The inaugural edition of the Glacier Waterberg Traverse takes place from 3-5 May 2024 at Summerplace Game Reserve, less than three hours from Johannesburg. It’s a stage race that’s been designed to appeal to two kinds of mountain biker – the Serious Racer and the Social Cruiser. Here’s why you should consider adding it to your to-do list.
Paid partnership with Dryland Event Management
SERIOUS RACER
Not everyone wants to do a stage race that’s super tough. But those that do, want it to be worthwhile. In other words, the reward needs to at least match – or exceed – the suffering. And the riding time needs to match the entry fee and travel time. Serious racers will be talking about the Glacier Waterberg Traverse long after the final prizegiving. Why, because it’s flippen tough!
It’s not always easy to find a partner to enter a stage race with, which is why the Glacier Waterberg Traverse Race is for solo entries only. Yes, there are benefits to a two-rider team format, but there are also benefits to the Solo format too, which the Waterberg Traverse will reveal over the three days.
Don’t be deceived by the distances. Anyone that understands mountain bike racing knows that gradient, type of surface and volume of singletrack are all contributing factors to the toughness of a mountain bike race.
- Stage 1: 58km | 1150m ascent
- Stage 2: 81km | 1600m ascent
- Stage 3: 46km | 950m ascent
Stages 1 and 3 are contained within the reserve and include a high volume of singletrack. The climbs aren’t too long or excessively steep on these two stages, but they have varying surfaces that make finding a rhythm quite a challenge. The descents are flowy and fun!
In order to add some distance to Stage 2, the route will exit the reserve twice for two loops on some of the local gravel roads. This stage includes the toughest climbs in the reserve which can take 10-15 minutes for the top riders to complete as they’re almost entirely singletrack climbs. It’s going to be a challenging stage even for the most conditioned racers.
Competitive racers like to aim for a podium finish. And the organisers have included all Cycling South Africa adult categories for prize purposes. The following categories will be recognised with podium call-ups for men and women:
Under-23 | Elite | Sub-veteran 30-34 | Sub-veteran 35-39 | Veteran 40-44 | Veteran 45-49 | Master 50-54 | Master 55-59 | Grand Master 60-years plus.
There will be prize money for the top three men and women overall, regardless of category. As with all Dryland Event Management races, there will be significant high-quality media and social media coverage during and after the race. Expect your sponsors to get decent exposure…
SOCIAL CRUISER
Mountain biking can be tough, but why should you suffer for hours when you can enjoy three fulfilling stages that aren’t too long and then the rest of the day enjoying the tranquility of the Waterberg in the shade of indigenous trees or cooling off in a swimming pool.
For the Ride, the stages are shorter, but they still include all the best mountain biking routes at Summerplace Game Reserve, one of the country’s premier mountain biking destinations.
- Stage 1: 39km | 550m ascent
- Stage 2: 44km | 850m ascent
- Stage 3: 28km | 400m ascent
All three stages are within the reserve and incorporate most of the legendary singletrack trails at Summerplace, including Red Ivory, Marula Flow, Red Mountain, Amber 1, 2 and 3, Superscoop and Aloe. The climbs are reasonably long, but gradual, giving you time to look around and spot wildlife – there are more than 40 species of large mammal, including Giraffe, Zebra, Eland, Kudu, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Tsessebe and more. The descents are also quite long but flowy and will reward those who trust their tyres and brake less…
The Ride has two categories – Teams and Solo. This makes it possible for a wide range of mountain bikers to enter. eBike racers are also welcome and have an eBike-specific overall top 3 to aim for – with prizes!
To enter, or for more information, click here.
