Jonkershoek advice needed please

[Newbie321]

Hi
 

Looking to ride Jonkershoek Wednesday, a nice long epic ride hopefully. Looking at Trailforks, riding up Iris and taking the contour paths to never ending story and then connecting to Firehut. Is this a do-able/enjoyable ride in terms of trails or do you guys recommend something different? 

Edited December 25, 2023 by Newbie321

[Robbie Stewart]

That is well doable. Take a right when you exit Irish 5 and then stay on the contour to the end. At the end by the T-junction either head up and keep left before you get to Red Phoenix and head up to the top where Neverending story (NS) starts - rough hike a bike section included. Or take a right at the T-junction to the contour road below and then take an immediate left again. At the 4-way keep left again and go up to the next, lower, less fun starting point for NS. Less rough, more jeep track and forest road. 

Firehut is on the other side of the valley. Don't start late in summer. That valley starts baking in the sun not long after the first rays break over the mountains. 

Enjoy!

Edited December 25, 2023 by Robbie Stewart
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[Robbie Stewart]

Also, depending what skill level you're at, you can consider climbing Irish to the top where you drop into Armageddon 6 (8 and 7 are very techy, not really worth the extra climbing in my opinion) and then ride Armageddon 6,5,4 and then exit before 3. Go left and climb to Red Phoenix 3 and drop in, or there is also DH which is as the name suggests a DH line, but it isn't only rideable on a DH sled. I've done it many times on a 120mm trail bike without problems. This option is more gnarly sure but you're guaranteed a smile that will only start fading sometime in October 2024.

[Mohs]

4 hours ago, Newbie321 said:

Hi
 

Looking to ride Jonkershoek Wednesday, a nice long epic ride hopefully. Looking at Trailforks, riding up Iris and taking the contour paths to never ending story and then connecting to Firehut. Is this a do-able/enjoyable ride in terms of trails or do you guys recommend something different? 

Hi as Robbie says below, but when you exit NS and then cross the River look out for Bosluis climb, that will take you to firehut/Quarry... Should be able to find it on Trailforks. 

I wil almost suggest starting with Firehut and then go up Irish etc...due to summer heat Firehut gets plenty sun from 5am 🔥

[Newbie321]

Thanks for the suggestions, can we use any of the contour paths? Thinking about starting with Bosluis then, firehut as per the suggestion, then never ending story and using the maze of contours to ride red phoenix. These are all blue trails according to trail forks so I should manage fiine, just a bit afraid of black trails seeing as I've not ridden one before (Drop off, jumps etc I'm still learning). 

[MORNE]

42 minutes ago, Newbie321 said:

Thanks for the suggestions, can we use any of the contour paths? Thinking about starting with Bosluis then, firehut as per the suggestion, then never ending story and using the maze of contours to ride red phoenix. These are all blue trails according to trail forks so I should manage fiine, just a bit afraid of black trails seeing as I've not ridden one before (Drop off, jumps etc I'm still learning). 

The contours dont make a 100% sense when there as with some of them you basically need a 4x4 to go up due to erosion etc. Don't expect to be able to ride all of them necessarily.

As mentioned already, the ones intersecting Irish, parallel to the mountain are generally fine. Thats where most people go up on that side. I guess a lot of the other fire roads too depending on what you define as ridable. We had crazy weather this year so some of those roads have looked better, even though they do a great job maintaining them.
 

Then, even though red phoenix will be your last stop if I read correctly, it will most likely be the most difficult compared to the other blue trails. Especially Red Phoenix 3-2. Id say red phoenix is at the upper limit of what is considered a blue trail locally. Totally doable by anyone if you go at your own pace…but not smooth, clean flowey singletrack like the other blues there. Cobra at hoogekraal is a so called ‘black’ trail but Red Phoenix is arguably more of a challenge.  

It has some rocks and can get fast. No drops and things if you go at a steady pace though. (Everything is a drop or jump if you go fast enough?😅)

But please don't let that discourage you, it’s a great trail and one almost everyone does when going to jonkers. Great fun and challenges all skill levels. 

Edited December 26, 2023 by MORNE

[NickGM]

I agree with all of @Robbie Stewarts suggestions with the exception of red Phoenix. My preference would be to take irish up to the start of armageddon 6, then just ride it all the way down. I think the trails at the bottom become flying fox/corkscrew/Zululand? I forget the names, but for me they were more fun than red Phoenix - which is fantastic when it's been maintained but when I rode it 3 weeks back it was a rutted corrugated waste of a climb. But ya, if I had a morning to spend at jonkers I'd take bosluis up and firehut 2 & 3 down. Then irish up and armageddon & flying fox/corkscrew/zululand down. That said, I've not ridden neverending in years. I found it to be a bit more tame than all the others but still lots of fun. Worth mentioning that all of armageddon - zululand is "rollable", no unavoidable technical sections, but I definitely had to dab a foot down more than once in some of the rocky bits higher up, which I found quite gnarly in places.