TRAIL NOTES:
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Please turn back if you come across a no cycling sign anywhere.
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Arrows: Note when you see an inverted arrow i.e white on your route colour, this means you are headed for home or it gives you the option of a short cut or quick way home.
We have a rating system in our descriptions below so riders can get some idea of what they are in for. Using a scale of 1-5 to rate Scenic, Fitness, Skills and Overall Pleasure of the ride.
- You must familiarise yourself with our indemnity before signing and going out to ride. Mtb is an adventure sport with inherent risks which you are choosing to take when you go riding.
- Be aware that cane harvesting is from mid April till Christmas. Be aware for tractors and vehicles at all times!
- These are working farms we ride through and the tractors must be given right of way as they carry heavy loads and take a long time to stop. Please move out of their way quickly for your safety.
Holla Trails comprises of over eight mountain biking routes that total 330 kilometres of marked track. While we will do what we can to assist in an emergency, Holla Trails has very limited resources and we are unable to provide emergency assistance other than liasing between you and emergency services or others as best we can,
GARMIN DOWNLOADS: Click "Garmin Downloads" on the left menu bar and you can access the downloads which have some normal routes and some interesting variations from the normal set routes.
ONLY PERMITED RIDERS ARE ALLOWED ON THESE TRAILS! IF YOU RIDE WITHOUT A PERMIT, YOU ARE STEALING AND PUTTING THE TRAILS SYSTEM AT RISK BY NOT INDEMNIFYING THE FARMERS.
TRUE MOUNTAIN BIKERS DON'T STEAL!
Green Route15 km
Really easy riding for newer riders. Very flat easy riding with a few short sections of sand, which can make things tricky. The lack of hills makes up for the sand. It is possible to turn back early in a couple of places for those who are feeling weary. Suitable for younger kids on gear bikes, but be careful of the tar road crossing in the first and last km of the route.
Ratings Scenic: 3 Fitness needed: 1 Skills: 1 Pleasure: 4
Garmin route:
Red Route Option of 23km and 28km (via a 5 km detour)
Red has been revamped with a mix of everything. Route starts easily enough with some flat easy riding followed into a gum forest single track before a few km's on the Compensation flats.Soon after riding past a dam you have a choice of taking the 23 km climb or the longer, technical and tough 5 km detour at the distric road crossing.
The 23 km route essentially takes a long broken climb up with some interesting terrain where it meets the 5 km detour described below.
The 5 km detour requires some hard climbing to 9 roads tree before a super fast downhill takes you into a highly technical and really pretty bit of single track riding which follows a stream. Another clmb out follows before joining the standard 24 km red.
After passing a farm compound, prepare for a rough fast downhill with a sharp right turn into single track just before you cross a stream. Here again you follow some fun flowing single track, criss crossing the stream. take the time to stop and look around in this awesome bush.
The route enters jeep track again and gives a perfect amount of alttitude away to make a fast 2 km ride before crossing the flats again back to Holla
Scenic: 5 Fitness needed: 4 Skills: 3 (short) 4 (long) Pleasure: 4.5
Orange 13km
This is a time trial route . It follows the first 8 km of the Silver 14 km before taking an early climb to the fig tree ridge and following a short technical fast sweeping downhill back to the Living Earth dam and home to Holla.
Fitness needed: 2 Skills: 3 Pleasure: 3
Purple Route 25km
Purple is a good challenging ride up and out of the ”inner bowl”. Follow the arrows which go out with the blue and black route. A fair amount of climbing in the early 10km but well worth the stunning single track made by Rob Black – one of our farmers, which is close on 2.5km. A short climb out the valley is followed by some fast drifiting downhill, a really high speed descent and a short single track leg past the living earth dam before heading back home to Holla.
Scenic: 4 Fitness needed: 4 Skills: 4 Pleasure: 4
Maroon route 25 Km
One of our favourite routes and also sporting single track which was built by the Damant family on their farm. Maroon goes out with blue and purple to start with before branching off blue and crossing the Umhlali River. A long climb to keep you honest is followed by the Damants single track and than a fast downhill descent. There is a good challenging amount of hills on this route, but loads of fantastic single track as well! A great all round route with the best of everything for any MTB enthusiast, but be warned it is quite challenging but extremely rewarding.
Scenic: 5 Fitness needed: 5 Skills: 4 Pleasure: 4
Blue route 19 KM
Blue is great for anyone but has some easier options for those riders still getting their confidence up on the single track riding. Blue goes out with purple and maroon, with a long climb in the beginning to gain some altitude. After that you have a choice of going into the python bush single track and again a few km’s further on, you have the choice of taking the single track (maroon) or bypassing it by staying on the jeep track. The ride becomes a sweeping fast ride on some cool single track and than jeep track. There are a couple of short hills to climb before arriving back at Holla.
Scenic: 4 Fitness needed: 3 Skills: 4 Pleasure: 4
Silver 14Km
The silver is a great ride for the more intermediate riders. It goes out onto the district road for 500 metres. Than climbs up and begins sweeping down towards the Living Earth single track. The single track is sweeping and fast with a few bits that will make the the odd nervous riders walk. After the single track riders have a decision between going home straight away or they can continue their ride and do the 5 kilometre loop and some beautiful farm road riding.
Scenic: 4 Fitness needed: 3 Skills: 3 Pleasure: 4
Yellow Route 45 and 48 km
Yellow route is our second longest route and our favourite. It has two nasty big climbs on it which can break many a riders’ soul. There is tons of single track on the trail as it follows a river upstream before clmbing over a ridgeline and descending through the next river valley. Coming home requires two climbs to get around the game farm. At the top of the first climb you can choose to take the shorter (but not much easier) route home.
The longer route takes you home via the awesome purpler route. Treat this like a 60 km ride and you will love it.
Scenic: 4 Fitness needed: 5 Skills: 3 Pleasure: 5
Black Route (3 options)
The Monster 82 km: A really tough but amazing ride with a combination of everything. There are also a number of different options so take a copy of the map along to assist you with your decisions. The first 36 km is mostly constant hard climbing. Recommended for the fitter riders looking for a good challenge and amazing trail. If you have a gps, download the gps route on the left as insurance for getting lost. Not many people are brave enough to ride this route but if you can do the distance you will battle to beat this trail for pure mtb joy.
There are 3 versions of Black Route:
HOWARDS BUSH BLACK - 53 km:
An often forgotten ride forgotten because its part of BIG BLACK and yet one Howards bush is one of our best attractions at the trails. Some big climbs makes it ideal for fitter riders and those looking to get fitter. Follows yellow out before splitting on a causeway. (You can follow yellow further to make it a bit easier as they join again a bit later.)
Take the short black split to the right (with yellow) at 18 km and make your way to Howards bush. A big climb to the radio tower is followed by the most beautiful tropical bush the North coast has to offer and is a credit to the farmer whose land this is on and who the bush is named after.
BLACK SKIPPING THE RESERVE - 72 km: Take the second “quick way home” at about 29 km. This will cut out the last climb to the escarpment and the reserve and take you straight to the 4 wheeler track in mamba valley. You than will ride Howards Bush but can take a short cut before turning to Howards Bush.
MONSTER BLACK - 82 km: Ride the full route making approximately 82 km of good challenging riding. Riding does not get much better than this. Every time I head out there I just realise how much I love this country. A mix of everything you could ask for on a mountain bike.
Scenic: 5 Fitness needed: 5 Skills: 4 Pleasure: 5
Remember: when you are having fun….Holla
*** The bike wash is up and running and is very successful ***
Bike wash - R50.00 non members / R40.00 members
