brett.arthur

The joBerg2c mountain bike race is a 9-day event that takes place in South Africa in early May and rides from Heidelberg, just east of Johannesburg, to Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The route is roughly 930km in length and incorporates the sani2c route, parts of the Berg and Bush route and the Bielie Mielie route. The various sections of single track on the route are linked up using district and farm roads.

Registration takes place in Johannesburg the day before the event starts, and full details of the race can be found on the official joBerg2c website.

I have a race overview, which describes each stage in brief.
Days 1 through 3 ride you across mostly maize farms on your journey towards the Drakensberg Escarpment. Although there are not huge, noticeable features, these days are lovely in their own right. Riders are treated to a real sense of wide-open spaces and the desolation of some sections of the route borders on mystical.

My daily reviews, in depth, are available here:
Day 1 race review - Heidelberg to Frankfort.
Day 2 race review - Frankfort to Reitz.
Day 3 race review - Reitz to Sterkfontein Dam.

Days 4 though 6 traverse the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, a lush farming area dotted with both wildlife reserves and dairy farms, both of which riders are lucky enough to ride through. This section presents a view of rural KwaZulu-Natal and is consistently tough. There are plenty of Drakensberg foothills in this area for the organisers to work with.

My daily reviews, in depth, are available here:
Day 4 race review - Sterkfontein Dam to Winterton.
Day 5 race review - Winterton to Kamberg.
Day 6 race review - Kamberg to Underberg.

Days 7 through 9 follow the sani2c route down to the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Each day is filled with magical single track, in varying amounts. Day 8 is a challenge for most riders, but all will agree that this day is a rare gem with the long and varied sections of single track that bring riders down and across the Umkomaas Valley.

My daily reviews, in depth, are available here:
Day 7 race review - Underberg to MacKenzie Club.
Day 8 race review - Mackenzie Club to Jolivet Farm.
Day 9 race review - Jolivet Farm to Scottburgh.

Also, for novice and seasoned riders alike you may want to check out my mountain bike stage race checklist for a listing of things that you will need to remember when preparing for your ride.

lotek 

lekker,

you providing biltong? staying in kraals?
I'd have a hard time getting out of Umkomaas,
I'd stay and dive aliwal shoal again

Nice ride, looking forward to reading about it.
how's the hub going? haven't been on there in yonks.
Marty