Welcome to Hollatrails

NEWSFLASH 20 July 2010: Damants skills track on the maroon route. The Damants commissioned expert trainer Russell White to buil a highly technical skills course on their farm and what an amazing job he has done. Built and paid for by the Damant family and kindly offered to the Holla Riders. (Their farm is on the maroon route and we will put a sign up by the weekend to point you in the direction of the skills track at the top of the long climb after the river.)

This track is just over 2 km and very expensive to build and maintain and we ask that you contribute R20 when you buy your permit if you wish to ride there (make sure this is written down in the permit book please). This money will be passed on to the Damants to contribute to recovering some of the costs. This is a highly technical track and is strictly ridden at your own risk.

This track is expensive to build and maintain and we ask that you contribute R20 when you buy your permit which will be passed on to the Damants to contribute to recovering some of the costs. This is a highly technical track and is strictly ridden at your own risk.

 

TRAIL NOTES:

1. Please turn back if you come across a no cycling sign anywhere.
2. 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.

Holla Trails comprises of over eight mountain biking routes that total 330 kilometres of marked track.

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

Red Route 28km

A 28 km route suited more for riders looking to put in some training km's. The first quarter is flat and fast, followed by a long district road climb bringing you to some rough farm roads and a tricky steep grassy rutted downhill before some very scenic valley roads bring you back to Holla.This route matures in winter when the farm traffic has knocked the grasses down and there are not many puddles in the valley.

Scenic: 2 Fitness needed: 3 Skills: 4 Pleasure: 3

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 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 latest and second longest route. It has two nasty big climbs on it which can break many a riders’ soul. After two of the huge hills you can chose between a chicken run or Bull Run descent thereafter goes through some awesome riverine bush riding that Holla has to offer.

Scenic: 4 Fitness needed: 5 Skills: 3 Pleasure: 4

Black Route:

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. There is a shortcut to the right at 18 km marked by an inverted arrow (white arrow on black)

 

Notes re:Howard’s bush (the spectacular bush ride reward after the climb to the mast at about 45 km) is only open AFTER 08h30 Mon to Sat as Howard walks his German Shepards there and they do bite. If you get there before 08h30, you can take the short way home option at the bamboos on the Glendale road. Howard’s bush is open for riding all day Sunday. There are 3 versions for riding the Black Route:

 

BLACK with first shortcut:: take the first quick way home at 18 km which than gives you the choice of the big climb to Howards Bush (8 km) or take the last “quick way home” for a total of 39 km and 800 m climbing.

 

BLACK with second shortcut: Take the second “quick way home” at about 31 km. This will cut out the last climb to the escarpment and take you straight to the 4 wheeler track in mamba valley. You than have the choice of Howards Bush or straight home as per above

 

FULL BLACK: 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 - R35.00 non members / R30.00 members