Register
Country Trail | Gravity Trail |Bike Park
4/5
Giba Gorge Mountain Bike Trails, located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, is one of the best mountain bike trails to experience in SA.
Beginner, Intermediate and Experienced riders.
It’s close to many residential suburbs in the Highway Area, from Westville to Hillcrest. It’s not quite an Urban Bike Park because of its size, but it’s not far to travel to for many and is less than a 30-minute drive from most Durban suburbs.
Chris Harburn decided to cut additional paths on land he had purchased called Stockville Quarry in 2007, and Giba Gorge Adventure Park was born. Subsequently, these were the humble beginnings of what is now known as Giba Gorge Adventure Park.
Since its inception, the Giba Gorge mountain bike trail has grown in popularity plus momentum, thanks to the continuing assistance from friends and outdoor enthusiasts. The active Giba community deserves credit for maintaining the park’s high standards.
Giba Gorge MTB Park caters for all kinds of riders, which works well with the current diversification of South African mountain biking. In addition, a UCI-level BMX track hosts events and offers kids a safe, fun riding zone.
Although you’re so close to the residential and industrial sprawl, you mostly feel like you’re far away on a sub-tropical trail far from the chaos. Giba Gorge has become an important ‘home trail’ for many mountain bikers, and we love how the club has become so focussed on growing the youth market, with loads of focus on tracks and features that appeal to the growing ‘sender’ market.
Have you experienced Giba Gorge MTB Park?
Please tell us what you think by leaving a review of your ride.
The signage is good. There are some spots where you’re unsure if you should branch off or not, but by sticking to the main, signed trail, you always seem to complete your intended loop, even if you feel you might have missed a turn (it’s almost entirely a lush forest so your bearings are sometimes challenged). Giba Gorge uses colours to denote its main trails, but has also adopted the IMBA grading system, which has resulted in a lot of Blue, Green and Black signage in segments.
Although the trails are colour-named, they are also IMBA-graded in certain segments, mostly Blue with some Green and some Black and Double Black Diamond. Find the Giba Gorge Trails on Trailblaze.
There are three main mountain bike trails at Giba Gorge – Purple, which is aimed at Beginners, Green, which is aimed at Intermediate riders and Blue, which is aimed at stronger, more Experienced riders. These trails have a combined distance of 30km with another 10km of other trails that are built for the gravity-riding market. These segments of trail that Downhillers and Enduro riders use are helping grow the youth mountain bike segment, which is firmly more focussed on fun and skill over distance.
Don’t be fooled by the distances though. The 14km Blue Trail has 344 metres of vertical ascent which you gain much of via switchbacks up the southern slope. It also has 344m of vertical drop, which means your concentration levels need to be at their best. The 11.2km Green Trail has 244 metres of ascent and mostly sticks to the northern slope. What you never experience is any kind of boredom or feeling like it’s just a grind. Almost every metre of trail on the Green and Blue Trails are singletrack through dense indigenous vegetation. It’s intense riding. On Trailforks, there is also a marked 20km route with 635m of ascent that’s properly challenging. You can find it here.
Purple: 5km, 118m ascent
Green: 11.2km, 244m ascent
Blue: 14.1km, 344m ascent
There are also steeper trails with jumps and drop-offs and a fun jump line and skills park near the trailhead.
Giba Gorge has a restaurant and picnic area for those keen to linger longer. There are also hot showers and a kiddies play area.
Giba Gorge is one of the original mountain bike trails parks in South Africa. What it lacks in distance, it makes up for in vertical riding, offering both challenging and rewarding riding experiences for all levels of rider, just a short drive from most of Durban’s western suburbs. It’s a progressive MTB trails park that’s moving with the times.
Adults R85, Kids R55
Trail Ratings
Although you’re so close to the residential and industrial sprawl, you mostly feel like you’re far away on a sub-tropical trail far from the chaos. Giba Gorge has become an important ‘home trail’ for many a mountain biker and we love how the club has become so focussed on growing the youth market, with loads of focus on trails and features that appeal to the growing ‘sender’ market.
If you've ridden these trails recently, why not tell us about it? Follow the link to our review section, complete our rating criteria and give us some feedback on your experience. You'll go into a regular draw to win cool mountain biking prizes from our partner brands.
