TRAIL RUNNING
The Dryland Traverse Routes in 2021
The Prologue
Magical , scenic and breathtakingly beautiful … that best describes the 7.3km run that welcomed runners to this year ’ s Rhodes Dryland Traverse . After starting at Cango Caves Estate , runners followed jeep-track farm roads to get to one of the oldest trails in the area , the Swartberg Hiking Trail , and the steep , undulating climb back to the race village at De Hoek certainly warmed the field up for the rest of the weekend .
Stage 2 : Raubenheimer Dam
Starting right in front of the Cango Caves , this 28.3km stage offered some of the best ( and never-before run ) trails in the Klein Karoo , with purpose-built trails hugging the Grobbelaars River heading south-east towards De Rust and on to the Raubenheimer Dam . The fun section from the dam then took runners back towards the Cango Caves , through some of Oudtshoorn ’ s most fertile agricultural land and the De Kombuys estate , with its rich historical heritage and Cape Dutch architectural homesteads . After some winding jeep and single track , the final 5km still required some work as runners climbed to the finish at De Hoek .
Stage 1 : Swartberg
The 25.7km Queen stage once again included the mighty Swartberg Mountain , with a return to the event ’ s original starting point on the more challenging Southern slope , about halfway up the gravel Swartberg Pass . There is only one way for there – up and over – and after summiting , runners reached the first water point at just over 5km into the race . The undulating jeep-track towards Bothashoek came next , providing the most breathtaking views of both the Great and Klein Karoo , and with 17km in the legs , the second water point came as a blessing . The trail then became steeper , slowly traversing towards the highlight of the day , the Alpine-like technical descent to the finish at De Hoek .
Stage 3 : De Hoek
The 10km farewell stage saw runners complete a fast-flowing and fun stage of old-fashioned cross country running on the trails in and around De Hoek . This spectator-friendly route was the perfect way to wrap up a wonderful weekend of running , but with some climbing involved , it definitely put tired legs to the test .
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