No 2. Cape Town's Top 5 Mountain Biking Trails - Hoogekraal
Discover the exhilarating thrills of Cape Town's Top 5 Mountain Biking Trails, including the epic Hoogekraal with its diverse challenges and stunning landscapes.
Difficulty: Medium
Skill Requirement: Intermediate
Longest ride: 25km (extensions possible)
Shortest ride: 6km
Opinion: Some say that the Hoogekraal trails are suitable for beginners. Indeed, there are some sections suitable for beginners but, on the whole, we would not recommend it. Some descents are very fast and control and balance are important. Furthermore, the climbing is not easy and beginners will struggle to cope.
Stand out trails:
The Cobra
Patrick’s Psycho Plunge
Hoogies Hammer
About Hoogekraal MTB
Discover the exhilarating thrills of Hoogekraal's MTB trails, a haven tailored for intermediate and advanced riders seeking an adrenaline rush amidst Cape Town's rugged landscapes.
Established in 2012 through collaboration between the Tygerberg MTB Club and local landowners, Hoogekraal has been developed into a sprawling network of trails, offering diverse challenges and rewarding experiences; the latest addition being the recent Hoogies Hammer, an epic 2km flow trail.
Typical rides range between 10km and 25km, with about 650m of climbing. The shortest trail, using the steep ascending shortcut, to the top and back down is around 6km.
Trails Overview
Your journey starts on jeep track, ascending towards the Leatt Skills Park, where riders can polish their skills on berms, drop-offs and jumps within a confined area.
Bypassing the skills park, about 1.3km into the ride, you’ll start the descent towards the Puff Adder single track, a super fun short trail that leads down to a trail split. Right leads into “The Gorge” (this is the initial entrance to this section of trail. There is now another entrance, a black trail, from the top, a little after the skills park.) Left will take you to Spykers Climb, the main hill ascent. Spykers Climb ascends 150m and covers a distance of 2.8km with a total of 16 switchbacks.
The first descent option is The Cobra. This trail is graded black, because it features some fairly loose and rocky terrain, a potentially tricky rock roll and a few optional jumps. If you’re new to the trail, just be cautious with your speed because there are some tight corners that can sneak up on you.
The Cobra doesn't quite connect with the trails on the other side of the hill. To reach them, you've got to climb back to the top of the main hill and then descend the Z Trail which starts under the Welvergenoegd Loop sign board.
The Welvergenoegd Loop begins with Z Trail, which is a smooth, fast descending trail with berms and tight corners, earning it a Blue grade. Z Trail links up to the lower section of Welvergenoeg Loop and runs all the way down to the river.
Heading back from the river, you’ll be given a "shortcut" option and a longer route option. The shortcut simply starts you off on the long return ascent to the top of the main hill. The standard route takes you to a trail split option.
Heading to the left, you will ascend up to the Fair Cape Loop. To the right, you’ll start the ascent to the top of Patrick’s Psycho Plunge. The Fair Cape Loop extension will return and link back to the Patrick’s Psycho Plunge ascent. Patricks Psycho Plunge is not psycho. It’s fabulous. It’s not a plunge, it’s beautiful. You will then return near to the “shortcut” intersection and begin the climb back up the main hill.
At the very top of the main hill, you’ll be presented with two final descent options. To the left there is Snake, Rattle and Roll, and to the right there is the relatively new Hoogies Hammer flow trail, a descent that's an absolute must! Both trails lead you back down to the car park.
Access Requirement
You’ll need a Tygerberg MTB Club annual membership (main member R590) or a R60 day pass, payable via SnapScan or Zapper at the parking lot honesty box.
Gear, Repairs and Fuel
If you need any gear or repairs, the Black Sheep Bikes are located behind the big ‘barn’. Weirdly, they’re closed on a Saturday. You can also get coffee, and brownies, in the shop.
Book a Ride
Contact Philip at Cape Adventures for guided MTB rides in Cape Town. Cape Adventures provides high performance, high-end mountain bikes for our clients.
Via our website: Contact Form
Email: info@capeadventures.co.za
WhatsApp or call Philip on: +27 (0) 82 89 333 26.
Great review. One of my favorite trails especially Hoogies Hammer flow trail!