TRAIL FOCUS – Koedoeslaagte Trail Park, North West
Koedoeslaagte is set to become a favourite, with great XCO trails and accommodation aplenty for a fun weekend away form the big smoke.
Only a few hours south of Johannesburg, in the heart of the Vredefort Crater, lies Koedoeslaagte, on the banks of the Vaal River just outside Parys.
Koedoeslaagte is a fifth-generation family farm (unfarmed since 1971, and returned to its bushveld magnificence) situated in the heart of the UNESCO Vredefort Crater World Heritage Site. The recent trail development captures the natural contours and raw ruggedness of the area, while serving as an ideal base to access a large network of tertiary and secondary gravel roads stretching all the way to Potchefstroom, Venterskroon, Schoemansdrif and Skandenawiedrif…The Koedoeslaagte trails are graded easy, moderate, hard and very hard. But they’re modular: build your own adventure, combining distances ranging from 3km to 30km. And most parts of the trails are cut wider for easy passing, when things get busy on the weekends.All trails include the rollercoaster ride along the 1.2km Vaal River frontage, while the more difficult routes feature longer and steeper climbs, steeper descents and rockier terrain; they incorporate Koedoeberg, which reaches 1 618m ASL, climbing 240m from the Vaal River.
The SA Cup 5.2km cross-country track is part of the trail network, featuring rider-testing elements such as Die Groot Klip, Dropper Post Bonanza Downhill, Die Vaal Drop Drive, Witkop A.F.K. Jungle Jive, Block House Drop, Die Donga, and R.I.P. Rocky Ridge. It will be used for national-level XCO racing, but offers excellent skills and fitness training the rest of the year.
The riding is only part of the Koedoeslaagte magic. This is proper bushveld – there are thorn trees, white stinkwood, wild olive and shrubs all around the park. And keep your eyes peeled for likkewane (rock monitor lizards), otters, vlakvarke or ‘shallow pigs’ (warthogs!), rhebok, steenbok, kudu, aardvark, caracal, serval, monkeys, baboons, fish eagles, kingfishers and numerous water-bird species.
KOEDOESLAAGTE TRAIL PARK
Litter-free, well marked, peaceful, affordable, friendly, secureDirections: Follow the R53 north-west out of Parys. 4km after you cross the Vaal River, turn left onto the Kopjeskraal road. After a further 8.2km, the Koedoeslaagte entrance is on your left.
Open on Saturdays and Sundays, and on Fridays for weekend residents
Accommodation options and more: koedoeslaagte.com
Cycling events: cratercycling.com
R50 per adult, R25 per school-going child; pre-schoolers free. All visitors pay an entrance fee, not an activity fee: once you’re in, you’re welcome to ride, run, paddle, hike, picnic or just relax at the river.
TOP TIP: Slimed tubes/tyre liners or tubeless tyres are a must. This is Africa; the thorns are real.
For all the info you need for a cracking MTB weekend away, visit the Koedoeslaagte website.
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