The Karkloof trails were number 1 in the 2021 Top MTB Trails rankings. At the heart of this accolade is the trail or route. So what did it take to create nearly 300km of routes, mostly comprising beautifully crafted singletrack? Not many people understand the extent of the investment and passion that goes into building a top MTB trail network and destination such as Karkloof.
Paid partnership with Sappi
The trails have been steadily developing in the Karkloof and Howick areas for the past 30 years, beginning with simple hand-raked paths that wove through the Sappi forests and private farmlands, maturing over time into what can only be described as a tapestry of artworks shaped by Hylton Turvey, members of the Nguni Trails team and, more recently, Keira Duncan.
Hylton in particular has helped define the soul of this great trail network. When you ride some of his master pieces like Richert’s Realm, The Bachelor, Jewitt’s Jive, The Carnival, Sid Vicious, Rene’s Rumble and others, you can feel the essence of mountain biking – flow, adrenaline, simplicity and mindfulness. Rider, bike and trail literally become one. That’s not some ethereal analogy, it is fact. Add to this some of the most beautiful scenery, habitat and wildlife you are ever likely to see and you have magic!
What the Karkloof Club has also created are facilities that perfectly compliment the standard of trail riding on offer through them. Like the trails, the Clubhouse has evolved over the years and must now be amongst the best in South Africa. The Karkloof Café serves superb coffee and food – two essential ingredients to any ride! It also has a well-stocked bar and the staff are super friendly and professional. Add to this safe parking, hot showers and even a bike wash and you would think it couldn’t get any better. It does! The Club has built amazing kid (and adult) friendly facilities such as a pump track and kids play area in front of the new deck which overlooks the fields and mountains of the valley and it doesn’t stop there. The Club is continuously looking for ways to add value and make improvements. One of the latest is the exciting addition of the Karkloof Falls view and picnic site which is now under the management of the Club.
The Falls has always been open to the public and up until it was included in the Club’s Access Agreement, it was owned, managed and maintained by Sappi. The success of the Sappi and Club partnership has led to the decision to allow the Club to ensure that this site remains safe and well maintained for generations of visitors to come. Like they’ve done with the trails and complimentary facilities on offer, the plan is to improve the Falls over time. The immediate focus has been on upgrading the ablutions, signage and access control to the site. Club members will enjoy all of this as part of their annual package of benefits. Day visitors will be required to pay for access, just like they do for access to the Club’s facilities and trails.
To make all of this possible requires a mix of ingredients including collaboration and ongoing investment. The Karkloof trails are mainly built on Sappi property and other private farmlands in Karkloof and Howick. For the past eleven years Sappi has been intricately involved in helping develop the Karkloof Club and trails through the Sappi Trails Programme.
Sappi is committed to creating shared value by allowing controlled access and use of its properties by partners such as the Karkloof Club. In addition to access, Sappi has been the title sponsor of the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival since 2014 and before that was the Lifestyle Sponsor of this legendary event. They have also partnered with the IDC and invested in the Karkloof Adventure Tourism Incubator which has resulted in the formation of the Nguni Trails team, which is now trained and equipped to assist with the building and maintenance of the trails.
Understanding the socio-economic benefits and impacts that trails and trail visitors have on the local tourism economy is also important. A 2017 a study conducted by Tourism KZN on the Karkloof Classic Trail Festival showed that the event created a combined direct and indirect economic impact of R234 million. To build on this study and further understand the impacts, Sappi has recently partnered with uMngeni Tourism to conduct a Business Impact Study which is in its final stages. More on this study will be shared in the next article.
The coming articles will help reveal more about successful Sappi trails and trail partners because the more we understand about how to achieve success as a trail venue, the more trails will grow into sustainable nature based economic development arteries. This is also part of Sappi’s contribution towards creating shared value.
Additional Sappi Insight:
SAPPI SUPPORTS GROWTH OF PIGGLY WIGGLY PROGRAMME
