Now this is mother natures version of a epic slip and slide. This 35 foot high waterfall in Lynn Canyon Park in British Columbia has been smoothed out over time and has become one of the best slip and slides in the world. The slip and slide ends with a 10 meter drop that spits you out into a giant natural pool.
Testing the line between brave and stupid, as us humans do!
Just because your rig has a snorkel doesn’t mean it can swim. A Nissan Patrol makes a dodgy crossing in Victoria, Australia, and learns it’s not the depth of the water but the flow.
By Fareed Behardien
After about 4.5kms of running along the Pipe Track we came to a sudden stop. Taahir pointed to the cairn on the rock ledge next to us and said, “Welcome to Three Firs”. After a few hops up the rock steps, he motioned towards Tammy and me to join him. No signs, random paths and what looked like a bit of scrambling ahead. Where the heck were we heading…?
The start of the Three Firs route is about midway between Woody Ravine and Slangolie Ravine on the Pipe Track. It is not particularly difficult to ascend, however steep drop-offs on the right of the trail gives it an EPIC feel as you make your way up Table Mountain next to Slangolie Ravine.
Steep, slippery underfoot at times, dramatic views and a massive sense of adventure – this sums up Three Firs :)
The climb up was fantastic as you arrive right next to the “Saucy Dog” rock formation. I wouldn’t recommend descending down Three Firs as the path is loose and there are some tricky sections – my spidey sense would also caution against attempting this route when it’s wet out.
We followed the Apostles Path towards Llandudno. After another 1km of running (and a bit of clambering up rocks), Taahir turned right on a short bit of single track. The trail was slightly overgrown as we squeezed past the fynbos. I was sweeping (aka the slow one at the back) and tried to keep Tammy in sight, when suddenly she disappeared through a small gap between a Yellowwood and a rock.
Taahir had led us straight to Tranquility Cracks!
Like a portal to a new dimension, we found ourselves in a series of corridors like a maze between massive rocks on top of Table Mountain. A real hidden gem with the most amazing view of Lion’s Head and the Back Table.
Lots of photos and a few snacks later, we returned to the Apostles Path and ran back towards Kasteelspoort. A quick stop off at the Old Cableway (some more pics of course) and then it was down Kasteelspoort and back along the Pipe Track to the start.
Following lessor known routes with zero signage and exploring Table Mountain. What a way to start a Saturday.
By Taryn McDonald
Seweweekspoort is where the Karoo captured my heart. Some describe it as the most beautiful 17 km stretch of road in South Africa. It lies within the Swartberg nature reserve and spans across both the little and central Karoo.
I hadn’t made any specific plans for the last week of my month of soloing, so after flipping through Jacque Marais’ “Moer and Gone Places” and “Top Trails” I decided to get off the grid and check out Seweweekspoort.
The route starts in a little mission town, Amalienstein. I suggest parking at the Amaliestein Kontrei (GPS coordinates: -33.484004, 21.459823). From here, there are two options for starting the trail. The first is to head east from the Kontrei and take the first left out of Amalienstein towards the R62, across the R62 and head straight up the gravel road, which vehicles use to get to Seweweekspoort. The second is to cycle west down the gravel road from Amalienstein Kontrei, the road will curve to the right towards the R62 and then cross over it. Follow this route north until it intersects the road (mentioned in option 1).
This is definitely the more fun off-road route to get to the poort, but I also ended up with about 15 giant thorns in my tyres. I pulled out a few but when it took a long time for the slime to kick in, I decided to leave the rest.
The route climbs very gently. You’ll barely notice it because you’ll be staring up at the giant masses of rock reaching up towards the sky. As you move forward, the poort closes behind you with its twists and turns, until eventually all you see is a little stretch of road ahead and behind and mountains all around. And all you hear is the crunching of gravel beneath.
In the poort specifically, the road climbs approximately 479 m (532m to 1011m ASL) over 17 km. For more information on the history of the pass: Click Here. On the western side of the poort you will see Seweweekspoort Peak towering above the rest. At 2325 m, this is the highest peak in the Western Cape. I made a mental note to come back to climb it one day.
The poort crosses the Seweweekspoort River more than twenty times and there are beautiful spots to stop for a snack.
Continue past the poort until the 22 km mark where you will find a T-juction, with Laingburg to your left and Bosch Luys Kloof pass to your right. Turn around here and head back for the ride of your life, enjoying the views of the poort from the opposite direction…approximately 20 km of downhill bliss with very little pedaling.
On the way down I felt a gentle mist spraying me sporadically. Could it be a drizzle on a ferociously hot day? Alas, it was not. A thorn had dislodged itself from my tubeless tyre and instead of sealing the hole, the slime was being released, going round and round up into the air and raining down on me. Carrying a hand-pump has proven to be essential on these solo trips! I stopped twice to pump it up really hard and that seemed to do the job.
There is only one place to sleep over at inside the poort. It’s called Aristata and it is located near the middle.
At the top near the T-juntion you will find Op-die-Plaas camping and Zandrivier Self-catering cottages. I chose to treat myself to a stay at Bosch Luys Kloof Private Nature reserve, which is located 12 km east of the top of the poort at the end of Bosch Luys Kloof Pass. I highly recommend it. The food is amazing, there are numerous trails for running and hiking, you can cycle to Gamkapoort dam (and canoe on the dam when the water levels are high), and you can even cycle the To-Hell-and-Back MTB route which takes you up to the famous Die Leer, which forms part of the Freedom Ride route out of Die Hel.
Kyle Jameson and his team went on a quest to explore new terrain for untouched mountain bike lines. While on the hunt they uncovered some epic new terrain in Namibia which is definitely not your typical riding destination. They rode their bikes around the oasis known as Goanikontes in the Naukluft desert and ended up on the almost unrideable sand dunes of the skeleton coast.
