If your company isn’t having an end-of-year function or if you’re dreading the one your company has arranged, we’ve got good news for you. There’s never been a sad face leaving the annual South African Mountain Mike Party of Year! So grab your mates – or colleagues – and enter the Savanna Origin of Trails, which takes place in Stellenbosch from Friday 18-Sunday 20 November!
Paid partnership with Stillwater MTB Events
There are only happy people at the annual Savanna Origin of Trails, partly because they’re all mountain bikers and partly because their end-of-year ‘function’ includes fresh air, mountain views, forests, water crossings and loads and loads of engaging singletrack! Oh, and plenty of Savanna Cider! Oh, and it’s over two nights and two days! Oh, and you can sleep there if you want to!
The Origin of Trails route is carefully crafted to ensure two days of immense stimulation. To the extent that the way you feel when you cross the finish line is highly conflicted. Happy that the suffering is over, but sad that the incredible experience is complete.
Suffering? Well, that’s really up to you. The harder you push, the higher the likelihood you’ll go into oxygen debt. But if you want to breathe easier, then just ride at a leisurely pace – preferably with your mates, blitz the iconic descents and stop at the water points for real refreshments (wink wink). More details on the route here.
You get two options:
Marathon (R1600 entry fee) – Stage 1: 45km | Stage 2: 40km
Half-marathon (R1400 entry fee) – Stage 1: 30km | Stage 2: 30km
Few events can boast a rider package that can match this one. Here’s what your entry fee gets you:
- Exclusive event T-shirt
- Spectacular on route experience
- Access to world class routes that are usually not open to the public.
- A light breakfast pack with coffee on both days
- A scrumptious lunch on both days
- Complimentary drinks
- Well stocked water points
- A finisher medal
- Entertainment on route and in the race village
- Trail access fees
- Additional sponsor prizes
For those wanting to make a full weekend of it, both on and off the bike, there’s a Tented Village Party Package at R1300 which includes all of this!
Individual First Ascent Tent – yes, you can sleep over at the race village now
Complimentary drinks throughout the weekend – in the heat of summer, that’s always a good thing…
Dinner on Friday and Saturday Night – Real food, not energy bars…
A ticket to the Pub Ride through Stellenbosch, which includes drinks, dinner and entertainment – where else can you experience this in South Africa? That’s right, nowhere else!
Appropriately, the Savanna Origin of Trails is right near the end of the year on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November. For those who have worked out how to make the most of it with the sleep-over option, it actually starts on Friday 18 November. The venue is Coetzenberg, at the University of Stellenbosch which hosted a UCI XCO World Cup round in 2018 (so you know it’s world-class).
The Savanna Origin of Trails is a true celebration of health and nature and a wonderful way to close out a year that’s no doubt been full of challenges…
To enter or find out more, click here.
