Welcome to the first installment in our whenever-we-feel-like-it blog! The Journal is a place for us to share our thoughts, news and everything in between. Get involved, get in touch and engage with us. We love hearing your thoughts.
I thought it would be apt to start this off where the true origin of our company lies: the Jonkershoek valley. Being able to go to university in Stellenbosch is a special thing; having a space like Jonkershoek where you can escape for a quick afternoon or enjoy a full day adventure and feel completely in the wilderness, is absolutely incredible. It is only when you don't have access to something like this do you realize how awesome this place is and what an integral part of your life it becomes. Having a place where you can go to reset, replenish and focus on only the next rock in the trail is super special. Naturally, I spent a lot of my time over four years in Stellenbosch in this valley, often with my brother, Luke. It was a source of a lot of the ideas that formed into the brand that is Westpeak today.
This is the first feature in a mini series we're calling Trail Destinations. The plan is to feature and try highlight some of the best (and sometimes relatively unknown) places around South Africa where you can go to get your dose of trail stoke. Without further adieu...
Trail Destination: Jonkershoek Valley
Stellenbosch South Africa
33°58'08.2"S 18°56'05.5"E
The Jonkershoek mountains form part of the larger Boland mountain range. High in the upper parts of the valley, the Lourens, Eerste, Riviersonderend and Berg rivers all have their sources, though only the Eerste river flows through the valley itself.
In March 2015, the valley was devastated by a large wild fire which burnt the majority of the valley and the timber on it. Since then, the timber has been largely felled and a renewed drive to make Jonkershoek a world-class trail destination has been established. Alongside the forestry partner, MTO as well as Specialized South Africa, a tariff has been introduced and professional trail builders, Hylton Turvey and Bennet Nel have combined to revamp Jonkershoek to its former, pre-fire glory.
The vision for Jonkershoek is to have multiple 'trail-heads' which have various different routes stemming from them. Currently, there are three main trail heads. On the Northern side of the valley there is the Saaltjie trail head and the Point trail head. On the Southern side, the Quarry trail head.
Aside from mountain biking, there are a number of hiking trails which access parts of the reserve you can't get to on your mountain bike. Some of these include:
The work that goes into clearing, building and maintaining trails like this is enormous. The section of trail that you fly past in a few seconds probably took hours to clear and build. Support the hard work, commitment and passion that's gone into making Jonkershoek the destination it is today - don't rogue ride. Trail pass for the day is R50 (payable via Zapper, Snapscan, Credit Card or on the myMTO app - NO cash) or for the year is R500.
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This is just a guide, so if you have any questions on sizing, we’re more than happy to help, just drop us an email, send
us a WhatsApp, Facebook message using the blue link on the bottom right below (fastest) or simply call us and we’ll
make sure you get the perfect fit!
PLEASE NOTE: This sizing is only applicable to the product Ride Shorts, all future products follow updated Shorts Sizing section above.
The Westpeak Ride Shorts are designed to be slim, but not tight fitting. The shorts will perform best when they fit like
this. Sizing for each person may differ, especially depending on your body type and legs. The measurements for hip
circumference are maximums, so if you are below the recommended measurement, but your inseam is right, don’t
worry you can adjust the waist down using the adjuster tabs.
The Westpeak Ride Shirt is supposed to be your casual weekend ride companion. It’s designed for ultimate comfort, so
we recommend a loose fit, sizing up if need be.
Unsure about how to take measurements? See our measurement guide.