The Barrydale Cycle Loop

For Karoo Art Hotel guests up until now cycling has been a quirky affair...

 There's typically been a "you are going to be riding a bicycle" hint on the dress codes for the magical mystery tours, but in jackets and ties and who knows what else one might respond with on the instruction to bring '1920's cycling gear; Jodphurs ?

The cycle loop a great leap forward.

Woema's Jersey cows on Bergsig

The Barrydale cycle loop project was originally kicked off by Alan Hardaker but after his departure was picked up by Mark Saul (below) and some willing helpers...

'Vacationing cyclist' is perhaps what it's all about. Maybe you're a top cyclist and you're dying to get your partner or other mates to bite the bug. This is that kind of exercise. 

Currently open is the 40km loop. Next up will be the more challenging 100km loop.

The first out is a mere 8kms into the loop on Andre Van Der Walt's (Woema's) beautiful dairy farm, Bersig. This might be a fast track return to the Joseph Barry Cellars tasting room for anyone looking to keep the cycling part of the weekend short and sharp.

Down a long hill after Woema's you'll cross over into Duo and Mariana Faure's farm Moddera (vegetable seed, cattle and sheep, peaches). 

Next up is Weltevrede belonging to Capedry the Montagu based dried fruit operation. There you'll see apricots, peaches, pears, carrots and onions. There you might bump into Kobus Zulch. 

At 12kms in is the next 'out' ie a 24km loop.  This is on the Van Tonder's abundant fruit farm Weltevrede. That's Pieter snr and Suzaan Van Tonder plus their sons Deon and Pieter Jnr - all involved in what's an extensive operation producing export peaches, pears, apples and apricots.  The same promise of the Joseph Barry Cellar tasting room as an end of ride celebration or perhaps an ale at Makers' Brew or the Hotel verandah holds true. 

Riding on you'll enter Jacques and Rita Theron's Weltevrede farm and the Helderstroom Boerdery. This farm is a fine example of the kind of water infrastructure that's an essential underpin to anyone wanting to create abundance in a semi-arid land. They have peaches,  pears, plumbs and their jersey herd is one of SA's milk herds. Also there are Cobie and Alta Theron. 

After that you skirt to Adolf and Millie Potgieter and Fanus and Carin Oberholzer's place and enter one of the highlights of the Barrydale show Lentelus. The Joubert snr's (Kobus and Helena Joubert) live in the Lentelus Farmstay homestead while Meyer and Beate are at Joubert-Tradauw Vinyards and Cellar. Meyer drives the business with its export pears, peaches and apples. Plus the top end estate wine label Joubert-Tradauw.  The farm manager is Coenraad Visser. 

This is a definite 'time to smell the coffee stop' or a wine tasting. Meyer a more than handy cyclist himself and his wife is Beate is a superb cook and she runs the estate Alfresco Deli. She's a gourmet cookbook author and an artist and they do incredible platters. Decision time. Go big or go home?

Not far further along the loop is Kenny Scheepers' Metanoia Permaculture Farm and Distillery. Kenny retired early out of a career in international oil trading and swapped Zug in Switzerland for the creation of a high end Gin, Whiskey and Brandy distillery in the Klein Karoo. It was a brilliant move. If you don't get as far as them ask for Metanoia in the hotel pub. The Gin Loop is approximately 35 Kms. 

Virtually in hearing distance across a beautiful orchard filled landscape is the Route 62 'middle of no where' Rock venue. They have a regular program of visiting performers and even if there isn't a live act on it's worth a pop in.You are now plus minus 20kms from home. The options are either by tar on Route 62 or back along the loop. 

How it works is that you pop into the hotel, sign an indemnity and then we take the courtesy of letting the farm owners who's on the route know you are out there. It's quite simple. We give you a map, cover any detail that you may require and send a WhatsApp pic of the group and...off you go.