The hills are alive with possibilities. If you have land and wish to diversify your usage, add another revenue stream to your investment or just bring feet to your farm, then look at the option of a hiking or biking trail! In conjunction with the Tygerberberg Mountainbike Club, Trail-Blazers started pioneering trails in the Tygerberg hills outside Durbanville in 2008, and by 2011, with the completion of a project in the Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy, had brought a total of 140 trail kilometres to areas where none previously existed. Trail-Blazers has been integral in propelling the Western Cape to become a world-class mountain bike destination and equally importantly has exposed the Cape wine farms to a new market of affluent sports men and women, whilst bringing much needed funds to the Renosterveld Conservancies for the protection and enhancement of these unique and threatened areas. Affiliated to AMArider (African Mountainbike Association), the African arm of IMBA (International Mountainbike Association), Trail-Blazers has been mentored and advised by Meurant Botha, World Class Trail Building Guru. Our most notable accolade heralds from the ABSA Cape Epic who used the trails in 2012 for the Epic Prologue. . |
What is a trail? It can be a regular farm road, jeep track or path, but the holy grail of mountainbiking is referred to as ‘singletrack', a narrow piece of track, maybe 80cm wide, that twists and turns, with features such as hairpin bends up or down, banked bends (berms) dips and drops, and maybe routed through forest, kloofs, or across open fields. |
Trail Blazers offers the following services to build your trails;-
Prospecting. We look at the topography of the land, evaluate the local infrastructure, identify possibilities and advise on the type and length of trail to fit, from Cross Country courses to BMX and Pump Tracks. Aerial Surveys. Using Google maps we plot a course on screen before visiting on foot. Ground surveys. Bundu-bashing is a speciality, no trail is built without extensive close-up examination of the terrain on foot or by bike. Recommendation. We will advise the best options for your desired outcome, then plan and design the optimum trail. Route flagging. Marking the route out usually takes a lot of time, especially as the route will change more than once due to unforeseen topographical features. Route cutting. The initial cut depends on the vegetation, with a brush cutter being the favourite tool for the job. We are sensitive to the flora and will go out of our way to protect it where possible. We build to IMBA standards;- managing water and erosion is the key to quality trail building. Specialist services can be utilised to carry out trail audits to ensure they comply with standards Signage. Our contacts in the industry can make up all the signage necessary to ensure a great trail experience for users, ie no-one should ever get lost! |
Access Control. If your land is fenced off, you might consider using solar powered access gates. We can offer tag/card-swipe systems for ingress and egress with website monitoring. Mapping. Trailhead maps can be produced using 3-D mapping techniques that inform the trail user and enhance their experience. Printed versions can also be provided. GPS tracks. Downloadable GPS files showing all the routes can be obtained by users from your website. Website building. The website is your universal advert. It can showcase your facilities, draw potential users to the area and generate income through advertising to pay for itself. Using our network of contacts we can offer you fully built websites, logo design and marketing services, quickly and efficiently. Project management. Now you have a trail, someone must run it! Advice can be given on insurance, risk management, and all aspects of the administration needed to set you up to sell annual or daily permits, maintenance of the website and trails. Trail-Blazers can provide training in all aspects of running the trails, or do it for you. Event Management. Want to hit the ground running? Let Trail-Blazers host your opening event, fun day or race, to maximise your potential from day one. |
- 80 kms over Tygerberg Hills
- Hillcrest Wine Estate
- Kliprug Farm
- Nitida Wine Farm
- D'Aria
- Meerendal
- Bloemendal
- links to Contermanskloof Farm.
- Bottelary Hills MTB Trails (60 kms over 22 farms)
- Majik Forest new single-track and maintenance
- Hazendal Family Bike Park and Trail
- Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy MTB Trail
- Infanta (Potsberg Trails)
- Cape Nature Cederberg Wilderness Algeria Reserve
- Anysberg Nature Reserve
- KAROO1 Hotel Village
- Val de Vie
- Zevenwacht Wine Estate
- Polkadraai Bike Park
- Bottelary Hills MTB Trail
- Calabash Bush Pub, Bainskloof Pass
- Anna Beulah Farm, Durbanville
- Polkadraai Bike Park Phase II
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