue as even at about 1m deep, it was strong enough to take your feet out from under you....Nothing to do but wait....I had surplus Dunkin Donuts grind to last a few more days...the AeroPress worked overtime!!! Actually I found some books and read the entire Da Vinci Code! Impressed myself..been years since I sat down and read a book! My wife nearly fainted when I told her...had to send proof!

And explored a bit of the Boplaas section..beautiful place, immaculate cottages and steeped in history, you can almost feel the presence of the previous inhabitants of the valley in the restored cottage I was in....had some great chats with the 3 guys also stuck there, they maintain the properties up that side and do an amazing job...acres of grass to cut and gardens to attend to...the flooded causeway is always a concern locally as it keeps visitors away and many bookings are lost.

I did make contact with a chap at the Gamka Dam...Fox.... and we kept each other updated on the status of the causeway as he has a network of downstream users that he relays dam and river condition information to in the event of such a flood!

Everyday I checked my marks and there was a slow drop, getting more as the days passed and it was clear by the end of the 5th day in the valley, that Day 6 was going to be it! I was getting pressed for time and had already rigged up a jury harness for the bike and was busy bribing Abraham from Boplaas to help me climb back up the ladder! To his credit, he agreed without hesitation..he's done it before!!! I'm sure it would have been fine, even on my own, just would have taken much longer given my gear and leapfrogging bike then bags to the top!

Below does not belong to a juvenile...this is a large fully grown adult...Leopard...followed my path maybe few hours after I had been in the area!😳