RUNNER ’ S HIGH
SWARTBERG
Swartberg Switchbacks
SWITCHBAC
Where : Swartberg Pass , Western Cape Athlete : Rhodes Dryland Traverse entrants Photographer : Justin Reinecke of ZC Marketing Consulting ( www . zcmc . co . za )
The Experience : In the four-day Rhodes Dryland Traverse , runners start Stage 1 midway up the Swartberg Pass , run to the top and then descend the other side . Constructed in the 1880s , this spectacular gravel pass runs over the Swartberg Mountain Range to link Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo to Prince Albert , on the edge of the Great Karoo . For the Dryland Traverse runners , it ’ s a slow , challenging and steep start to the stage , but that is soon forgotten as the pass descends again on twisting switchbacks with hairpin bends , and simply stunning views .
8 ISSUE 146 NOVEMBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za