It’s not very long, but the Eselbank 4x4 Trail still throws up a few good challenges. ROADSOUTHERN AFRICAN ROUTES WORTH TAKINGTRIP Going here’s a story that floats T between the farmhouses and padstals of the Tankwa postal Karoo. It’s rather short on detail – most versions aren’t longer This historic Karoo-Cederberg route is a must for 4x4 enthusiasts than a sentence or two. But and adventure bikers. TYSON JOPSON did it over a long weekend everyone knows it, and in the Karoo, if everyone knows ‘Old’ is also important because There are a number of ways something then it must be true. we’ve come a long way since to get to this part of the world. It is the story of a young girl who the days of delivering mail on For bikers, none is better than walked alone over the Tra-Tra foot. In fact, we don’t do all that the route through Wellington, Mountains. From a farm at much on foot at all any more. over Bainskloof Pass and into Elandsvlei in the Tankwa, she And for those who like Ceres. From Ceres we headed walked 57 kilometres in the exploring the most remote north to Op Die Berg and then searing heat to Wupperthal reaches of our country, that is onto the first bit of gravel on the missionary station in the truly a glorious development. journey, up and over Katbakkies Cederberg. When she arrived To make the most of the Pass towards the infamous she handed over a parcel glorious development of R355, a tyre-chomping stretch containing mail. And then she motorised transport, a friend of corrugated gravel that links turned around and walked back and I took a long weekend from Ceres to Calvinia, and will cause again. She did this every week. Cape Town to ride the famous anyone who’s ever been to Today that route is known as Old Postal Route. We left town AfrikaBurn to shudder at the the Old Postal Route. And the on a sunny Friday afternoon, sound of its name. The road ‘Old’ is very important because Chris on an old KTM640 that he runs parallel to the Doring River, the trail, for the most part, has once rode from Cyprus to Cape and on the banks of a dam off remained largely unchanged. Town, and me on my KLR650. one of its small tributaries is 44 MARCH 2018 ROAD TRIP TANKWA–CEDERBERG ‘He prescribed two ice-cold beers and, doctor’s orders, we glugged them down...’ A low waterline makes crossing Die Mond – a wonderful patch The Old Postal Route starts bike, you need your wits about kilometres, but a far cry from the Doring River (relatively) of green in the desert. It was with a few sandy sections and you to keep it on two wheels. the half-a-week it took that poor easy in the summer months. our first overnight stop and two river crossings (check the Once on the plateau, Chris and girl with her post. We cooled also where we met up water levels with locals; if it’s I cruised along marble-like off in the shade of some old with Johan van der Walt, an too high, the route may become gravel until the sight of rooibos gum trees in Wupperthal before anaesthetist, friend and the impassable). Soon after, we plantations came into view. tackling the final section, the custodian of our luggage and really were in the middle of From there we descended Eselbank Pass, down to our food for the night. Johan had nowhere. Ancient, scorched Kraaiberg Pass down to the campsite for the night. It’s travelled ahead and, as shale stretched out for miles in mission station in Wupperthal. a short but challenging 4x4 planned, had two cold beers every direction and we trundled All in all, the ride from Die Mond route with a great mix of rocks ready for when we arrived. on. Next up was Karretjies Pass. to Wupperthal took us the and sand, and at the other end It was a warm afternoon and It’s technical, steep and very better part of four hours. It’s riders or drivers are rewarded we didn’t bother setting up rocky and, on an adventure a long time to cover 80-odd with a dip in a secret rock pool our tents, instead choosing just outside the small farming to sleep under the stars. hamlet of Eselbank. The following day Chris and We were hungry so we I headed north to tackle the skipped the pool and headed meat and potatoes of this route. straight for Cederberg Oasis. Johan, in his sedan, headed There, we again found our south. We would meet on the anaesthetist. He prescribed two other side, at Cederberg Oasis. ice-cold beers and, doctor’s It wasn’t even 9am before the orders, we glugged them down, pool, and some preferred to south to Ceres on the R303, There’s nothing more full spectrum of heat hit us. hot, exhausted and thrilled spend the day hanging out at which is home to Middelburg rewarding on a hot day than By the time we arrived at to have completed such the Oasis. Soon, it was time to Pass, a rather epic gravel a dip in a secret rock pool. Elandsvlei, the start of the a challenging route. go. Chris and I took the gravel descent that twists and turns After the ride we headed back here with friends. 4x4 trail, it felt like midday on The following morning we road past Cederberg Private back on itself before the the sun. were joined by some friends Cellars to see how much more straight tar drag back to Ceres and spent the early hours gravel we could squeeze into and then home. All in all, we’d exploring this region of the the home journey. ridden 12 mountain passes FROM LEFT Poke around Wupperthal to Cederberg. Some hiked up A lot, it turns out – we tracked in a weekend – some long, find Lekkerbekkie; drinks come with the nearby mountains, others the Olifants River down to some short, some challenging. a side order of rust at Die Werkswinkel. joined us in visiting that rock Citrusdal and then continued All special in their own way. 46 MARCH 2018 getaway.co.za 47 ROAD TRIP TANKWA–CEDERBERG Old Postal Route Tra-Tra Mountains 5 Day by day TAR GRAVEL Day 1: Cape Town to 4X4 Tra-Tra River 4 Die Mond campsite 6 Wupperthal DISTANCE 275km ALLOW 6 hours 3 Hit the N1 out of Cape Town, then the Grab 4 Secret rock pool 7 Elandsvlei R44 to Wellington and the R301 over a bite 9 Bainskloof Pass to Ceres. Leave Ceres 10 Eselbank on the R303, up Gydo Pass and then right just after Die Dorp op die Berg. Take 8 a right towards the Tankwa Karoo as soon as the road turns to gravel, up over Katbakkies Pass and then down to the 6 R355 on Peerboomskloof Pass. A short Quick sip stretch up the R355 you’ll find Tankwa Padstal (1) and about 30km further, the 5 turn-off to Die Mond Campsite (2), which Citrusdal 2 is another 15km west on gravel. DIE MOND CAMPSITE 11 UITKYK PASS 12 1 GYDO PASS 2 KATBAKKIES PASS Day 2: Die Mond to Cederberg Oasis Doring 3 PEERBOOMSKLOOF PASS River DISTANCE 143km ALLOW 7 hours 4 KARRETJIES PASS (4X4 ONLY) Take the gravel road directly north from Die Mond to Elandsvlei 5 KRAAIBERG PASS 6 KOUBERG PASS (it tracks the Doring River for a short stint) and the start of the 7 ESELBANK PASS (4X4 ONLY) Old Postal Route 4x4 Trail. There are two river crossings (the Doring 8 UITKYK PASS R355 1 and then the Tra-Tra) as you start. These can become impassable 9 NIEUWOUDTS PASS Waterhole 10 KRIEDOUWSKLOOF PASS R303 for humans after heavy rains so get an update from locals at Die Mond. It gets a 11 ELANDSKLOOF PASS little thorny after the crossings, so make sure you’re prepared in case 12 MIDDELBERG PASS of punctures. the trail climbs Karretjies Pass and then continues east through a large rooibos plantation before dropping down Kraaiberg 2 3 Pass. Turn left at the T-junction and head south to Wupperthal for Directory lunch (3). Take the southernmost road out of town and onto the 1 Werkswinkel Bar at the Eselbank Pass. Stop for a dip at the rock pool (4) before you enter the Tankwa Padstal. It’s become booking the A-frame tented village of Eselbank. From there head on the only road south out of somewhat of an institution, Open Monday to Saturday, accommodation) but there town and down to the Cederberg Oasis (5) for the night. and a Tankwa Karoo road Die Dorp 9am–4pm. 027-492-3292 are loads of cool spots trip just seems incomplete op die Berg 4 Eselbank Waterfall. (and hammocks!) for whiling without a stop here. Drinks A faded sign at the end of away hot days. Furnished are cold and smiles are wide. the Eselbank 4x4 Trail points tents from R165 pp sharing, It’s also your last stop for to this secret stop. There’s bush campsite from R200 snacks for some time. a rock pool for cooling off and (sleeps four). 027-482-2819 [email protected] a little way down is a waterfall 6 Cederberg Private Cellar. 2 Die Mond Campsite, where the Eselbank River Somehow this marvellous Tankwa. You’ll find well- 1 drops off into the Tra-Tra vineyard manages to produce shaded sites with braai River.