TRAIL RUNNING
The Best of Dryland Traverse Action
Relive the highlights from the 2022 Rhodes Dryland Traverse that took runners down the rabbit hole to the Mad Hatter ’ s tea party and an adventure-filled weekend with the ultimate finish line feels . Captured by Bigshot Media . Guaranteed , these vids will make you want to enter the event in 2023 !
The rivers on a hot day three became instant swimming pools
Stage 3 : Farewell … For Now
The final stage was a fun , cross-country style 10km with 350m of ascent on the trails in and around the resort and neighbouring farmland . A few river crossings were a sweet blessing to cool down from the heat – many runners simply dunked themselves into the water and stayed there for a while – and we also tackled some slightly more challenging crossings , over fallen tree trunks , that put our “ tightrope ” walking skills to the test .
The landscape we ran through was once again beautiful , including farmland , forests with river crossings , and then a steep climb up a mountain face to a popular rock-climbing wall just outside the De Hoek resort . It was utterly beautiful to experience these varied backdrops to end off a most spectacular weekend of running , and the steaks waiting for us at the finish just rounded things off perfectly . As I said earlier , when it comes to the food and refreshments at this event , the Dryland team really does go the extra mile , and the catering throughout the weekend was nothing short of superb !
Emotional scenes aplenty at the Dryland Traverse finish line
After the race , Bernard said it was fantastic to once again present runners with the opportunity to race through the Cango Caves and explore the wonderful trails of the Swartberg Mountains . “ It was great to host the 11th edition of the event , and the combination of running through the Caves , traversing the majestic Swartberg World Heritage Site , running challenging but rewarding and purpose-built trails as well as the great vibe at the race village proved to be the reason behind the big smiles , positive feedback and emotional scenes on the finish line . That is what brings so many runners back every year , and why the race is known for the great vibe and all-round most memorable trail running experience .”
As for me , I was just so thankful to the Dryland team , not only for a complimentary media entry , but for allowing me to do parts of the race when my health issues prevented full participation . I would definitely like to go back to both the Tankwa and Dryland events , and next time I ’ ll be there to do the full Traverse , as my heart rate issues now thankfully seem to be on the mend .
There was nothing rare about the number of steaks offered to the runners
What They Said …
Zamokuhle Maluleke
“ We ’ re faster on the uphills than the steep downhills ” – John April , of winning men ’ s pairing Team Raasbekkie
“ At water point two , I was amazed by the fact that there was steak and beer . Then I went around the next corner and saw the climb , and realised why they gave us steak and beer !” – Zamokuhle Maluleke , who did her first stage race at the Dryland Traverse
Grafton and Charisse Houston
“ An incredible , beautiful route , I came around a corner and there were these fields of purple , which happens to be my favourite colour , and I felt like they were planted there for me .” – Estee Cockcroft , women ’ s solo winner
“ The steep downhill isn ’ t too bad if you go slow like I did .” – Grafton Houston , oldest competitor at 69 years
The 2023 Rhodes Dryland Traverse will be taking place from Thursday 2nd to Sunday the 5th of November . For entries and more info , visit www . drylandtraverse . co . za .
Images : Shift Media & courtesy Nicole Hayes
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