A giggle of girls (playing like they were in their 20’s on a budget in their 40’s) walked past us to the bar. Matching tight jeans, fake fur and red lipstick seemed out of place for this place – or so I thought. Clearly I was way wrong. Our warming coffees were peasant food for their Redbull and whatever’s. An hour later the giggle were trying to barge in on Craig’s shower, followed by them buying us shots before climbing back into their Mad Max wagon and disappearing across the horizon followed by a cloud of dust. This was day one of our trip.

The Tankwa is a place for big open spaces, eating lamb chops and an even bigger ability to drink alcohol, all in the name of letting it hang out (aka finding yourself). I spent two decades finding myself on steep cliffs that I have no desire to visit “The Burn”, nevertheless the Tankwa has a weird energy about it. Without knowing it we opened the door to possibilities and personal reinvention, somehow down the Katbakkies Pass.

The rough plan was to get a taste of the Tankwa, follow the Tankwa Grit highlights and get some quality miles in the legs. Choosing the Cape Winter over scorching Summer months requires a change in tactic. Thanks to Craig for being keen for the challenge.

Day 1: 110 km, 1266m, 4h49: The forecast was for some rain but clearing up later. It seems like rain comes from the West and is stopped by the Cederberg before it reaches the drier inland. We were very aware of the narrow tar road between Citrusdal and Op die Berg. Fortunately there was not much traffic. Not much to do but put all our layers on and ride.
Coffee stop at Wonderlik (not open on weekends) in Op die Berg. Then onwards towards Katbakkies Pass. As soon as we turned off the tar onto Katbakkies we started up a short but steep climb. A long false flat followed before we headed up a steep ascent which was tarred. Sections of double digit gradient suddenly topped us out to a view of the great expanse of the Tankwa. Neither of us paid much attention to the descent (and the door opening wide) which got steeper and steeper leading down into a wonderful little kloof with some picnic spots at the bottom. And suddenly we landed in the Tankwa proper – flat expanse for miles.
A few miles later and we turned left towards the famous Tankwa Padstal for more coffee. Well worth a visit.
The last 10 km to Bike X Cape was a cruise. We were greeted with cold beer and warm showers. Yay.
The signs were there but we chose to ignore them. This was going to be a noisy night. We had booked tented accommodation which is about 20m from the lapa. Short story: the noise from partying was crazy and lasted until midnight. I would not book the camping again for fear of a repeat however I would certainly consider one of the houses which are slightly further away.
Pre booked braai packs were great with pap. Lemson the bar tender, and do everything guy, needs a mention as he is truly wonderful. How he landed here from Malawi is beyond me.

Day 2: 170 km 2400m 8h53: Theoretically this was the crux day. I wanted to ride the Ouberg Pass but to find accommodation on the far side was a challenge. No way around it but to pedal.
We left Bike X trying to keep a fair clip of 20km/h with a very short stop for snacks. Ouberg Pass was further away than expected and when it finally came into view it did not disappoint. Steep, snaking up the escarpment and unrelenting. I hoped to ride the entire ascent but had to push in a couple of sections. It was bloody hot. Traction was an issue and I was glad I was on an MTB with wide tyres. The ascent took just under 2h which meant that we had two and a half hours to complete 50 km into a headwind before it was dark. I stoked the train as hard as I could sustain. The final climb 2km from Oupoort almost killed us.
What a wonderful reception we received at Oupoort Eco Lodge. We were in desperate straights to get warm and fed. Our hosts were awesome and no strangers to tired cyclists. Drinks, beers and braai pack with desert arrived and we’re consumed before an early night.

Day 3: 170 km with 990 m (1700m descent) 7h39: We were not entirely sure of the total distance of today as we had a few options mapped before the start. We thought that it could be as long as 200km but more likely 190 depending on what option we took within the Tankwa National Park. It did not take long to realise that today was my day to watch a back wheel for miles on end. I somehow thought that the road to Middlepos would be tarred. It was not. The turn is rather unspectacular and so is the settlement. The petrol station and hotel were both closed. It seemed like a scene from a western as we cruised through. A group of bikers were astride their steeds in a circle ready for a hanging. They were clearly relying on a refuel to continue on their journey. We rolled past not making eye contact.
A slight rise and change of scenery and we felt like we were heading to the end of the world. I kept my head down and eyes glued to the wheel in front of me. Suddenly the descent of the Gannaga Pass was here and it looked amazing. A true delight. We warmed up substantially as we dropped into the Tankwa National Park. A little further on we stopped at the main office to buy our day permit.
The next section was pretty straight but required some thought as to picking the best route. We were aware that an error could cost us quite a lot in time. Finally we popped out of the reserve and saw signs to Da Doer. I recognised this from Munga videos and convinced Craig to stop. Coffee and toasted sandwich and we were off. The R355 was not as bad as we thought. Throughout our trip corrugations were never a major issue. We constantly had a find a flattish line on either side of the road but it was there. Maybe we were lucky.
This section did drag on as so often does. That place where you know you are going to do it but then you haven’t yet. It took time. Things in the Tankwa things move slowly. A quick coffee generally takes an hour and distances are big and the going is slow.
The Padstal was closed and we were on a mission for cold beer so we turned left, counting down the km’s to Bike X.
Luckily this evening the place was quiet and we could sleep through the night.

Day 4: 110 km, 1500 m 5h30. We both somehow thought this day would be easier than it was. The threat of rain and headwind did not help the mood. Katbakkies Pass started off brutal and did not give up. We had to work hard on this one. The drag up past the Kagga Kamma turn off was a challenge. We were looking forward to a coffee and lunch at Wonderlik but this seemed to delay us quite a bit. Back on cold bikes into a headwind. Finally we made it.

Recommendations: I would start from Op die Berg or maybe Houdenbek farm. That means I would ride further on day 1 and stay at Da Doer rather than Bike X just to get a better night’s rest. Also it makes the next two days a little less epic.
It was really cold on the bike. Knee warmers and shoe covers are recommended. I never took off my winter riding gloves. But then I would choose the winter cold over the summer heat every time!

A most awesome adventure in a part of the world that I have wanted to explore for a long time. It was great to share this with a partner in crime.