Welvanpas MTB Trail Review
Welvanpas, a name synonymous with mountain biking in the Western Cape. After hearing only good things I thought it best to see firsthand what these trails were all about. We hit the road from Cape Town at exactly 7:34am and headed towards the majestic mountains of Wellington.
There was a frigid bite in the air as we arrived in Wellington despite the sun being out. Conditions were near perfect. The ground was tacky without being muddy thanks to a week of rain. It was all systems go for an amazing day out on the trails. We opted to tackle the challenging Black Route. A friendly warning, if you want to tackle this route, please make sure you have released your ‘inner mountain goat spirit’, because you are going to be doing a lot of climbing, +- 1200m’s over the 28km route. Keep in mind a large majority of the climbing is also up singletrack which always makes it that bit more of a challenge.
Upon setting off we slowly meandered towards the climb, quickly crossing over Bains Kloof pass we commenced to the climbs. The legs were feeling fresh so I was quietly confident for what lay ahead.
The singletrack climb started at a steady gradient, perfect for getting into a rhythm as we snaked our way up the climb amongst the pine trees, the trails littered with slippery pine needles constantly keeping us on our toes. The route offered our legs a small respite with a teasing section of negative gradient singletrack, just enough to wet our appetite, and then back to more ascending. The climbing jostled between jeep track and singletrack. ‘Full Monty’ was looming as reached the top of the first main, this was the first of the singletrack descents we came for. Cue the ‘Full Monty’, glorious flowing singletrack. The trail snaked its way down the mountain as we raced through the pine trees.
The descent was littered with tight hairpin turns which were made forever trickier with the pine needles covering the route, however this was what we came for, singletrack nirvana. After bombing down ‘Full Monty’ we were quickly greeted by another climb, this one however seemed a lot more rocky and technical. The climbing on the singletrack sections also seemed more vicious, thank goodness for my 2x10, small ring engaged. As the gradient increased and my heart knocked against my ribcage I constantly reminded myself that more gorgeous manicured singletrack loomed.
Upon the summit of the final climb we were greeted by yet another breathtaking view of the mountain range surrounding Wellington. While waiting for the group to reassemble I was reminded how fortunate we are in the Western Cape in terms of mountain bike trails. I haven’t had the privilege of cycling any trails overseas but I honestly can’t think of any trails that can trump these, perhaps I’m just being biased. I open to be proved wrong if anyone can say otherwise.
Group reassembled, climbing completed we were ready to head down ‘Cool Runnings’. I was warned it was fast and can get a bit hairy in terms of speed. Warning given I was ready to head down. As the trail began I quickly see why my mates gave me a heads up. The pace increased ever more as we snaked our way down the singletrack. ‘Cool Runnings’ was a bit different to ‘Full Monty’ as there was no forest that was surrounding us, we were totally exposed and out in the open which does offer a different sensation of speed. However I wasn’t complaining at all, the pace was fast and furious as we descended. The singletrack descent was roughly 4km’s of fast paced and sometimes slippery trails. After an exhilarating descent we all made it down in one piece.
Once all back together the group exchanged their experiences of the singletrack as we peddled back to the cars. This is what mountain biking is all about, experiencing new trails, sharing moments with friends and glorifying the majesty cycling. All in all Welvanpas is a must for any cyclist, the routes are clearly marked and accommodate all cyclist whether you be a newbie or a racesnake.
See you on the outside — urban rouleur
