SAND bikepacking route Segment 1 – part 1

It was a long haul from Wanaka to Cape Town but we got there, along with our tiny trangia burner that Queenstown airport wanted to confiscate – a far cry from the chainsaw and fuel that Christchurch airport had missed in their scanning procedures a week or two back!

We spent 2 nights in the attractive university town of Stellenbosch sorrounded by vineyards, 40 mins from Cape Town and ventured into Cape Town to take a bus tour to see the city and circumnavigate the spectacular Table Mountain. The large city was far more vibrant than we were expecting.

It is always good to start the pedals spinning and our route out of Stellenbosch was through the stunning mountains that dominate the scenery of the Western Cape.  We traversed affluent wine growing areas, then a horticultural region just finishing the apple and citrus harvest and then into a rural hinterland. The countryside was surprisingly green in places after big rains in January.

These early days were on a mix of paved and good gravel roads, there were cafe lunches and beds to sleep in at night so very civilised. We suspect this will not be the norm going forward..

Cape Town has a stunning backdrop of Table Mountain

The wealthy of Cape Town live along its beautiful coastal stretch just south of the downtown

In Nobel Square the first 4 South African Nobel Peace prize winners – among them Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and F W De Klerk

The paved route out of Stellenbosch winds thru impressive rock peaks

We bike thru vineyards and expensive real estate below the backdrop of the mountains

At lunch we meet Jack who features on the cafe serviette

Ascending Franschhoek pass under the hot afternoon sun

Still early days to see a leaping springbok

It was a colourful descent from the pass

Views from Rusty Gate pass on day 2 our first foray off the tarmac

The national elections are in a week or so, the regular load sharing regime (power cuts) has been stopped leading up to the election

We follow quiet back roads under a range of peaks and alongside the activity of the fruit harvest

Alan hitching a lift with some orchard workers

A rough start to day 3 saw us getting wet feet while negotiating a blown out creek crossing

Much nicer than the busy N2 highway that we started on

Where horticulture meets agriculture – mandarins for the cows

The surprising gorge leading to Montagu

Klogmanns Kloof Cliff illustrates why the extensive range across the Western Cape are called the Cape Fold mountains

Montagu is a hotspot for rock climbing in South Africa