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Entries to the Thule 4 Peaks weekend have now closed and with the race 2 weeks away we are sending out the customary newsletter and general race info.
All the info you need to enjoy the weekend, is in the newsletter but if you are unsure of anything please feel free to contact me and we will answer any queries or concerns you may have.
A special Thanks to our Sponsors, Thule and Salomon as well as the Nel family of Moolmanshoek who allow all of us to enjoy these magic moments in area’s that most would not get the opportunity to ordinarily do.

Safety is always a priority at the Thule 4 Peaks and this year  is no exception, Salomon and ourselves have designed a kit check list of clothing items attached for your convenience and ease of use(there are additional non clothing items that are compulsory items as well). The compulsory kit is Non Negotiable, everyone must have the items or they will not  be allowed to start the race. Please note the compulsory kit is only for the 24 km Mountain Run. If you do not have an item on the list, Salomon have stockist country wide where you can purchase the item. Where possible please support our Sponsors, their Brands are world class and the market leaders in their respective fields.

We also launch our new www.4peaks.co.za website today, you will find most of the info about the race on the site including the platform for the athletes tracking we have initiated this year as part of our endeavours to be the pioneers in giving our adventurers’ and their families a unique experience.

Enjoy the last 2 weeks of training and we look forward to Welcoming you all to Moolmanshoek for the Fantastic Thule 4 Peaks weekend!

Warmest regards

Adrian and Mike
Pure Adventures
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This is an awesome venue for an Urban trail running challenge. With sections of the route named Ghost Alley and Jail Break runners not only had to deal with tough trail conditions but barbed razor wire and all things military to keep the baddies out.

We had the great fortune of starting this race in a very unique way. 4 Skydivers from the Central Skydiving Academy jumped from a plane flying over the Tempe sport grounds with runners starting at the moment the last skydiver touched ground. This signaled the start to their run for freedom. The excitement was at a high with smoke grenades and skydivers swirling and swooping down only a few feet from the waiting runners.

Once again great fun was had and awesome guts and courage shown by the runners coping with the tough hot conditions.

With 2 legs left the Trail Running League has proven to be a great success and we look forward to the next night run on the 5th November starting at 18h00 from Northridge Mall.

Get out there and experience some Pure Free Running.

Adrian
Pure Adventures

Monday morning 7th May and it is with nervous apprehension that all 13 team line up at the start of this year’s race, just outside of Bathurst, Eastern Cape. We are on a pimple and can see most of the terrain we are going to traverse in the next week. It is coolish and grey as Stephan informs us that the surprise of skydivers falling from the heavens has had to be cancelled due to the weather. Now we all wait for the helicopter to appear as you can feel the nervous energy of all 52 athlete’s waiting to pounce on the course like a bunch of greyhounds casing a rabbit. Suddenly the clatter of a helicopter breaks the silence and we now know we are only minutes away from starting the race.

Armed with our maps which we had marked on Sat evening, pack backs filled with all our gear and water and Stefan blows the vuvazela to mark the start of the race. We slowly run down the hill towards the first of 6 orienteering points that make up leg one. We are soon jogging along four abreast, Sweis, Taunette, Leander and I setting a very easy pace as we know 500km is a long way.

Leg 1 Orienteering Hike 17km

We quickly get the first few OP’s and as this is Sweis’s ( with a little help from me) first race as a navigator in any AR race, we proceed slowly and with care as to ensure we don’t make mistakes which we know will inevitably happen along the route. OP 5 proves to be a bit of a challenge and after a while we find it and move towards OP6. Here we find team Wahalla who are looking totally confused and lost and heading back down to Bathurst through the thick bush. I quickly realise they are going wrong and charge after them and assist them onto the jeep track that leads to OP6 (this piece of goodwill would come back tenfold to us later in the race).

There are now 3 teams at the back of the pack and we would race with these guys for the entire event seeing each other along the way at transition areas and finally on the home stretch back to Port Alfred. We got to know them well and where more like friends at the end of our journey than fellow competitors as we all strove to achieve our goal of finishing what was proving to be a very though challenge. The local lads of the area, the international lads from South America and the Bloem Boytjies navigating our way through the unbelievable countryside of the sunshine coast and surrounding area.

Leg 2 Paddle back down Kowie to Port Alfred 24km

We were soon on the river and paddling and maintaining a good stroke and pace, into a little headwind and incoming tide the last 5 km were hard. It was a relief to us Bloemfonteiners that the sea paddle was cancelled and as we carried our boats onto the bank at the Halyard Hotel we look forward to the hike to T2 at Kelly’s Beach.

Leg 3 Hike from Port Alfred to Kenton on Sea 25km

We were all in good spirits as we saw our boxes for the first time, resupplied and moving at a brisk hike we headed down the beach for the next transition area at Homewards restaurant at Kenton on Sea. Here we encountered our first real obstacle of the race as the tide was sweeping out of the river and made the crossing quiet a hairy experience. Night fall had come and it was chilly after the swim so we stopped for an hour here to get some food and 20min rest before tackling the paddle with the tide at our backs. The marshals where superb on the race and one can only compliment them for the helpfulness and efficiency at every point we encountered them along our journey.

Leg 3 Paddle up the Kariega River.20km

At this stage our navigation was going well and everyone was feeling good, we paddle up the kariega looking for animals on the banks and listening to the sounds of the wild, it was amazing and a privilege to be out here, where people pay thousands of rands, to enjoy the pleasures of these game farms we could race through them on our merry adventure. We finally rounded a bend and the river end signalling the start of our next hiking leg.

Leg 4 Hike to the start of the Boesmans River 18km

The start of the hike was relatively straight forward as we followed the road to the bridge that crossed the Boesmans river, from here our navigation skills got its first real test as we ended up on the wrong ridge and miles off course. As it started to get light we found ourselves about 6km from the check point and needing to take a tiger route to the CP which we luckily did with the help of the local farmer who put us on the right track to the road that lead down to the CP. Stephan was waiting to greet us at the CP and we were firmly entrenched as the “Latern de Rouge” of the race having lost nearly 3 hours in the bush beating a path!!

Leg 5 Paddle down Boesmans River 18km

The only consolation of getting lost was the tide was now at its highest and I can only imagine what it must have been like to negotiate that mud at low tide….. once past this obstacle we paddle smoothly back to the sea. I was struggling to stay awake for about an hour but this soon past with the help of some Bio plus sweets and a stern talking to from myself!!

Leg 6 Cycle from Boesmans River to Abseil Point 80 km

The cycle was a relief from the paddling? Hiking sections we had just repeated over and over and soon we were climbing away from the sea at a rapid rate and I could not believe the elevation we had achieved after only 25km of cycling. The cycle proved to be tough and we made a few small navigational errors along the route to add extra km on to our total which in the end would be closer to 600km than 500km. The climbs where long and steep but we kept plugging away and soon passed a few teams to lie in 10 spot at the transition point. We were soon joined by our comrades for the next few days the local lads and the South Americans as we traded places as our navigational skills kept on bringing us back to them.

Leg 7 Rope Work and Orienteering 3km

We decided to sleep a little at this point and tackle the Rope work in the daylight. This proved to be a good move as we breezed through this section despite me losing my team for about 20minutes as I chose to swim up the gorge and they went around so as not to get wet!!

Leg 8 Cycle to Midway camp 47KM

The cycle to the midway camp was tough the first 25 km till Grahamstown but the fantastic downhill from there to midway camp made up for the pain and suffering up to that point. We were in good spirit when we got to Midway camp and looking forward to a shower and a hot plate of food and some rest. We were blown away at the fantastic venue of midway camp and thanks to Anne and her team for the great food and hospitality we received. Once we had showered Sweis and I marked the maps while Taunette and Leander got some well-earned rest. We ate and slept till 17h00 before leaving the camp exactly 5 hours after entering feeling ready and psyched for the Marathon cycle that lay ahead.

Leg 9 Cycle to Hamburg 128km

Nothing could prepare us for the task at hand from a navigational, physical and emotional point of view. We got off to a good start getting the first couple of check points however navigation at night is a different ball game for a novice and we soon learned some hard lessons of navigation. Unfortunately we cycled this leg at night as the scenery we missed must have been spectacular to behold. Some great climbs and some awesome downhill ( despite falling a few time) we eventually made it to the last checkpoint on the cycle just 3km from Hamburg having made some spectacular navigational errors we were relieved to be in sight of Hamburg. Then came the worst moment of the race for us as Leander shouted to me “ I have lost the punchcard” our hearts sank I immediately quizzed him as to where we had last had it. He said at a house we had thought was this check point about 8km away. Ok not too bad we will cycle back so off we go, the wind is blowing I think to myself we have no chance of finding it but we must keep going as our race is over if we don’t find it. After an hour we are back still no punchcard. We start to panic; Sweis seems to remember that he rode past it on the road rolled up with a cable tie around it. What do we do? We start to remember all the points was it a L or K we have now been looking for a long while no luck. I decide to phone Stephan, he can’t hear me so I phone Heidi I tell her they must not worry we are ok and just lost the card and are looking for it. She says ok!! We continue the search but after an hour more we are back at the last CP and still no luck we lay down for 5 min and Stephan comes driving up to us. We explain our position he says he will go look we should go to Hamburg and paddle and we can discuss when he gets back. I tell him we remember them all and recite the points to him I am frantic all this hard work and we could be unofficial! We head to Hamburg knowing our fate is not good. When we finally arrive in Hamburg our speedo reads 165km for a 128km leg now that was EPIC!!!

We are devastated but decided that we must paddle Sweis and Leander are going to paddle I will do the maps and sort out the kit with Tuanette. We decide to have a good meal before paddling and the guys tuck into monster T- Bones. We eat and then the boys leave to paddle they are only gone 5 minutes and the local lads arrive from their bike just followed by the South American much to my delight they have found our card( karma as we had helped them at the start of race) and we are back in the race!!!! I buy them all a beer and we are so happy!!

The boys finish the Paddle in just over 5 hours and we decide that a good night’s rest will help us tackle the long trek that we feel is the toughest leg of the race.

Leg 10 Hike Hamburg to Fish River Sun 58km

3 am the alarm goes off and we are up and ready to move at 3 h 50 we are moving and head for the first checkpoint which takes us an hour to find but we are feeling good and strong we head towards the beach and again our navigation lets us down and we end up on path into the brush that’s sees us eventual get onto the beach at 7am having seen every “houtkappers” path to nowhere in the Hamburg dunes. Once on the beach we make good time and find the gully that leads us up inland and the CP at the dam. With our navigational skill in doubt I make a call to get back on the beach the same way we came up and we head back down the gully for a second time.

Once on the beach we make steady progress and get to the beach house at around 3pm. I am now getting concerned about the light and getting to the dam/ reservoir in the light. We decide to make a charge as this is a tricky nav section and we will get lost in the dark. We move swiftly and reach the reservoir as dusk approaches having Done our best navigational work on this last section we are delighted with ourselves if not a little weary from our efforts to reach this point. Castle Lite surprises us with a visit and our spirits are lifted immediately. We decide to stick to the road and are happy to tick of the km all the way to the beach. The hike along the beach was long and energy sapping and the end never seem to come and we eventually arrived at the Fish at around 2am 22 hours of hiking later!!

Leg 11 Cycle to Port Alfred 47km

We decide to sleep at the fish for a few hours even though we could smell the finish. Our friend s where all in transition with us and there was a nice banter and chat about our impending finish. We left transition after 2 hours of sleep and the leg would not have been complete without us taking another 16km detour just to ensure we did nearly 600km on this race!! The finish was sweet and a joyous sight and we were glad to be home .

13th Overall very lucky for us and a massive thanks to all who made this race possible in every facet from Stephan and Heidi, to all the Marshalls, the people of the Eastern Cape who opened their homes and hearts to us, to my team mate who were fantastic. Thank you and see you next year 2013!!!

The Team consisting of Adrian Saffy, Gerhard Beukes, Deon Du Preez and Nanette Ashley Botha made up the 1st team and Laura and Mathew De Haast teamed up with Leander Pienaar and Dougy Ventura as the 2nd team.

With the 1st Team racing fast and furious against our old nemeses and foes Team Kinetic from Gautengaleng we had a great time bash and thrashing through the Free State scrublands, dongas and koppies.

With the sounds of roaring lions and the possibility of bumping some bad tempered Buffalo we raced on completing the route to the abseil just behind Kinetic.

On the last hike leg we found our opponents searching for the last CP and thought that we stood a real chance of kicking their butts. We soon however realized why they were searching so long for the seemingly uncomplicated CP. It wasn’t at the point reflected on the Map.

Team Pure Adventures noticed the race organizer higher up in the mountain and followed the old fence line up the hill only to discover that the CP was placed in a totally wrong position. After consulting with the race organizer we suggested that due to this error the race should be halted at the Abseil and that position awarded to teams.

Team Pure Adventures ended 2nd behind Kinetic. Watch it boys revenge is sweet see you soon. No you will be seeing our heels soon.

Team Pure Adventure 2 had a bit of a nightmare out there but that is a story for them to tell.

Adrian

Powered by: RED BULL

By Adrian Saffy

2011!!!

2011 will be the year to remember as a “coming of age” of the Salomon Skyrun in association with Thule.

A record field of athletes (211 entered 177 on the starting line 43 short course 134 full course). With record field start with a HUGE percentage being novices mix in a double tot of logistics and a dash of hectic weather conditions, add  minimal water on the route and you get a cocktail that is either going to be exhilarating to the senses or a total nightmare.

As with anything in life we have to adapt and this year was our learning curve regarding logistics that we previously took for granted.

As always with the any extreme ultra endurance event we as race organizers have to deal with so many What If ? scenarios and this causes our heart rates and blood pressure to rise quite considerably in the weeks leading up to the event. Ultimately we feel responsible for the safety and protection of each and every athlete and marshal on the route and this is a responsibility that we don’t take lightly. There are however some what if ? scenarios that we never deal with and this year one of these scenarios was added to the cocktail but more on this later.

LETS GET ONE THING CLEAR:

THE SALOMON SKYRUN IN ASSOCIATION WITH THULE MUST BE ROUGH; TOUGH AND AN EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGE OF THE HUMAN MIND; SPIRIT; BODY AND SOUL TO COMPLETE.

This event must be something that when you finish you that gratifying sense of achievement. You came; You saw and You conquered one of the toughest single stage ultra mountain runs out there. There is no better feeling that you have become part of the Mountain and have spilt blood sweat and tears for this rare privilege.

The event is always going to have a high attrition rate and not everyone is going to complete their first Skyrun, this is how it is supposed to be. You have to pay your school fees on an event like the Skyrun OTHERWISE it simply would be to easy!!!!!

We arrived in Lady Grey on Thursday and met our sponsors and Über athlete Ryan Sandes who came to visit and support the event on his way back from Afri Ski where he was putting in some high altitude training for his upcoming stage race in Nepal.

Mike started prepping the goody bags and assembling the branding while I accompanied by Ryan, Isaac Mazibuko Hylton Dunn Jazz Kuschke as well as Craig Kolesky hit the mountains to bunt an alternative route down from Halston Peak to the base of the mountain.

Friday saw us erecting a 450 sqm stretch tent on the golf course. Thanks to Nomadik Tents and their local agent De Klerk from Simply Tents for supplying these amazing tents  at a discounted price to our events. We suffered and hammered, the sweat flowed freely but the sense of satisfaction seeing the tent fully erected was amazing. This was a first for us.

With all our crew ready to rock and roll; the hall and registration area painted in the colors of Salomon, Thule and Red Bull we eagerly started registering the potential Sky runners. The excitement at the venue was electric.

With the lessons learnt from last year after testing our new and longer route we decided to cancel the enforced overnight stop at Balloch for athletes doing the full race. We however enforced strict cut off times a compulsory medical check up and strict compulsory kit requirements. This allowed enough time for runners to complete the route before we were forced to pack up and return to reality.

Registration done and briefing finalized we started breaking down this 450sqm tent to erect it at the Wartrail Country Club the next day. That was when I got “The Call” and chills ran through my body.

Skyrun would not be Skyrun without the support and loving attitude of our amazing family of sponsors marshals and the local community.   These individuals and businesses are just as passionate about our events as we are and without them it would be almost impossible to host an event of this extreme nature.

The alarm went off at 3am Saturday morning and  we started to prepare for the 4am start. Its always  a highlight of our day to see the Sky runners filter out of the shadows dressed in their full battle gear fighting a contrast of sleep and excitement. The sleepiness only lasts a short while before the excitement and fear of the unknown take over and everyone is amped to face their destiny for the day.

Roll call complete and Ryan Sandes starts the countdown to begin the 2011 Salomon Skyrun in association with Thule. The surreal snake of lights filtered out of town and into the mountains on their journey of discovery with myself and Billy Mollentze sweeping the field.

The day turned out to be a er with conditions being tough due to a lack of water and moisture in the mountain, pumping winds and dry dusty air. Thankfully our great team from the Bloemfontein 4×4 Echo Club that manned the Olympus CP were able to transport water to the point and this was a life saver.

Over race radio I was in touch with the happenings on the course as I steadily made my way through the route with the athletes that I collected along the way. It is always a pleasure to sweep the Salomon Skyrun because I have the opportunity to get to know strangers and you learn so much from these individuals that you form an instant bond and commitment to them to keep them safe and get them home.

The first part of the Skyrun route is tough and remote. It is however amazingly beautiful and being at the back of the field you get the opportunity to appreciate the Creation and marvel at the  rugged  unforgiving wilderness that we as Sky runners are attempting to conquer each year. On this route one soon realizes that in the greater picture you are just a small piece in a very large puzzle.

The sweep group picked up stragglers along the way and eventually came into Balloch at about 9 pm with a group of about 10 athletes. That’s a cool 17 hours for the 1st 65km.

After a quick bite to eat from the amazing spread laid out by Margy Frost we had 40 minutes of sleep before departing Balloch at 00h00. I was expecting quite a large contingent of Sky runners to leave Balloch with me at the agreed time. To my surprise I was only met by two athletes. The three of us headed out into the night with an unbelievable full moon lighting up the infamous Balloch Wall that loomed as our next HUGE obstacle. Step by step we started our approach and eventually where at the base proper of the Wall. I switched off my headlight and ascended the wall in the moonlight with owls hooting every once in a while creating a heavenly atmosphere.

Once on top of the wall the wind chill soon had me shivering uncontrollably waiting for my group to summit. We wasted no time in starting the treacherous descent and that got the body warmed up very quickly to my relief. The descent down the wall is tricky and extreme and you have to be cautious as any wrong move could spell disaster.

Once we had descended to the valley we picked up the pace and cruised into Edgehill for a five minute breather. There we picked up two other athletes that had spent the night at the shed and started our journey to tackle the Bridle Pass.

Now the Bridle Pass is a “BIIIIAAATCH”!!!! This small path ascending a huge almost vertical valley is the only way up to the top of the  escarpment. In the past this has been tricky for some athletes to find. The path is hidden behind the “Loskop” and runners have to first navigate their way through the bramble forest of Wildfell before finding the tricky overgrown rock strewn path. We decided to create a manned waypoint halfway up this path and we manned this with the fun and crazy Gower family and their friends. This waypoint was a hub of activity in the middle of nowhere as only crazy out there youngsters can create and was definitely an inspiration when I arrived their early Sunday morning to the sounds of “SEXY AND I KNOW IT” the smell of boerewors cooking on a gas stove and the signs of a festive evening in the wilderness. Forget about rocking the daisies; this was rocking the Pass.

We left the Gower clan after enjoying their war stories for a while and made it to the top of the pass to be joined by Kelvin Trautman who had been up all night capturing the race on camera. With Kelvin in tow we made quick work to cover the odd 6km to the Turn CP. Unfortunately we lost one of our clan on this section due to serious blisters slowing him down completely and the rest of us pushed on when we knew he was safe to the CP.

We were welcomed by the friendly 4×4 Echo Club members at the turn who had created a village in the middle of nowhere and who had catered for the athletes and cared for them throughout the night. These guys are genuine stars and a huge part of Skyrun. They give shelter and warmth to shattered Sky runners before the long stretch home.

We left the Turn CP in high spirits and soon settled into a efficient shuffle following the jeep track towards Halston peak and the final CP before home. Here we picked up a father and son team and together we started our ascent of Halston’s. On top we took in the amazing view and then started our descent towards the finish.

Now again I have to admit that I had forgotten what a killer the last section from Halston Peak to the finish is on tired broken athletes. IT NEVER SEEMED TO END. I even started swearing under my breath at the crazy blokes who thought this out but soon realized that I was swearing at myself. How’s that for being totally poked?

We had decided to hold prize giving before I arrived so as not to hold up the athletes that still had a long journey home. I therefore was not expecting much of a reception when we arrived but to my surprise we had a great welcoming party and I was so so proud of the group that we brought home. We had left some of the stragglers with our marshals from Halston and once they came in; as well as a Sky runner sliding down the last descent on his bum because he was unable to walk; I finally was able to shut down and for the first time breath a sigh of relief. Another Salomon Skyrun completed with all athletes safe and off the mountain.

It is with gratitude that we want to thank our title sponsors Salomon and Thule as well as our other sponsors Red Bull; Nomadik Tents and Wedgewood Nougat for contributing to a life changing experience for all the athletes that are brave enough to enter an event like the Skyrun.

We also are extremely thankful to the local communities of  Lady Grey and the Wartrail district. It feels like home away from home when we arrive and you guys are the back bone of our events in that area.

Without our marshals we  wouldn’t be hosting a tough extreme and challenging event like the Salomon Skyrun. You guys are our as well as the athletes life line in the mountains. I cannot begin to express how much we appreciate you.

The Bloemfontein 4×4 Echo Club has been doing the Skyrun for the past 10 years longer than what I have been organizing the event. They are simply irreplaceable. Thank you all for your time contribution and expense that you incur to make our journey of self discovery possible every year.

Cyril and Charl Van Heerden thanks boys for manning Snowdown CP and living your own adventure.

Adi’s Angels you guys are always so positive and such an amazing sight to see when we approach Avoca CP. I said many prayers of thanks that you all survived the horrible accident without serious injuries. It is clear that you are blessed and protected by Angels. We missed those screams of encouragement at Avoca but hope to have you there next year with those “WHOOO HOOOOS!!!!” echoing through the mountains.

Deon and Jan thanks for on short notice manning the Avoca CP. Deon you are always a great satisfaction to have on the route your wisdom and calmness is very comforting for us as race organization. The Free State Mountain Club are an integral part of the Skyrun family.

Peet, Annelie, Charmaine, Louisa and the rest of the Free State Mountain Club thanks for braving the wind-chill and running up and down the mountain to get water for the dehydrated athletes. It was great having you there to accompany me to Balloch.

To Billy thank you my friend for sweeping with me from the start to Balloch. I know it was tough for you my friend but am grateful to have had your company.

Laura and Danie thanks for looking after the runners from Edgehill Saturday night. You guys played a huge roll in ensuring that a lot of Sky Runners made the finish.

To all you Sky runners whether you finished or not. We salute your courage and wild at heart spirits that made you take up the challenge. Some of you were successful some of you were not but that is beside the point you had the strength to expose yourself to a true test of your being and as in life we cannot always achieve what we set out to first time round.

We look forward to seeing you all next year.

Adrian and Mike

Pure Adventures

VENUE: MOOLMANSHOEK PRIVATE GAME RESERVE, FREE STATE

The long weekend of the 25th September saw a record number of 210 mountain runners tackle the 24 km mountainous skyline route that comprises the Thule 4 Peaks.

With the area suffering under major veld fires a couple of weeks before the event the terrain was a contrast of shades and looked beautiful in its hardship.

We had the privilege of having world class Ryan Sandes among the runners and were keen to see how he would cope on this short course against the likes of previous record holders Bruce Arnett and Izaak Mazibuko.

We like to boast that this route will be the toughest 24km’s that the runners will tackle. With athletes on average taking 6hrs to complete the route and backmarkers taking 9hrs one gets an appreciation of the rugged and adventurous route.

Our preparation soon led us to believe that the 2010 version of this iconic event was going to be special. We strive to introduce new athletes to the wonderful world of Mountain Running.

With almost two thirds of this year’s field being novices we certainly were pleased to have the opportunity of introducing these runners to our world.

The weather forecast was promising and although high temps were expected the runners were cautioned to carry enough fluids on the route.

Due to the larger field we started the event in 3 batches with a 15 min gap between batches. This was to try and eliminate the bottleneck that usually forms at the first rock scramble on route to the 1st Pyramid.

We had some very interesting route choices and it was soon evident that a lot of the runners were far more adventurous than what we expected with a whole bunch doing some serious cliff climbing to the 2nd Pyramid.

My heart almost stopped when I witnessed the snake of bodies climbing the cliffs despite a much safer route available.

We also had a couple of runners visiting the top of Vissierskerf although this was unnecessary they must have had a great view. The leading ladies bunch was among this group which eventually cost them the title.

Ryan Sandes absolutely blitzed the route in a new record time of 2h41min58sec with local farm laborour Izaak Maziibuko in 2nd under two minutes behind and Gerhard Uys in 3rd and Bruce Arnett in 4th.

All four of these athletes beat the previous course record. Shows what a bit of competition can do. Ladies honours went to Gerda Visagie in 1st, Natasja Kask in 2nd and Allison Ball in 3rd.

Of the 210 starters 204 accomplished their goal and completed this gruelling course. Well done to all of you. You are true warriors.

The Thule 4 Peaks in association with Salomon is however more than a mountain run. We strive to entertain the whole family and have a kiddies zone where the kids had a great fun filled day of pony rides, treasure hunts, face painting etc.

On Sunday we had a 24km Mountain Bike Adventure putting the Mountain into Mountain biking with riders ascending to an amazing view point overlooking Lesotho before descending the sand stone ridges and various canyons down to the game farm below.

We would not be able to host this event without the backing and assistance of numerous companies and individuals. We express our sincere gratitude and thanks to our title sponsors Thule and Salomon, as well as to our prize and product sponsors.

Thank you to the Nel family for allowing us to make use of their piece of paradise. It is a privilege for which we are extremely grateful. Finally a big thank you to all our marshals and helpers. We are dependent on all of you and thank you for your loyalty and assistance.

See you in 2011.

This catchy tune was my personal theme song this year at the Garmin Wartrail. Every time I bumped into athletes, seconds, marshals, medics, locals etc. this tune would pop up and I found myself singing it out loud to the amusement of those in earshot. The reason is that I was making my circle of adventure family bigger; we were making the Garmin family; also referred to as the GTribe  bigger and WE WERE SHOWING DEM !!!!!.

We were celebrating the Human Rights weekend by exercising our right to freedom, to push our bodies minds and souls to levels that just cannot be reached in mundane day to day living.  We were exploring mother earth and our inner beings and all along we were guided by our instinct to survive and where that instinct was lacking by our Garmin GPS units.

It is such an honor to be involved in an event that is a passion and have a passionate sponsor on board like Garmin. It is also a pleasure and honor to have people around me that understand the ethos and history of this event and who have just as much passion as I do for the area, the locals and the Wartrail family. Mike De Haast’s contribution as my partner really makes a huge difference and its a pleasure working with him to ensure we keep on putting on events that keep you all coming back for more.

The Garmin Wartrail 2010 was in my view a HUGE success. The athletes were true characters; the mountain was beautiful yet with a cruel side (hiding her precious water caches this year); the cycle leg was hot  and the river was low strewn with momentum halting shallow banks. This year was a true test of endurance.

I am honored to have some of the Countries top multi sport athletes come back year after year to the event but the Garmin Wartrail is not only about the top athletes its about everyone that has the courage to enter a world were we are all stripped to nothing but our primal instinct to survive and conquer. This event is and will never be a mass entry event simply because thee are not that many of us out there willing to put it all on the line without the safety net that we have become accustomed to. Luckily us few that have attempted and conquered the Garmin Wartrail know that we have an ace up our sleeves and that is that we have a huge advantage in the fact that we have access to a world of navigation in our trusty Garmin devices. I am sure that for a large percentage of the athletes they would be lost without their Garmins.

Race briefing took place on Friday the 19th March 2010  after the athletes and their seconds enjoyed a feats prepared by the Mountain View Country Inn. It is always great to look into the athletes eyes the night before and to see the anticipation, the uncertainty, the fear.

After race briefing athletes were given a short course in the use of the Garmin Etrex units that were supplied downloaded with the tracks for the remote mountain hike. Thereafter everyone  got an early night in preparation of the 4am start the next morning.

03h45 am the main street of Lady Grey nervous athletes gather under the Garmin arch for roll call before the start. At 04h00 John Michael Tawse blows the rams horn to start the 2010 adventure. After a short run through the town we are soon engulfed in the dark pre dawn night with only our headlights guiding us over the overgrown and rock strewn path leading to CP 1. We arrive at CP 1 approximately 10km into the race with all athletes having checked in safely. The Sunrise greats us with a wonderful view and the day looks like it is going to be kind to us. We pass through CP 2 Olympus to find some of the faster athletes injured and waiting to be evacuated from the mountain by the marshals manning the point. They had suffered ankle injuries and one athlete had gippo guts. After assessing the  extent of the injuries I convince Dominic Strano who came all the way from the Cape to continue with us at the back end of the field. He agrees and we continue with a hobbling Domo in tow. Onto CP 3 Snowden we proceed and are greeted by the marshals with a chocolate Easter egg  to remember our fallen comrades especially Paul Mitchell who was a true icon and great spirit of South African Adventure Sports. We were sure that we have left no one on the route and the marshals proceeded on with our sweeping group leaving Snowden deserted.

The Section between Snowden and Avoca is the most remote part of South Africa that I have ever been in half way through this section I receive the call that one of the athletes Nr 6 Jacques Booysen is lost and has missed CP 3. I make contact with Jacque and he informs me that he can see Avoca and I as him to use his Garmin to put in Avoca’s co-ordinates and see how far he is from Avoca. He tells me he is 8.4km from Avoca. I look on my Garmin and see that I am 3.3km from Avoca CP. I inform Jacque that he is 5km behind me and that I will wait for him at the CP. As Jacque has done this route twice I was confident that he was on the right track as Avoca is a very distinguishable landmark. Surprise Surprise. My phone rings again and Jacques has started doubting his Garmin he informs me that Avoca is behind him and that the distance is increasing from the CP as he is moving. I request him to give me his co-ordinates and punch them into my Garmin unit that has the topo maps downloaded. To my shock and horror I realize that Jacque has been traversing an adjacent Ridge and was moving further and further into an extremely remote part of the old Transkei with hardly any access or inhabitants. Jacque is immediatley instructed to turn around and hike back to CP 3 Snowden and then given instructions and directions to get down the mountain to the farmhouse below. After a 7 hour ordeal Jacque was found by race organization after the local farmers had fed him a couple of tequilas to calm his nerves. If Jacque was not carrying his Garmin the situation could have been severe.

After this excitement we proceeded on past Avoca CP4 towards Skiddaw and though we had witnessed thunder and lightening in front of us we only realized the extent of the storm by the thick piles of hail scattered all around us. I was thankful that we were not caught in the hail like the front runners must have been. We eventually made it into Balloch the overnight stop at 20h00 16hours after the start.  The days winners were rewarded namely Andre Gie and Nico Schoeman in the men and Tatum Prins in the ladies categories then it was time for Margy Frost’s now famous Sheppard’s stew under the Balloch Cave.

07h30 on the 21st March saw battle bruised Mountain Bikers line up under the Garmin arch to tackle the 135 km Mountain bike route that would take them to the end of the road village of Mdlokovane the overnight stop. This route starts off with a quad busting lung burning ascent to the top of Lundeans Nek 25km from the start.

What goes up must go down and the descent  from the top of Lundeans Nek to the Tele River below is 10km or pure almost sinful fun. Riders had been warned to watch out for the snot slippery causeways in some of the hairpin bends but still there were some tumbles including the ladies leader Tatum Prins who had some concrete induced makeup at the finish of the bike leg. This route is tough with many climbs but just as many descents and with the heat throwing down the gauntlet all riders took a hammering.

At the end of the bike leg riders were welcomed into a remote village on the Orange River escarpment; Mdlokovane. The locals look forward to this annual visit and a carnival atmosphere with song and dance welcomes the visitors on their high tech carbon or aluminum steeds. This Village experience is a culture shock to first times doing the Garmin Wartrail as there are no showers and toilet fascilities consist of the traditional long drop. The evening is finalized with an amazing gourmet supper prepared in the Village by Lizby Van Zyl and all that attended this years event will agree that she really put on a spread in no mans land.

06h30 on the banks of the Orange the athletes lined up in their K1 and K2′s La Mans Style ready to take on the low level Orange for the paddle to Aliwal North 65km down river. From my journey up to Lady Grey I noticed that the Orange was a bit thin in appearance looking more like a mole snake than the mighty Anaconda I was used to from the previous 2 years. This day was going to test all those craving the finish line as sand banks would determine the line to follow as well as the speed of progress. After many numb butt hours of paddling Hertzog Bridge in Aliwal and the finish of the 2010 Garmin Wartrail was soon in sight giving me; as it does every year; a lump in my throat knowing that all athletes hare safe, have had the experience of a life time and that the event was again a huge success.

This event would not be possible with out the assistance and support of so many individuals, companies and landowners. Our special thanks to our Sponsor Garmin for investing in our sport and giving back to its clients and product users; us the adventurers. To all the landowners for allowing us access to this Gem of our amazing country. Thanks to the Bloemfontein 4×4 Echo Club for their faithful support and assistance year after year. Erika and Coen for the timing and computer program. To my hiking Marshals the Ninja warriors Willem; JJ; Vossie and Rudolph and to AD’s Angels the girls of Avoca led by Barinda, Adriaana and Tuanette you guys are stars. The Frosts of Balloch for their hospitality and great meals; Lizby for the catering at Mdlokovane and the Country View Mountain Inn for their extra service that they provide.
A special thanks to my partner Mike for taking care of the logistics while I have fun out on the route.

The results are attached to the email and will be published on www.ar.co.za and www.trailrunning.co.za .

Hope to see you next year at the 2011 Garmin Wartrail. LETS MAKE THE CIRCLE BIGGER !!!!!

ADRIAN
PURE ADVENTURES