Trail Review – Contermanskloof, Durbanville, Western Cape
Let’s Get Dirty
By Shaun Engelbrecht
We seem to have hit a bit of a dry spell in the uni community of late. Daily life has been taking its toll and it seems we have almost forgotten how to have fun (on one wheel). Then to add insult to injury, the Cape is swept by fires, not only destroying flora, fauna and a couple of houses, but laying waste to two awesome trail parks.
In a bid to get the energy levels back up and relive some excitement in “odd wheel”ing it, I thought I would share some of my more recent rides. This I am doing to provide some muni options to Cape based uni nuts, and hopefully a bit of inspiration for the northerner’s to dust off a wheel and hit the dirt, if not only to get their uni’s dusty again on a trail.
For this the first instalment, I will begin with Contermanskloof. This is one of a few trails that is managed by the Tygerberg MTB Club. So far this is my favourite of Tygerberg trails (I still need to scout one or two more). The route starts off easy enough, taking you through some farm houses and buildings along Blue Gum shaded jeep track and up a short stint alongside a vineyard.
Then begins the pain! The single track starts, winding it’s way up a hill, switch back after switch back on loose gravel. “I am in no way fit enough for this”, is all I’m thinking. So learn from my mistakes and walk the jeep track that cuts through the centre on the zig zagging single track. It’s steep, but will get you to the top quicker and less out of breath so you can enjoy the gravity assisted decent.
Okay you are near the top, or so you think. There is one last little climb along the perimeter fence, placed there to remind you that you need to earn you decent.
Once you have gotten your breath back the route splits off. Left is the black route (expert as per the signs), and left is the blue ride (intermediate). Now you need to remember, these signs and varying degrees of difficultly are judged by those less skilled and fortunate than us, they need a training wheel to stay upright. So my point is take the blue route, only because the black route has more nasty climbing and a short, ultra rocky decent which was not much fun on my 29er. Unless of course you are Kris Holm, then do the black route.
So back to the blue route! Here you will cut your way back down from whence you came. A switchback here and there, a few interesting rocky sections and then the face morphing smile if you clear it all. Once again, more climbs, but what goes up must come down. Here you climb in the shade of a few Blue Gums and then get attacked by dry fynbos. There is a lovely little tree at the top that holds me up, covers me in shade and acts as a picnic spot to grab a snack. Once again we go down. This, the last of the downhill single track sections proves to be a bit more fast and flowy with some interesting and tight switchbacks. You will need to carry a bit of speed on the downhill sections. Too much brakes and you will be on your butt when the tyre can no longer grip. Not that I have ever done that…
Once you get to the bottom and re-adjusted your face (it’s disfigured from smiling, or falling, either way), you are again given a choice. Left oooorrrrrrr right. Take the right split and you are home free, getting a cuppa or a beer at the coffee shop or take a look at the training wheel assisted uni’s at the bike shop. But we are all a bit sick with a few screws loose, so we go left. Now you ride single track though unploughed fields on terrain that I can only describe as baby heads. Yes, baby heads. Small bumpy sections, compacted together creating a, let’s say interesting endeavour on a uni. Under a tunnel and around a dam on not the most interesting single track, but the surrounds are easy on the eye, the end is in sight, or so you think. Now somebody thought it is a good idea to ride through the vineyards. These are however on a slope, creating an almost step effect as you ascend. Once you have recovered you will realise you are now at the end. You have now earned that beer, and if you are not yet old enough, a coke will have to do.
If you want to know distances and strava times and segments, well sorry I am the wrong guy for that. All I can say is it is a worthwhile ride, with a few options to chop and change routes, difficulty and distances. I don’t know about winter riding there (yet), but just be careful of the heat and wind now. Unlike our beloved forests, this trial is very exposed with little to no protection from the sun and wind. I have been blown off my line on occasion.
For some more info on the routes and a map of the layout, tariff, opening hours, etc, check out the link below. I hope to see you out on the trial and keeping it wheel!
