One destination. Multiple worlds.

South
Africa

The country of Nelson Mandela, the Springboks, braai, boerewors and the Cape Epic!A country full of contrasts. A trail world to discover it in.
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The ULTIMATE in short
Eight days. Eight trail areas.
One basecamp.Mountain biking through the country of contrasts. Ride Cape Epic trails, visit award-winning wine estates and enjoy the experiences that make every day different.
Travel time

One day of travel: the Alps or South Africa?

A schnitzel for €24 or a steak for €12, plus a completely different world.

0–1 hrsBarely any time difference
1 dayFlying
8 daysMountain biking

Cape Town

The Mother City

This is where your Ultimate Experience starts

In the Western Cape

Oct · NovEuropean autumn =
South African spring.Everything in bloom. The trails are waiting.
Mar · AprEuropean winter =
South African summer.Long days. Dusty trails. Sunsets.
Why South Africa?

One destination. Multiple MTB worlds.

There is a reason the world-famous eight-day CAPE EPIC has been held in the Western Cape since 2004.

Mountains & long viewsLike the Alps.
Rugged & dry trailsLike Andorra.
Trails through winelandsLike Italy.
Flow trails & oceanTypically Western Cape.

Not because the Western Cape is the same as those destinations, but because so many different MTB worlds come together here within a short distance. No two days share the same scenery, the same rhythm or the same combination of trails.

Sometimes refined.
Sometimes raw.
Sometimes fast and playful.
Sometimes vast and silent.
15
Trail areasThe full selection we get to choose from.
From 15 trail areas we select 8 for the Ultimate Experience.
8
DaysOur promise: every trail day tells a new story. A different rhythm. A different setting.
5
Trail charactersClimbing – Descending – Traversing – Flow – Technical.
How we ride
No group pressure
Social riding

We set off together and we come home together. It is not a race to get from A to B as fast as possible, but we do not stop every few kilometres either. What we do instead: a good pace, riding together, enjoying it and taking it in.

Skills and fitness
Room to push yourself

Got the legs or the skills? Then there is room to push yourself. Climb faster, descend harder, or take that one technical line.

Always with a guide behind you and alongside you.

Guiding
Professional guides

Our guides are qualified Adventure Guides and South African locals. They know the trails, the terrain and the best combinations.

You ride with locals who know exactly where to take you.

Enough words for now.

Time for some images.

This is where you will be riding.

Western Cape · 01 / 05

Rugged mountain ranges.

Trail character 01
More about these trails

The exclusive trails of Lourensford. Surrounded by the Hottentots Holland Mountains. We ride here for a full day and an evening. Long climbs, big views and fast descents. This is where you feel the scale and the silence of the rugged Western Cape.

Western Cape · 02 / 05

Flow trails.

Trail character 02
More about these trails

The Banhoek Conservancy, right in the mountains of the Stellenbosch Winelands. We use this trail area to let you settle in, to test your skills, or to give you a first taste of what the rest of the week has in store.

Western Cape · 03 / 05

Technical trails.

Trail character 03
More about these trails

Elgin Trails. A hidden gem behind Sir Lowry’s Pass. One of our favourites. We guide you across the finest mix of surfaces and thrilling technical rocky sections. This one asks for your full concentration.

Western Cape · 04 / 05

Winelands trails.

Trail character 04
More about these trails

The Six Wine Estates trail day. Iconic for this region. Short steep hills and endless vineyards. You climb and descend through the landscape where world-famous wines are made. Sun and shade alternate as quickly as the punchy climbs and fast descents. Often part of the Cape Epic!

Western Cape · 05 / 05

Ocean trails.

Trail character 05
More about these trails

The Helderberg Trails, high above False Bay. An hour to the top, twenty minutes back down. Spectacular views over the ocean. The ripping ride on the last day of every event. Home trails of the Neethling brothers — downhill legends Andrew & Jonty, and the men behind The Hanger. Check them out on YouTube!

Exclusive access

Access others do not have.

Some trail networks are not open to the public. Thanks to local access, exclusive areas can be part of The Ultimate too.

Lourensford & Paul CluverAreas that require a membership or special permission can be part of the Experience thanks to our local access.
The Ultimate Experience

More than mountain biking.

Along the trails into the other worlds.

Riding, discovering, tasting, meeting and coming home.

8 days of South Africa. A world that surprises you, moves you and sometimes makes you look at things differently.

More than MTB 01
Culinary Experience

Carefully chosen lunch spots, award-winning wine estates, local restaurants and special dinners round off every trail day. Mountain biking takes you to places where flavour and South African lifestyle become part of the day.

More than MTB 02
Township Experience

South Africa is a country of contrasts. Modern cities, affluent neighbourhoods, lively townships and vast nature sometimes lie surprisingly close together. The Township Experience is one of the special South African experiences within The Ultimate.

More than MTB 03
Sunset Ride Experience

At Lourensford we ride one of the absolute highlights of The Ultimate: our Sunset Ride. A special ride on our home trails, in the light of the South African evening.

YEBO Basecamp

Unpack once.
Ride everywhere.

YEBO is your permanent basecamp for the whole Experience.

Unpack once. After every ride you come back to the same familiar place. Relax, recover, eat together and share stories.

Your home base during The Ultimate

Coming home to YEBO.

Everything under one roof. Everything ready for the 8-day ULTIMATE Experience.

Traveller Review AwardFour years in a row.
6 stylish YEBO roomsEnsuite bathroom and king-size bed.
Bike workshopTools and bike wash.
Safe bike storageSecure storage for every mountain bike.
Coming home to YEBO

The Rooms.

Discover

A good night’s sleep in proper king-size beds with an ensuite bathroom. Designed to feel @HOME. Less is more. Sharing a room with another mountain biker? Our anti-spoon pillows take care of the privacy.

Coming home to YEBO

After the ride.

Discover

The ride is done. The day is not. Recovering and savouring the trail day. Time for yourself or time together. A cold drink, the pool within reach and slowly on towards sunset and dinner. These are the hours between today’s stories and tomorrow’s ride.

Coming home to YEBO

Socialising.

Discover

At YEBO, Feel@Home means: just help yourself to a drink. Soft drinks and beers are on the house. A glass of wine goes on the Honesty Bar. And then? Find a spot around the pool, pull up a chair and let the stories come.

Coming home to YEBO

Bike service.

Discover

Your bike has to be fit again tomorrow too. Our workshop is entirely at your disposal. Wrench, wash and service it yourself, or hand it to Abraham and ask him to take care of it. Your bike. Your choice.

Coming home to YEBO

Evenings by the campfire.

Discover

On still evenings around the campfire. Reliving the trail day, tall tales and good conversation.

Ride together. Share stories. The ULTIMATE South African MTB Experience.

Say.
That was your first trail day.

By then we will of course have told you well before departure how we ride, how we guide and what you can expect as a mountain biker, so you know whether the ULTIMATE suits your fitness and your skills.

Recap

Back to the start.

What does this week really ask of you?

Social riding. Professionally guided.

3 guides. 12 riders. One team.

Everyone rides at their own pace. Our three guides make sure nobody ever feels the group is waiting for them. Want to climb or descend a little faster? There is room for that. The guides stay in constant contact with each other by radio.

01Lead guide · out front
02Middle guide · in the group
03Closing guide · sweeper
You ride at your own pace. But you live the day together.
The Ultimate in a nutshell

You do not have to be a pro.

The Ultimate is no walk in the park. It asks for a solid base fitness and solid basic bike handling: you are on the bike for 3 to 5 hours a day, at a good pace. Fitness matters most, because that is what keeps you sharp on the trail. Start training in good time and this Experience is within reach for almost any adventurous mountain biker.

We ride3 – 5 hourson the bike per day
In 8 trail days380 – 450kilometres
In 8 trail days5,600 – 7,000metres of climbing
In depth
Differences in level

Depending on the size of the group and the differences in level, we ride together or split into smaller groups. That leaves plenty of room for personal attention, tips and coaching.

All three experienced local MTB guides hold the official guiding licence. Everyone stays in sight and safety always comes first.

The investment

A serious adventure asks for a serious decision.

Enough to know where you stand.

8 daysOne home base
8 trail areasA different world every day
Township Experience includedRide into a different world
Sunset Ride includedLourensford members-only
€2,195 p.p.
For The Ultimate South African MTB Experience
Guided riding and your stay at YEBO Basecamp, including guides and transport.
What does the complete trip cost?

Budget around €3,800 per person for the complete trip: the event plus your flight, a rental bike and the lunches and dinners along the way. The exact amount depends on your flight, whether you bring your own bike, and your personal choices.

Further along in your decision? Then we will happily talk it through with you.

What happens now?

You do not have to decide anything today.

After four years and twenty ULTIMATE Experience Events, we have learned that it works best to share information step by step, tuned to the questions that matter to you.

In about seven days

We will get in touch on WhatsApp. To help, and to hear which questions you still have.

Need more time?
That is absolutely fine.

Your next step

Will The Ultimate be your next adventure?

Has this Guide lit the fire? Does this adventure call you? Would you rather not wait seven days for our follow-up? Then choose your next step on WhatsApp.

I do not want to wait seven daysMy next step →
No booking. No obligation. Just personal contact.
The Ultimate South African MTB Experience

One destination.
Multiple worlds.

No pressure. Just all the room you need to find out whether The Ultimate is your next adventure.