Event News
Youth and Experience at Expedition Africa Swellendam
Press Release / 06.05.2021
The second leg of the Adventure Racing World Series – Africa is due to start in 2 days’ time at the Kam’Bati River Resort.
It’s the second event of 6 in the series, and has received fantastic support with 50 teams (pairs and 4’s) due to race at the first Expedition Africa 120km race in the Western Cape. Among them are 6 Youth teams (all 4 members under 25), so this is the strongest youth entry seen at a race in South Africa.
The venue at the Kam’Bati River resort is situated on an Overberg farm called Jubileeskraal, approximately 20km west of Swellendam. The Sonderendriver and Breede rivers meet on the property, which is owned and managed by the Badenhorst Family, and given the unprecedented heavy rains and floods in the last 24 hours this has presented the Race Directors with the challenging task of working out a last minute plan B in case the Breede river is not safe to paddle.
Most of the top teams from the first race in Bronkhorstspruit in April have returned seeking series points and the focus will be on the mixed teams of four competing to be crowned the South African Adventure Racing Champions at the end of the year in Lesotho. (They are ultimately racing to win the coveted entry spot for the World Championship in 2022 in Paraguay.)
Cyanosis Adventure Racing, Pinegold, Balega and Addicted2Adventure held the top spots after the first race, and are all entered this time around. Winners and series leaders Cyanosis will field a different team, captained for the first time by Tracey Campbell.
Also racing are Team Songlines, who lead for the first half of the race in April, but due to a navigational error missed the top spot and finished 6th. The team consisting of Lance Kime, Owen Gandar, Tamika Gandar and Kelvin Trautman raced a few times together last year, but under a different team names. The consensus this year was that they would make their partnership a little more formal and so Team Songlines was born.
It’s an interesting team name. A Songline marks a route across land, sea and sky and has been used by Aboriginals for generations to find their way. The melody of these songs is said to describe the contours and features of the landscape, which the team thought was marvelous way to think about navigating their way around an adventure race course. It’s a very special meaning and name, and they will be keen to re-establish themselves at the front end of the field to gain valuable points towards the rankings. Let’s see what this team will bring to the table in Swellendam.
Team Truffle Hunters are also attending with the goal to break open a spot in the top five. They are among a big group of Cape-based teams that did not travel up to Gauteng in April, so will be looking to register their first points.
The race is due to start at 7:30 am on Saturday and there will be live tracking at www.expafrica.live.
Expedition Africa 120km Swellendam
Route Information
| DISCIPLINE: CYCLE DISTANCE: 41 KM ELEVATION GAIN: + 845 M ELEVATION LOSS: – 740 M |
| CONTROL POINTS ON THIS LEG: | DESCRIPTION |
| START | Jan Harmsgat Country House |
| CP1 | Track Junction |
| CP2 | Tunnel under road |
| CP3 | Track Junction |
| CP4 | Bridge |
| FINISH – T1 | Park gate |
| LEG NOTES |
| Load re-supply box A and re-supply box B on trailers before departing for start area.All teams to travel in own transport to start area.One member from each team will be transported back to start area to collect transport on completion of event, from the finish line.Teams should try and share transport as much as possible.Teams with supporters can be dropped off at start area.Car keys box will be at start area and secured at finish line.Teams to be dressed in cycling gear with helmets, ready to start with leg 1.Helmet’s compulsory to wear on cycle leg.Take cycle locking system with team to T1.NO TRAVEL ON R60 ROAD AT ANYTIME.Use all roads with caution at all times. Many trucks and cars travel roads on the course at high speed.Plan route choices through town with utmost care, the roads are not marshalled.Follow the rules of the road at all times.Hand in passport to marshal on arrival at T1 for verification. |
| TRANSITION ONE – T1 |
| Re-supply box A, medic, drinking water and toilets. NO restaurant, sleeping facilities or electricity. |
LEG 1
| DISCIPLINE: TREK DISTANCE: 17 KM ELEVATION GAIN: + 987 M ELEVATION LOSS: – 987 M | |
| CONTROL POINTS ON THIS LEG: | DESCRIPTION |
| START – T1 | Park gate |
| CP5 – TEAM PHOTO REQUIRED | Path junction |
| CP6 | River crossing |
| CP7 – TEAM PHOTO REQUIRED | Path junction |
| FINISH – T1 | Park Gate |
| LEG NOTES |
| Receive map for Leg 2 – Trek from marshal at T1.Copy CPs from master map.Leave re-supply box A in transition area and ensure it is cable tied closed for safety.Leave cycles in transition are, ensure it is locked together.Place all cycle gear in cable tied re-supply box A.CP5 and CP7 have a signboard at the path junction. Take a team photo, “selfie”, with this signboard as background.Use caution on hiking trail, it is technical and EXTREMELY wet and slippery in places.Hand in passport to marshal on arrival at T1 for verification.Show photo of CP5 and CP7 to marshal on arrival at T1 for verification. |
| TRANSITION ONE – T1 |
| Re-supply box A, medic, drinking water and toilets. NO restaurant, sleeping facilities or electricity. |
LEG 2
| DISCIPLINE: CYCLE DISTANCE: 34 KM ELEVATION GAIN: + 303 M ELEVATION LOSS: – 496 M |
| CONTROL POINTS ON THIS LEG: | DESCRIPTION |
| START – T1 | Park gate |
| CP8 | Fence line in furrow |
| CP9 | Track junction |
| CP10 | Fence at T-junction |
| CP11 | Game park gate |
| CP12 | Viewpoint |
| CP13 | Game fence corner |
| CP14 | Track junction |
| FINISH – T2 | Picnic spot |
| LEG NOTES |
| Receive map for Leg 3 – Cycle from marshal at T1.Copy CPs from master map.Pack re-supply box A on trailer before departing T1.Helmet’s compulsory to wear on cycle leg.Take cycle locking system with team to T2.NO TRAVEL ON N2 AT ANYTIME.Use all roads with caution at all times. Many trucks and cars travel roads on the course at high speed.Plan route choices through town with utmost care, the roads are not marshalled.Follow the rules of the road at all times.Hand in passport to marshal on arrival at T2 for verification. |
| TRANSITION ONE – T1 |
| Re-supply box A, medic, drinking water and toilets. NO medic, restaurant and sleeping facilities. |
| TRANSITION TWO – T2 |
| Re-supply box B, medic, drinking water and toilets. NO restaurant,sleeping facilities and electricity. |
LEG 3
| DISCIPLINE: TREK DISTANCE: 14 KM ELEVATION GAIN: + 165 M ELEVATION LOSS: – 165 M |
| CONTROL POINTS | DESCRIPTION |
| START – T2 | Picnic spot |
| CP15 | Clearing |
| CP16 | Dam |
| CP17 | Beacon |
| FINISH – T2 | Picnic spot |
| LEG NOTES |
| Receive map for Leg 4 – Trek from marshal at T2.Copy CPs from master map.Leave re-supply box B in transition area and ensure it is cable tied closed for safety.Leave cycles in transition are, ensure it is locked together.Place all cycle gear in cable tied re-supply box B.Coffee and Tea station at T2 with boiling water.Hand in passport to marshal on arrival at T2 for verification. |
| TRANSITION TWO – T2 |
| Re-supply box B, medic, drinking water and toilets. NO restaurant,sleeping facilities and electricity. |
LEG 4
| DISCIPLINE: CYCLE DISTANCE: 7 KM ELEVATION GAIN: + 106 M ELEVATION LOSS: – 48 M |
| CONTROL POINTS | DESCRIPTION |
| START – T2 | Picnic spot |
| CP18 | Road junction |
| CP19 | Road junction |
| FINISH | Swellendam show grounds |
| LEG NOTES |
| Collect map for Leg 5 – Cycle from marshal at T2.Copy CPs from master map.Load re-supply box B in transport indicated by marshal.Helmet’s compulsory to wear on cycle leg.NO TRAVEL ON N2 AT ANYTIME.Use all roads with caution at all times. Many trucks and cars travel roads on the course at high speed.Plan route choices through town with utmost care, the roads are not marshalled.Follow the rules of the road at all times.National curfew between midnight and 04h00. Ensure rear red-light is on during night cycling.Follow Expedition Africa arrows from CP19 to finish area.Hand in passport to marshal on arrival at finish for verification.Hand in Spot Tracker to marshal at finish.Clean and hand in, both re-supply boxes at finish area before breakfast. |
| TRANSITION TWO – T2 |
| Re-supply box B, medic, drinking water and toilets. NO restaurant,sleeping facilities and electricity. |
| FINISH |
| Re-supply box A, re-supply box B, medic, drinking water, toilets, sleeping facilities and electricity. Hotdog, local craft beer and drinks at finishing area. Wimpy coffee station available at own cost. |
LEG 5
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