I first visited Giba Gorge for a family reunion. My sister had booked a picnic spot for us and we took along the kids bikes. I had not been to Giba Gorge before and was very pleasantly surprised by what we found.
Nestled in a deep valley just off the N3 freeway near Pinetown, lies this hidden gem. The lush vegetation, open lawns, wonderful restaurant and host of facilities is really awesome.
The most noticeable facility on arrival is the fantastic BMX track. This is a professionally designed track that offers riders both the standard BMX track with a 5.5m start hill as well as a UCI standard 8.5m high supercross start hill with parallel straights for both hills. The track has been made to UCI Racing Standards.
This all sounds very competitive which it is on a Wednesday evening at 5pm. It is also loads of fun for those just wanting to take their bike on very enjoyable ride. My kids and I spent hours on the track! As we are not from KZN and didn’t have our own bikes we rented what we needed for the day.
Thanks to the substantial grounds, Giba Gorge is also ideal for hiking, mountain biking and trail running.
There are over 30km of mountain biking main trails, linked up with another 10km of alternative routes. My brother, who cycles here often, says that the trails can be mixed up in a variety of ways and biking at Giba Gorge is never mundane.
Based at Giba Gorge are two UCI Accredited Mountain Bike Coaches which offer private one on one and group coaching at the Dirt School Skills Area. On hand are bike repair facilities, a shop and bike hire.
For hikers and trail runners there are some serious trails, particularly the 8,4km route to the upper Mackintosh waterfals. The extremist may add a few more kilometres and find another larger waterfall and perhaps even the early Rock Shelter predating all modern history in the area.
Each Sunday at 8.30am there is the MYRUN event.
Facilities
The large, thatched restaurant is spacious with a deck overlooking the picnic area. All your favourites may be found on the menu and the restaurant is licensed too.
The picnic area has benches and neatly trimmed lawns where can place your blanket for an afternoon nap. The ablutions are clean and well serviced.
Giba Gorge has two conference facilities for up to 100 guests and is a great place to host a wedding or a kid’s party.
We had a really wonderful day at Giba Gorge. The kids played to their hearts content, the adults got plenty of exercise and we all had a chance to relax and catch up on each other’s lives.
Giba Gorge is open Monday to Sunday from 7.00am to 5.00pm.
For more information or to making a booking call 031 7691419 or email info@gibagorge.co.za Find them at 110 Stockville Road, Tollgate, Pinetown on Google Maps by clicking here.
