Gubu Dam MTB Route

About Gubu Dam MTB Route

Where: Gubu Dam, 20 km west of Stutterheim
Level: intermediate (this is not for beginners)
Type of route: circular; no single track
How long: 25 km
Best: any time of year (summer is cool because of the trees)

The Eastern Cape's Gubu Dam is at the foot of Mount Kubusie and Mount Thomas, on the province's Escape Route. The route is an outdoor route, designed to introduce visitors to the beauty of the area around the town of Stutterheim.

Stutterheim reclines in amongst the Amatola Mountains with access to the country's second largest indigenous forest, in which there are a series of walking trails, as well as an MTB trail around the dam, perfect for hot summer days. Surrounded by forest the Gubu dam is also popular for trout fishing and weekend getaways.

The MTB route is designed in a large circle that heads up the side of Mount Thomas west of the dam, and then along a contour path through the indigenous state forest of Kubusi, which lies alongside the indigenous forest of Kologha, further east.

The forest is some of the most untouched forest you will experience and a very good reason to ride the route.

From the forest you leave the contour path and plunge downhill at a rapid rate along a gravel road until you reach the Kubusie sawmill.

From the sawmill the ride is not difficult, back to the dam. The best part of the ride (aside from the downhill) is that most of it occurs under the cover of trees. For those who are averse to heat, this is a godsend.