Trailrider
Bachelor Dog
When you exit the Attakwas Pass various routes can be followed down the Langkloof to Louvain. I would recommend going over Zebra towards Heimersrivier and following the gravel roads to Louvain (see website https://www.louvain.co.za/accommodation.htm). Easy scenic riding, mostly 1 on the SAARN scale. Here you'll find the next stop with chalets and camping sites.
From Louvain you cross the Outeniqua Mountains towards Karatara.
?The Pass is not over demanding. The 30km trail runs from Louvain Farm to the connecting road between Hoekwil and Karatara and takes one and a half hours to complete. Since part of the route crosses Forestry land a SAFCOL permit must be obtained first (available from the farm). The route runs from the R62 at Louvain (S 33�° 47.326 E 22�° 38.719) to Woodville (S 33�° 56.185 E 22�° 40.192) via a viewpoint at 1108m (S 33�° 50.140 E 22�° 37.173).?
https://www.louvain.co.za/old-voor.htm
Also see the Tracks 4 Africa route on Google Earth.
From here you go past Karatara and through the seven passes road. Now you?re in the real garden route. Jaw dropping nature scenes. From Knysna once again over the mountain via the Prince Alfret Pass to De Vlugt where you turn West towards the Burchells Bush camp.
The campsite is remote but has the necessary facilities. The owner is Katot Meyer and a real character. He has an amazing knowledge of the area. When you speak to him ask him for a ?slingervel? demonstration. He can throw a lemon 180 meters!
https://www.burchell4x4.co.za/info.php
Katot has many a story to tell.
See the Tracks 4 Africa route on Google Earth.
A word to the wise ? you don?t want to be caught here when it?s wet. It is VERY slippery. We battled to get the bakkie out for 6 hours. Even the tractor got stuck! We ended up leaving it behind in the bush for 3 days until it was dry enough to get it out.
The trip from Cloetepass to Burchells Bush camp has everything - Changing conditions, changing scenery and all terrain types. It?s also steeped in history and it?s well worth it to speak to those ?in the know?. It?s the difference between just a road and an experience. For instance, in Attakwas Kloof there was a farmer who sold his cattle, just to ambush the buyer and kill him later. He got away with it a couple of times, but eventually got caught and was the last man to be publicly executed in SA. He was hung on the George ?Dorpsplein?. His grave is en route, but if you don?t know about these things you?ll go through the whole route ?blind? and miss out on half the experience. Burchell was a botanist who traveled these parts in a specially designed ?trailriding? Ox wagon. Katot Meyer has a miniature one and he demonstrates the differences.
Of course there is no reason why the trip has to stop here. The Burchell Bush camp is a stones throw from Uniondale from where you could carry on into the Baviaans kloof?
From Louvain you cross the Outeniqua Mountains towards Karatara.
?The Pass is not over demanding. The 30km trail runs from Louvain Farm to the connecting road between Hoekwil and Karatara and takes one and a half hours to complete. Since part of the route crosses Forestry land a SAFCOL permit must be obtained first (available from the farm). The route runs from the R62 at Louvain (S 33�° 47.326 E 22�° 38.719) to Woodville (S 33�° 56.185 E 22�° 40.192) via a viewpoint at 1108m (S 33�° 50.140 E 22�° 37.173).?
https://www.louvain.co.za/old-voor.htm
Also see the Tracks 4 Africa route on Google Earth.
From here you go past Karatara and through the seven passes road. Now you?re in the real garden route. Jaw dropping nature scenes. From Knysna once again over the mountain via the Prince Alfret Pass to De Vlugt where you turn West towards the Burchells Bush camp.
The campsite is remote but has the necessary facilities. The owner is Katot Meyer and a real character. He has an amazing knowledge of the area. When you speak to him ask him for a ?slingervel? demonstration. He can throw a lemon 180 meters!
https://www.burchell4x4.co.za/info.php
Katot has many a story to tell.
See the Tracks 4 Africa route on Google Earth.
A word to the wise ? you don?t want to be caught here when it?s wet. It is VERY slippery. We battled to get the bakkie out for 6 hours. Even the tractor got stuck! We ended up leaving it behind in the bush for 3 days until it was dry enough to get it out.
The trip from Cloetepass to Burchells Bush camp has everything - Changing conditions, changing scenery and all terrain types. It?s also steeped in history and it?s well worth it to speak to those ?in the know?. It?s the difference between just a road and an experience. For instance, in Attakwas Kloof there was a farmer who sold his cattle, just to ambush the buyer and kill him later. He got away with it a couple of times, but eventually got caught and was the last man to be publicly executed in SA. He was hung on the George ?Dorpsplein?. His grave is en route, but if you don?t know about these things you?ll go through the whole route ?blind? and miss out on half the experience. Burchell was a botanist who traveled these parts in a specially designed ?trailriding? Ox wagon. Katot Meyer has a miniature one and he demonstrates the differences.
Of course there is no reason why the trip has to stop here. The Burchell Bush camp is a stones throw from Uniondale from where you could carry on into the Baviaans kloof?