The Cliffhanger may be one of the most photographed and talked about sections of mountain biking trail in South Africa – and not without reason.

It’s a majestic series of 61 switchbacks that make up part of the MTB and Wild Boar bike trails on the Canetsfontein wine, olive and fruit farm in Wellington, and forms part of the route of the Imbuko Big 5 event as well as this year’s Absa Cape Epic.

From the air, the trail resembles some of the famous climbs of the Alps. Tight switchbacks run up and down the side of the Geelbekskop mountain, with the first 16 switchbacks on the descent offering a jaw-dropping technical challenge.

The trail was created by legendary trail builder Pieter van Wyk, who was asked by German businessman Alexander Falk, the ambitious owner of the farm, if a trail could be built in the tight gully on top of the mountain. “I made the mistake of saying ‘it might be’,” says Van Wyk. “That was all they needed, and I had no choice but to do it.”

The challenge Van Wyk and his team faced was the steepness of the gully and the inaccessibility of the area. Everything – from the concrete and water required to build the berms, to the poles for stabilising the trail – had to be carried up the climb by human power.
The Cliffhanger trail includes both the climb up and the descent. The ascent consists of 29 switchbacks, the gully 16, and the rest of the trail another 16 to form part of a famed trail network that includes Aap de Huez, Full Monty, DNF and Angels’ Tears. “We’ve been building trails in the plantation since 2008, so this was just an extension of everything we’ve done,” says Van Wyk.

“It’s definitely more of a mind game; because when you hit that first turn, the drop-off below can scare you.”

Van Wyk got involved in November 2022. It took almost three months of dedicated work to get the trail into rideable shape as they negotiated their way between rocks, built up wide berms to ensure the tight corners were rideable, and carved the trail into the side of the mountain. “We used a lot of the rock to build the berms, and the cement to keep it all together. We had to do two turns a day bringing up cement and water, and we had a team of 6 to 10 guys working on it. Every day,” says Van Wyk.
Despite all the publicity around the Cliffhanger, Van Wyk still maintains the trails you hit after the Cliffhanger are far more enjoyable to ride than the Cliffhanger itself.

“Look, it’s really beautiful up there; but tight switchbacks are hard to ride. Once you get out of the gully, the trail just flows. It’s amazing.”
The gully section isn’t just about conquering the tight corners, either. The descent is steep; if you suffer from height-related fears, it’s a tough assignment. Going wide and staying wide on each of the berms is the key to success.
“I’m 1.93m tall and I ride an XL frame, and I can ride it,” says Van Wyk. “It’s more of a mind game; because when you hit that first turn, the drop-off below can scare you. But if you weren’t that high, you wouldn’t think it was too bad.”

To take on the trail, you can ride from the farm to the top and back in under 10km – but that includes almost 1 000m of climbing, so make sure your granny gear is in working order.

The Details

DISTANCE: 3.5km ascent, 3.5km descent
SWITCHBACKS UP: 29
SWITCHBACKS DOWN: 32
TOP TIP: A dropper post is advisable. And ride the berms wide.
RIDING THE CLIFFHANGER: Book your slot on the www.canetsfontein.com website. Only one group (a maximum of 20 riders per group) is allowed per day.

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