Van Gaalens Mountain biking and running trails

[rouxtjie]

+ concrete strips & blixem

 

I just betjorts myself

[Mountain Bru]

Lekker tye!

 

Rouxtjie you wouldn't maybe have a gpx file or a strava route of the big boy pant route you speak of?

[rouxtjie]

Lekker tye!

 

Rouxtjie you wouldn't maybe have a gpx file or a strava route of the big boy pant route you speak of?

 

Let me go check...it might be a mix and match of said routes.Will pm them to you

[rouxtjie]

@Mountainbru....sent you some links. The last one we did as one of our prep rides for j2c...enjoy

[Mountain Bru]

Sweet. Thanks man

[typhoon]

Lekker tye!

 

Rouxtjie you wouldn't maybe have a gpx file or a strava route of the big boy pant route you speak of?

 

http://app.strava.com/activities/132577232

 

That's most of the route, concrete, dagga pad, pomphuis, oom piets, greek church.

Jou Bliksem is a little extra loop after the church downhill, turn left instead of right.

 

http://app.strava.com/activities/139491807

This is a little different, we had to turn back to go fix broken valve...

but just before you get to the top of the church, there is a little metal ramp thingy to the left, which takes you up and around the top of the church and you join up with jou bliksem, missing it's nasty uphill, lose rocky descent.

This one also includes Savanah Hills, which is a little loop between oom piets and church.

 

The district road that you go down after the river crossing (after dagga pad), when you get the the shop at the bottom, turn around and head back up for some extra miles/climbing.... it definitely is steeper than it looks (R400 Climb on Strava)

 

 

Something else that you might like, which some people do.

After the river crossing, you get to the T-Junction where you usually turn right and head down that district road, if you turn left, carry on until you get to the tar road, directly across the road is B'Sorah, its about a 12-20km loop in there, with a R20-25 entry (you just leave the moola in a box last time i was there).

Include that loop and then come out, carry on down the district road and continue with the usual VG route.

B'Sorah ride - http://app.strava.com/activities/85439169/

 

 

Hope it helps.

[Mountain Bru]

@Mountainbru....sent you some links. The last one we did as one of our prep rides for j2c...enjoy

 

Tried to follow your 65km route , but we made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on what I'm guessing is a hiking trail. Was pretty much unrideable.

 

http://www.strava.com/activities/142170583

 

I wouldn't recommend this route unless you're a fan of pushing your bike. Pretty stoked I had my big boy pant on.

[VT2jp]

Does anyone know how much trail (worthwhile trail) is cut out by doing pofadder vs the normal route down the otherside of the mountain then onto the river? Keen to try Pofadder... anyone got a good 60km GPX to share with the best route to take?

[L.T.G]

Does anyone know how much trail (worthwhile trail) is cut out by doing pofadder vs the normal route down the otherside of the mountain then onto the river? Keen to try Pofadder... anyone got a good 60km GPX to share with the best route to take?

 

Pofadder will bring you back down again to the same side as the concrete road.

Not AT the Concrete Road, but the same side of the mountain, near the Wave Rider.

Try revenge if you want a bit more of a challenge instead of DaggaPad.

Farmhouse to Revenge to Tant Miems to Railway to Oom Piets to the Greek Church then back to the Farm.

That should give you the kind of distance you're looking for.

I've posted similar routes on here (Garmin connect) if you're up the trawling through all the posts to find it.

[Weight Weenie]

We're looking to run there Sunday. Trying to plot a route from my old rides there, Strava and the map.

 

We're looking for to link Pofadder with Greek Church. How many k's would that come to? Looks like around 42?

[L.T.G]

We're looking to run there Sunday. Trying to plot a route from my old rides there, Strava and the map.

 

We're looking for to link Pofadder with Greek Church. How many k's would that come to? Looks like around 42?

yip, should be around that total..( fat help this is now though, a million days later, sorry dude)

[Robodog]

I hear from some buddies who did the Swithback series that there are some awesome new technical trails for experienced riders.

[Trelawney]

I've ridden Hakahana a couple times recently, really enjoyed the mix of elevation and technical climbs / descents. Strikes me though that they are not as busy as vG ... what do some of the regulars here think about why that might be ?

[Weight Weenie]

yip, should be around that total..( fat help this is now though, a million days later, sorry dude)

\

 

Thanks actually found a better running venue with more gain, but may still try this for variety's sake.

[Muggins]

I think the fact that Hakahana has only been open for less than a year to the public is part of it.

 

Then i have this theory that south africans tend to find a place they like and then they stick to it and dont like change.

 

When i started mtb i started at Hakahana so i wod go as far as to say that its my favourite trail.

 

I have ridden van Gaalens once and we didnt find it well marked and as a result were not so sure of where we were going.

 

I suspect the way to learn van Gaalens is to either do a race there or ride with people that know it.

 

Back to Hakahana. The basic blue route is alot tougher than the equivalent at alot of other places. Not sure if your weekend riders just prefer time in the saddle as opposed to feeling challenged.

 

I suspect as time goes by it will get busier. To me Hakahana flows nicely the kms click by provided you are fit otherwise it can be a long day in the saddle.

 

I am sure this group ride thing Hakahana has started on weekends will help alot.

 

I dont need convincing to ride there. Its still early days less than a year so i am sure it will get busier.

[L.T.G]

 

I have ridden van Gaalens once and we didnt find it well marked and as a result were not so sure of where we were going.

 

I suspect the way to learn van Gaalens is to either do a race there or ride with people that know it.

 

 

Re the markings and signage, as has been mentioned before, the trails at VG are on around 40 different properties and very often signs are moved/stolen/vandalized.it's not that easy to keep track of them as such huge area is covered.

I got to learn my way around by just riding and getting lost finding my way again over and over again...

Most wouldn't want to do that as I'm sure time is so ,limited and valuable and you don't want to spend "riding time" looking the trails, but for me, it paid off as I now have quite a good idea of where what is.

I'm incredibly biased because I absolutely LOVE VG, I really do feel they're best trails we have in "Gauteng".

That been said, I've never ridden Hakahana so I can't comment on the trails there, but I do ride other places too, Heia Safari ( SO much amazing work being done here!), Groenkloof, Avianto, NF,Kings,.. Haven't been to Thaba in ages and never ridden Modders so can't comment there either but VG is by far still the best for me.

it really does have everything.

You can do from a mostly flat +/- 40km that's almost just ST to a lung busting 20km or you can mix and match and puzzle the trails together to get what you want out of your ride.