Yes, all riders are going down into the Umko Valley. They will be climbing out of the valley before they cross the Umkomaas River. Seconders will more than likely stay on the R56 and wait for them there. They will then escort them down the R56 for 2.5km before travelling with them all the way along the Nhlaveni dirt road towards Highflats.
With the event starting at 2am at Glencairn, Himeville, teams should reach the Umko drop at sunrise. However, with the lights available nowadays darkness is never a problem, unless you run out of battery.
A 2x4 vehicle will not be a problem as seconders stay on hardened roads at all times.
The route should be very easy for most people to follow. There will be a detailed route description and route directions. We feel that it will be a good idea to have an additional supporter in the seconding vehicle with the driver as it is a long way with lots of seconding to do and directions to follow. You can add an additional supporter to your entry.
For safety reasons we are initially insisting on a team format.
All members of the team need to complete the 250km to qualify as official finishers. Ebikes are welcome where there are categories for Ebike mixed and Ebike pure teams.
It would be possible to complete the route on Gravel bikes although mountain bikes are the recommended bike of choice. Teams are allowed to swap out bikes along the route, i.e. road, gravel or mountain.
Navigation will be by means of GPS only. Orange route markers and spray overrule your GPS route.