As someone who has previously experienced one or two of Detour Trail’s tours I was about to get first-hand knowledge of EXACTLY what goes into bringing you, the mountain bike enthusiast, only the best trail riding out there.

To provide you with the most magnificent trails, breathtaking views, challenging climbs, swift flowing descents, well timed refreshment pit stops, comfortable accommodation (with creature comforts like hot showers) and an overall unforgettable trip, we literally took a few for the team this weekend.

It’s not all downhill with the wind at your back; in fact it was more uphill with my bike on my back, heading across mountain tops, down valleys and across rivers in search of what could possibly be (or more possibly not be) a great trail for future Detour groups to ride. On finding a winning trail, the job then starts off linking it to other sublime trails, all for YOUR riding pleasure. All these routes are mapped out on the Garmin to ensure you don’t land up like some unfortunate riders we came across who had landed up riding through the marshes of the flood plains whilst trying to do a DIY trip, missing the most beautiful trails right next to them! What most people don’t realise is that what was perhaps a trail on a map 10 years ago, may no longer be in use or may just be extremely unpleasant to ride.

All this said however, I would do it ten times over with the minor addition of my invention (which I’ve been told will never sell) called “HikeaBike”, this marvellous piece of genius will be used to secure my bike to my back therefore leaving my hands free (and I quote Rohan here) “to climb like a gecko, grabbing onto tufts of grass” as I scale a mountain! You see when one has a fear of climbing steep accents it is vital to have the use of all four limbs simultaneously! I was happy to provide some comic relief along with Sarah who went farming through a shrub, hit a boulder and did an “arse overhead still cleated in manoeuvre”!

In all seriousness though I have a new found appreciation for every bit of buff trail I have ridden on a trip with Detour,  because all those things so desirable on a MTB adventure tour do not come without hard (fun) work and some serious exploratory missions from Rohan and Sarah, BIG respect to you both!

Ps. you’re welcome to contact me directly to place your order for a “HikeaBike”, I’m still 100% convinced it’s a winner

Mtentu River crossing

The ride into Msikaba was undoubtedly a long hard day; once again unforeseen circumstances resulted in a late start, coupled with big river crossings and the inexperience of some of the riders made it very slow going. But 8 ½ hours later the intrepid group arrived at the camp, hungry and tired but mostly full of smiles! I watched in awe as each rider stood devouring anything and everything in sight whilst recounting the day’s war stories! Clearly it had been a long day!

Mkimbathi Superbowl

Day 2 consisted of a group of riders and walkers heading off to the vast Mkimbathi Superbowl and vulture colony, once again crossing the estuary in canoes. The tide was not raging as hectically as the previous day so thankfully it was quite an uneventful crossing! With another stinking hot day and tired legs from the day before everyone was more than happy to take it easy.  Easter Sunday was a leisurely day for all, except of course for the Easter bunny who managed to sneak a few chocolate surprises in before sunrise which delighted the kids to no end! Most riders opted to take the day off, spending it with family and a walk to the majestic Waterfall Bluff.

Waterfall Bluff

On Monday it was time to pack up and return from whence we came. Having never ridden out I was quite excited at the prospect of experiencing this 45km ride, a little dubious too knowing my level of fitness, but I soon realized during the course of the ride it’s not always your fitness level but rather your attitude that determines the quality of your experience. Well OK let’s be honest, it would have been a lot more challenging had we not ridden along the beach mostly! Despite the inclement weather, it was still an exhilarating ride albeit a wet and chilly one! But that’s the nature of trail riding, you have to go with the flow, suck it up sometimes and make the most out of whatever is thrown your way, it’s all part of the adventure and fun of being alive… and isn’t that the point?

"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet." Bob Marley

I can’t believe I am a true “Banana Girl” and yet this is only the second time I’ve visited the Wild Coast.

Last year I did a very soft hike to Waterfall Bluff and rode my MTB around a bit on some of the district roads.

This year – thanks to Detour Trails – I really experienced Pondoland to its fullest and I cannot wait to do it again!

The beautiful, rugged and un-touched surroundings of the region simply cannot be explained – you have to see it to believe it – even the photos do not do it justice. To fully appreciate the area you really do need to be guided by someone who knows it intimately. The Detour guides know the scenic spots and trails incredibly well, so they throw in the most amazing surprises along the way!

This trip has taken me back to the very good old days of MTB, when we did not need to share the trails with lots of frantic folk racing through manicured trails… remember those days when we used to find our own trails… and stop to take in the scenery, remember when those around us used to encourage us to try all sorts of new things with our bikes, building our skills and confidence all the time. The trails we rode kept everyone in the group occupied and challenged as we rode every conceivable type of trail, with the highlight being watching some of the guys ‘rock hop’ as they continuously tried to ride more and more of the rock gardens we found littered along the coast.

This Pondoland trip has taken me back to my MTB roots and I’m so grateful to Detour Trails for that – I cannot wait for my next adventure with them.

Day 3 was without a doubt a tough and treacherous day for riding, in fact I’d go as far as saying it was downright horrid, Bruce and Geoff were in agreement, having ridden the first 3hrs in the rain they sensibly chose the comfort of a dry and warm car while Rohan and Murray pushed on through Ntsikeni Nature Reserve in the pouring rain in 7 degree temperatures! It was around 5pm that I got a call to pick them up from the Rattray Farm, about 5kms out from where we were staying at the Banchory Farm. As I pulled up, there stood 2 drowned rats shivering uncontrollably and incapable of loading their bikes onto the rack, but oh so glad to see me and climb caked in mud into the back of a warm comfy car. They stuttered and stammered all the way back, laughing at the sorry state they were in and recalling the days adventure – at one point in the day Rohan was shaking so uncontrollably that bits of his sandwich were flying everywhere except in his mouth! Our stay with the Firths at Banchory Farm was a welcome break with hospitality that exceeded any and all expectations. What a delightful family, making us feel quite at home and feeding us to the point of gluttony.

Day 4 started with a late breakfast and a short trip to Black Diamond where we left the freshly revived team and headed on to Masakala, where Cindy, our hostess, had prepared some delicious traditional food that included samp and beans, pot bread and chakalaka.

Due to the inclement weather, day 5 was the chosen rest day. Making our way to Malekhalonyane Chalets (try saying that 3 times fast!), another community run initiative, right on the edge of the Maluti Mountain range with gob-smacking vistas, the weather started to clear so Murray and I decided to hop out midway and ride the rest to our destination, an easy 25kms, along the way we spotted a rare wild turkey… that actually turned out to be a Ludwig’s Bustard, I could have sworn it was a wild turkey!! We spent 2 nights at Malekhalonyane, the guys headed out on a 3hr ride on the morning of day 6, a beautiful day for riding – clear skies, sunshine and a light breeze. Over a couple of beers that afternoon all agreed it was the perfect place for riding, with predominantly single track, gentle climbs and fantastic downhills, all in the wide expanse of the Maluti’s, enough to satisfy any mtbikers thirst for adventure.

Day 7 saw us dropping the boys off at the top of Black Fountain heading towards Vuvu with a stunning riverside lunch stop and swim in the icy river at Tinana. It’s funny how the mindset shifted from the extreme mtb adventurer at the start to the more relaxed ‘let’s rather enjoy ourselves’ holiday mode as the days wore on. Although having said that it’s also amusing to observe the mood amongst the boys when they don’t get their daily adrenaline fix! Anyhow I digress, admittedly though it has been a bit tricky to give you a full account of the mtb experience when I’m not out on the trail with them, but the general consensus was that this was mountain biking paradise! The locals are friendly as are the animals, bar the occasional pack of dogs that just can’t resist running after bicycles and bearing their fangs with such delight!

Our 2^nd last night was spent in Vuvu, a small isolated township situated high up in the Maluti’s. This was to be a cultural experience of note! Once again fed traditional food, we were then split up into pairs and shuffled off into the night sky, staying in khaya’s that the locals had provided for us. Murray and I seemed to have drawn the short straw in terms of a good night’s sleep. Our family had not one but two very vocal cocks that decided crowing at 2am and every half hour thereafter was the perfect way to mess with the foreigner’s! Needless to say we were shattered the next day but still in good enough spirits to joke about it with the others. I asked rhetorically “How do you train a cock?” To which Geoff replied “You raise it by hand!” teehee…

The final day of riding started with a rough rocky 1km hike that took 45min to get to the top plateau leading to Ncambala Farm. It was to be the hardest day, not only physically but even more so mentally. Climbing to the top of Naude’s Nek, a 600m climb in 6kms to approx 2500m, the highest motorable road in South Africa, was hard enough, to then be confronted with another unexpected beast of a climb before the incredible 12km descent into Rhodes with just a few more additional climbs thrown in for good measure, really challenged the guys. It’s a good reminder of how challenges like these are so much more a mental game than a physical one. They arrived in Rhodes once again dusty and tired, with very little sense of humour remaining. But after a rest and a hot shower the realisation of their epic journey over the past week started to sink in.

All in all it has been an incredible 9 days, a cultural kaleidoscope of experiences that has taken us across parts of South Africa I never knew existed. It has shown me the beauty this country has to offer, not only from a scenic point of view but from the people we’ve encountered along the way, all from different back rounds and cultures but all so open and accommodating! As I sit here in Rhodes, our final destination, a place where time seems to have stood still, I look back on our journey with memories that will last a lifetime.

Lunch time on Day 2 found us sitting in Donnybrook in the pouring rain awaiting the arrival of our intrepid mountain biking team! We managed to find ourselves a delightful spot at The Belmont Conference Centre, gate crashing an 85th Birthday party where we were plied with whisky and hot cross buns, listening to Abba and meeting good country folk… hmmm, don’t tell the mtbikers but I think we were having more fun than they were! Oh wait I’m supposed to be blogging about the joys of riding the wild frontiers…
Right, let me start at the beginning. Day 1 saw us depart from Baynesfield, heading across to Byrne, a beautiful lush green gem of a place populated with old oak trees and surprisingly the oddest of folk. After the great welcome from The Belmont folk today, The Oaks folk seemed that much more bizarre! Apparently Byrne is a ‘Blourokkies’ place… enough said. After a quick pitstop we were on our way again, taking on the challenging Umkomaas Valley. The landscape changes almost instantly to the drier Acacia thorn veld as you head over the hill and start the steep descent into the valley. It’s a brutal climb out and another descent to Highover, our first night stay situated on the banks of the Umkomaas. Our riders arrived dusty and tired, with Geoff a little bruised and a lot shaken after experiencing brake failure due to over-heating. According to the guys it was skill alone that saved him from an emergency helicopter evacuation!!
So after day 1’s excitement, day 2 seemed a little tame in comparison, although the gang had the unenviable task of climbing 500m out of the Hella Hella valley… in 4kms on cold legs! Eish, no thanks! It was enough to leave us breathless driving up in a car! Little did I realise how close we were to the Midlands, as we came over the horizon the landscape once again transformed into the lush green rolling grasslands.
We met our team at Donnybrook again and after an initial hesitation, mainly due to the weather, I was coerced into riding from Donnybrook to our overnight stay in Centocow. Words just won’t do justice to the awesome ride, cruising through lush, dense indigenous forest dominated by 300 year old Yellowood trees followed by pine plantations, following parts of the Sani2C route back to front. I finally got to appreciate what the guys had been experiencing. We had two AWESOME downhill sessions that got the adrenalin pumping and all of us smiling from ear to ear… rocky, gnarly and fun best describes the experience! Our overnight stay in Centocow mission was once again another surprise! Built somewhere around 1910 by the Trappist monks, this seemingly random group of brickface buildings dotted along the side of the Mzimkulu river proved to be a delightful respite from the gloomy weather! One of the buildings has been converted into a stunning self catering lodge/dorm – run by the local municipality. I highly recommend this to everyone, riders and non riders alike!!
Ok time to wrap this post up… the team is departing for the 3rd leg of the adventure on yet another grey day, heading to Banchory, with a little apprehension for a very long climbing day ahead.

The carbo loading started in earnest on the eve of our departure for three days of riding in Pondoland. The carbohydrate of choice being a local brew from the Midlands high in both carbs and alcohol, two vital nutritional aids for the serious adventure athlete (energy without courage being of no use to man or beast). The brew must be consumed in copious amounts in order to promote a coma like slumber to ensure a well-rested athlete in the morning. The 10 athlete’s in question are a loose group of 40 and 50 something year olds thrust together largely through the fate of our children attending the same school.
After much caffeine and a greasy breakfast our motley peloton of 10 athletes (the term athlete being used very loosely here) congregated at the Wild Coast Sun resort to meet the crew from Detour Trails. Rohan our guide, Sarah our chef, Scotty our mechanic and Jeremy the do everything guy. I’m not sure pro teams in the Tour de France have this level of support!
We rocketed out of the parking lot into a stiff headwind at a steady 5km/h and rode a full 700 metres before our first rest stop (we might have overdone the carbo brew just a tad). In the first few km’s we rode on single track trails, soft sand, the beach, rocky terrain, grassy fields, district roads, jeep tracks, up a hill, lost each other, portaged our bikes, dodged some cows and crossed a river chest deep with bikes balanced on our heads, this variation of terrain was to be the norm over the next three days.
It became very evident early on that given the terrain and block headwind the time and difficulty of the days ride could not be judged on distance alone, in fact distance becomes irrelevant. We were expecting a leisurely 4 to 5 hour ride but given the conditions we staggered into camp after about 8 hours of halting southward travel. The scenery was sublime and exceeded all of our expectations. We road through areas that appeared totally untouched. Where in the world can you ride with large herds of plains game running along on the one side and dolphins playing in the waves on the other?
As the day stretched on it became glaringly evident we were going to miss lunch a problem easily solved by a litre of coke and a few peanuts at a spaza shop. Not so however for one of our party, who will remain nameless, let’s just call him Trevor. Now Trevor likes his routine and lunch must happen at lunch time, in addition he likes to know the exact distance and time of a ride. Pondoland however is not as pedantic about such mundane details and operates on true African time, things will simply happen when they happen and not a moment sooner. This clash of ideologies lead Trevor to lose his sense of humour in spectacular fashion and despite the team’s attempts to lift his spirits with humorous personal jibes he only cheered up once he had a hot shower, several cold beers, a hearty meal and was safely installed around the fire in camp. It did not go unnoticed that the distance between Rohan and Trevor on the ride became directly proportional to Trevor’s lack of joy.
Another rider who shall remain nameless is Mike Brown (Mick). Mick had only ever ridden in cleats once before three weeks prior to our adventure. That first attempt resulted in a broken sternum! Mick showed true fighting spirit in not only arriving to ride but also by giving cleats another chance and all this on a bike once owned by his wife! Seeing Mick fall over every time he stopped never stopped being funny, even Trevor cracked a smile. The constant falling however took its toll and despite his obvious discomfort Mick turned down a lift offered to him by a very lonely looking fisherman, some things are never worth the price! Steve, Mick’s brother, assured us later that he never wavered from giving his brother intense spiritual support in spite of the obvious lack of any physical or verbal assistance at the time. It could even be said that, to those unschooled in matters of brotherly love, Steve actually contributed to Mick’s misery by goading him into jumping off a cliff into a pool of icy water under a powerfully cascading waterfall, very therapeutic for a broken sternum!
Every group has it’s frustrated boy scout and PJ was ours running around camp like the energiser bunny collecting wood, starting a fire, tending the braai, going to the beach, reconstructing the entire camp etc. After an amazing braai and much needed carbo loading, with the aforementioned brew, we sat around the campfire under an infinite African sky. Lazily we watched Scotty ferret around cleaning and servicing our team not hesitating to give him instruction from the comfort of our camp chairs. We did all fantasise about taking Scotty home with us to have our own little bike mechanic on call 24/7. Mick’s love for Scotty was slightly tainted when Scotty, very subtly, informed him that the load carrying capacity of his bike was dangerously insufficient for Mick’s generous proportions.
After a planned (most welcome) late start we headed for Waterfall Bluff the spectacular southernmost point of our ride. The wind had died and the riding was sublime up until I launched myself over the handlebars whilst trying to keep up with PJ, resulting in the bruising of both my right arm and my ego. Peter forgot who he was for a day and rode like Burry Stander for 6 hours, must have been the Port the night before! Mike Fikkert, under 16 BMX world champion 26 years ago, had joined other Mike in having a rest day. Mike recently made a return to the BMX track and he said that he was saving his legs for the upcoming BMX nationals, his advancing age and shirt size had nothing to do with it, the jury is still out on that one! Whilst resting at the magnificent Waterfall Bluff Roger insisted on showing us his increasingly troublesome saddle sores, the contrast to the surrounding natural beauty did not go unnoticed! Charles pushed his biltong aside untouched.
The crew, and two Mike’s, met us for lunch just in time to avoid another loss of humour from Trevor. All was good until Roger did his best submarine impression at a swollen river crossing. Roger led the charge across the river and it soon became evident that the crossing was a little deeper than it first appeared. As Roger cocked his head to draw what could easily have been his last breathe, all that could be seen were his pursed lips sucking air, panicked white eyes and most admirably a Morewood thrust above his head. As Roger went down in an explosion of bubbles and bad language, a chorus of “save the Morewood” erupted from the shore. Ian stripped down dived in and saved the bike, we all congratulated Ian as we observed a clearly shaken Roger drag himself ashore some way downstream, water coming from places he never knew he had. Charles looked on indifferent, it could be said, to Roger’s survival.
Just to take the edge off Trevor’s unusually joyful mood PJ got him lost as they approached camp. Beers, great food, warm showers and supportive personal attacks restored calm. Dinner was a triumph, Sarah did some amazing things with vegetables, she’s a pescaterian! Under another endless African sky the events of the day were recalled, dissected, distorted and a version bearing no relation to the truth was settled on. The sleep of tired but happy little boys fell over camp.
An early start found us wading chest deep in icy water, just the thing for tired old legs. Getting cramp halfway across a river with your bike on your head does present a whole lot of problems! The abrasive, salty water was now really taking its toll on Roger’s ailing nether regions. Roger was adopting the strategy of changing shorts at every crossing, exposing his tender parts to all about him. Group counselling may be required on our return. The good news however was, that it was a downwind dash for the finish. BMX Mike was back in the peloton, his shirt size taking advantage of the downwind journey, the word spinnaker was mentioned! As we retraced some of our steps from the first day Rohan amazingly stumbled over Trevor’s sense of humour that he had lost that day. All too soon we were back at the Wild Coast resort where PJ assured us that his tears were tears of pure joy at the prospect of going back to work on Monday. It had been three days of great company, some brilliant laughs and one really raw arse! I can think of no better way to break a Highveld winter than three days riding in Pondoland, just don’t forget the shammy cream!!

Being the newest member to the Detour team I’ve decided to get a blog up and running, purely to document our adventures as they happen and hopefully to give you a taste of what it all entails.
Unfortunately, my perspective on the trails will be somewhat lacking. Being the hostess and back up crew often means being behind the scenes and generally not what you want to read about here… Unless of course I can thrill you with tales of unexpected diversions, potholed roads and kids screaming ‘sweeeets’ as we bump our way along to our destination!
No?… I didn’t think so…

Fear not, there is hope for you MTB enthusiasts! I will endeavour each time to get some feedback from our team leader (Rohan aka Grumpy) as well as from the guests themselves and if those attempts fail I will thrill you with my wit and outlandish tales from the kitchen sink.
So here we go… join us on this adventure!

DETOUR TRAILS offers South African Adventure Trail Riding at its best! Some may wonder what adventure trail riding is. Well, it is simply because there are such great mountain bikes these days we can now take bikes on trails where it was impossible a few years ago. Now we take them with us on trails that have been used for years by local communities and their cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys and ponies as we feed our passion for adventure. We ride our mountain bikes a lot, but occasionally we push and even carry them past, through or over obstacles. Adventure Trail Riding is tackling various levels of natural trails accompanied by your mountain bike and is sure to be far more rewarding than an ordinary cycling tour or trip!

WHO WE ARE

We are a bunch of energetic South Africans who for the past few years have followed our passion for the outdoors, adventure and biking. Apart from having raced all the SA major stage races, we’ve been having fun exploring trails in many remote areas of South Africa. We are now ready to share these trails with other adventure trail riders. DETOUR TRAILS has been born to provide the platform for all types and levels of active adventurers to experience the amazing natural treasures and wonderful people of our region.As a small dedicated team our mission (& obsession) is to create everlasting memories for those who experience the freedom and pleasure of riding bike trails with us. At all times we respect the privilege of access to trails given by all land owners and commit to conservation efforts and enhancing the value of adventure trail riding and eco-tourism.

WHAT WE DO

For the recreational to the more serious cyclist, we provide FULLY SUPPORTED ADVENTURE TRAIL RIDING TRIPS (MOUNTAIN BIKE TOURS) CUSTOMISED to their needs. Through our extensive exploring we have found the most amazing and scenic remote trails ideal for mountain biking. These mtb routes range from easy gravel roads, exhilarating single tracks that are actually cattle, goat, pony or game paths to some of the most hairy and exciting technical riding imaginable. The trails are over mountains, through valleys, across rivers, along beaches, in forests or grasslands providing a wide variety of terrain and scenery to satisfy anyone who enjoys the outdoors. While they enjoy the trails suited to their skills, our clients are exposed to the unparalleled beauty of South Africa’s unspoiled rural areas and to the people who live there, including their food, cultures and traditions. As we specialise in tailoring adventure trail riding trips (mountain bike tours) to suit all clients’ needs in the remotest parts of SA we touch the lives of many rural people. Wherever possible we employ local guides and seek the services of communities living along the trails.In addition to Adventure Trail Riding trips we provide training programs and training trips to prepare mountain bikers for marathon and stage races. In short we believe that everyone has the right to be the best rider they can be while taking account of their personal circumstances.

WHERE WE GO

• Wild Coast (Race the tide on spectacular unspoiled beaches in the land of the amaPondo and amaXhosa)
• Drakensberg & Maluti Mountains , Lesotho (Explore the Kingdom of the Sky)
• No-Mans Land (Trail Riding Heaven)
• Day Trips in and around KwaZulu-Natal (Forests, Exciting Single Track, Game, The Works)
• Training Camps are arranged in most of our trail areas (A must for marathon and stage race mountain bikers)
• Special expeditions to other parts of SA or the world, eg. Mozambique, Madagascar, Tibet.

OUR COMMITMENT TO TRAIL CUSTODIANS

In our obsession for the outdoors we recognise what a privilege it is to be able to share our passion for riding on less frequented trails and exposing our clients to their beauty and treasures. We are fully committed to respecting and working with all land owners and custodians to ensure our activities contribute to conservation efforts and economically enhance the lives of all we encounter.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS

At DETOUR TRAILS we don’t just love the outdoors, we are obsessed with it. Our pure passion enables us to guarantee our clients an unforgettable experience and life long memories of adventure trail riding at its best. We have a small team of skilled guides and trail leaders who will make your experience as exciting as can be.

ARE YOU UP FOR IT?

Whether you’re a serial adventure seeker, a serious or recreational rider, or simply an individual or group of friends wanting to do something different and enjoy the experience of a lifetime, DETOUR TRAILS has a mountain bike trail for you.We look forward to seeing you on the trail soon! Please contact us so we can share our passion with you and your friends