Hemel en Aarde MTB Trails

About Hemel en Aarde MTB Trails

Start: Hemel en Aarde Village
Finish: Hemel en Aarde Village
Level: intermediate to difficult
Type of route: jeep track, farm road, some of the best singletrack
Distance: from 6.5 km to 35 km; circular and return options
Cell reception: good

The Hemel en Aarde (heaven and earth) valley is an easy travel distance from Cape Town, just outside the seaside town of Hermanus. The Village, the MTB routes' starting point, is not difficult to find. Time your ride for early morning and you can make it back in time for the Hermanuspietersfontein Market - held weekly on Saturday mornings with a focus on food and wine.

The MTB route is divided into four routes (green, blue, red, black) with clear route markers. They all initially follow the tar road into the valley from the Village. It takes you through the valley, via a selection of wineries with stunning views.

The route starts with a drop into singletrack along the side of the river of the valley, a flat ride with a slight uphill as you reach the Camphill turn-off, where one takes a left.

From this turn-off three routes push through the valley (the black, red and blue), although the black route has already veered off for a climb in amongst bluegum plantation along some awesome singletrack by this stage. The green route heads back to the Village.

The black route again adds an uphill loop along jeep track to its route before joining the other two routes again at Volmoed. Here the blue route heads back to the village via Plaaskombuis (a good excuse for a stop) along singletrack.

The red and black routes forge on up the valley along the banks of the Onrus River with a steady climb up to Sumaridge. This is where the red route veers off to return to the Village through the valley past at least another three wineries.

The black route continues through vineyards and berry farms until Mogg's Country Kitchen presents an obvious stop. Further wineries and incredible views await the black route's return along singletrack, jeep track and an exceptional viewpoint over the ocean at the top of Rotary Drive.