The Area You Will Be Exploring
This splendid northern area of the Wild Coast of Transkei is also known as Pondo Land, named after the diverse group of people who inhabit this area – the Amapondo. They are a friendly nation and will wave and welcome you as you pass by their homesteads. This is a place of remarkable scenery and unspoilt beauty.
This coastline is called the Wild Coast and for good reason – the seas can become treacherous at times and have forged a seascape out of the sandstone cliffs to create a shoreline like no other. The landscapes will keep you captivated with beautiful unspoilt estuaries, grasslands, rocky out crops, swamp forests, coastal bush, valleys of endemic fauna and flora and numerous picturesque waterfalls… you will never be short of breath taking views along the route.
Your Guides
Your guides for the trip are the founders of Singletrack Adventures, Clint and Gareth. We have been organising self-guided trips for groups of people on the Wild Coast for the past 6 years and remain extremely excited to introduce others to this area who would otherwise not have the opportunity.
We are enthusiastic about this experience and through our knowledge of the area and our passion for mountain biking we ensure you will have an unforgettable trip. We believe the recipe for success is keeping our riders happy and the best way to do that is to make sure we are personally involved on the ground with the running of the tours.
The Routes & Your Fitness Level
With our years of experience on the Wild Coast of trying alternate routes, we have put together some of the best possible trails to make for an outstanding day in the saddle. That is not to say we are not always looking for better options and we are constantly doing our own trail finding rides in hope to keep you coming back every year to see what interesting things we have added to the adventure.
The routes are a mix of jeep track, gravel roads, beach riding (a great new experience for most), a couple of river portages and some of the best raw cut natural single track trails you could ever ask to ride. Thank you to the people, goats and cattle who formed these awesome tracks!! The wild coast terrain has got a bit of everything and we do our best to make sure we adjust the rides to best suit your skill levels and fitness. With that being said you still need to be honest with yourself and try to look at booking a trip that best suits your level of fitness. Although the mileage may not be extensive, you must prepare to be in the saddle for a good portion of each day.
If you are unsure about your level of fitness to what is being offered please speak to us so we can help you decide which of our adventures on offer would be best suited for you.
Number of People Per Tour
We prefer to keep the group numbers down to about 10 people in order to offer each individual the best experience, however if you are a single group or club looking to bring a larger crowd we have accommodated up to 30 people before (please enquire for more details).
Vonnie’s Rest Accommodation
Our trusty back up seconder will drive your comforts to your homestead, Vonnie’s Rest, for the duration of your trip. The accommodation is simple yet homely set on the banks of a river in the most spectacular surroundings. It offers a different type of comfort to a hotel, this place allows you to really unwind, relax & and enjoy the experience.
Currently the accommodation options are a thatched cottage & a stone cottage which can sleep 6 & 12 people, there is also the thatched timber cabin which sleeps two.
Vonnie’s Rest _ Stone and Timber cottages Thatched Cottage
Alternatively you can have your own private tent with a comfortable mattress (on a base) to ensure a good night’s rest. (Camping in Style)
Communal area – indoor areas include a chill out lounge, a large dining room and a kitchen. Outside you have a large grassy lawn to relax on and a covered verandah which houses a fire pit and a pizza oven for freshly baked pizzas, breads & roasts.
Meals
Your guides by day become your chefs by night!
We do our best to spoil you at meal times by offering “South African camping food with a difference” – from a roast slow cooked over an open fire, to pizzas out of a stone wood fueled oven, we ensure the nights are just as fun as the days and that you are well fueled with great food for your next day’s adventure.
PIZZA EVENING
BRAAI NIGHT
Breakfast will consist of continental breakfasts on the riding days and a cooked breakfast on any of the off days.
Lunches will consist of good healthy snack foods packed to fit in your hydration pack to keep you charged for the day. If you have any special dietary requirements please let us know beforehand so that we can best cater for your needs.
Health & Safety
The people of the Wild Coast, Pondoland in the Transkei are very friendly and we have been met with nothing but smiling faces on all our previous trips. Your guides are trained in basic first aid and in most areas cell phone signal is not too far away in much of the interior areas. (Info Pack & Indemnity will cover this section in more detail)
Season for Riding on the Wild Coast
The dry winter months are when the tails are at their best but don’t dismiss the other seasons as they bring a beauty not seen in the winter months. In the summer months the rivers are in full flow with an abundance of waterfalls and streams allowing for many viewing / photographic opportunities. In the spring is when the flowers start to bloom with fields of beautiful endemic flowers colouring the landscape in vibrant colours.
Transport & Logistics
The price quoted is for the basic trip but should you need transfers and overnight accommodation before or after the ride we are able to arrange this for you.
If you require a shuttle we can organise this make it as easy as possible. These charges can be paid directly to the service provider so that there are no additional surcharges or we charge a nominal 5% commission to cover our expenses.