Where To Ride: Living Colour – Darling, Western Cape
Living Colour is a new family-friendly outdoor lifestyle destination nestled in the fields of Darling in the Western Cape.
The venue offers a range of engaging activities for the whole family, including mountain bike trails and pump tracks. Last weekend we dropped in for a look around and to explore the trails.
THE TRAILS | For a few years now the venue has hosted mountain bike races with fields of up to 2000 riders so many might recognize the trails. The 21km Red Route is mostly singletrack that we’d classify as intermediate friendly. The trailhead is located in the middle of the farm and the route follows a large circular pattern around the farm with a series of cloverleaf type loops. The route takes you deep enough into the countryside to appreciate the amazing views – yet you are never very far from the trailhead. The trails have a few small features including berms, wooden bridges, river crossings, tunnels, natural rock gardens, descents and switchbacks. The trails are not overly manicured and they flow well. Endurance, Trail and eMTB riders looking to expose themselves to mildly technical singletrack with a little climbing will enjoy the 21km Red Route that has around 500m of elevation and takes around two hours to complete. For rookies, we’d suggest starting with the 11km Green Route that is a gentler introduction to the terrain.
THE VENUE | The Living Colour trails are about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, located 5km outside of Darling on the R315. Google Maps link here The trailhead is based at the new Living Colour outdoor family destination on the privately-owned Wolwefontein Farm. There is plenty of parking available and you’ll find toilets, onsite shower facilities, a locally stocked restaurant and deli with a curated menu catering for everyone including vegetarians, vegans and kids. An adult pump track and tamer kid’s pump track are located next to the restaurant for riders who are keen to polish up on their skills before or after exploring the trail network.
WHAT TO TAKE | All your riding gear, sunblock and the usual spares kit including CO2 canisters and tubeless repair spares.
TAKEOUT | Wolwefontein MTB promises friendly staff, fair pricing, an enthusiastic landowner, beautiful scenery and mildly challenging trails. Moreover, the venue has all the facilities to host birthday parties and other celebrations for families, work colleagues and trail mates. Learn more
| IMAGES: Jacques Miracle-Man Marais and Jacqui van Staden |