Klipspringer challenge, a trail run hosted in Northern Cape province, has been on my catalogue of things to do since 2018. It offered the opportunity to thoroughly explore the Northern Cape province, the land of endless space. Known to be the largest province in South Africa with the most vacant land, one would default to think that there isn’t much to see or do, but to our amazement, we ran out of time rather than of things to do. My knowledge of the race came from conversations with Warren King (Klipspringer Challenge race director) at another trail race, “Run the Berg” in Drakensberg. The thing about trail runners is that once you step a foot in one, they will rope you into many others. Before you know it, they will make recommendations for other races that are not to be missed, and of course, they all come highly recommended. Trail runners freely market races like they get paid for it, a true ambassadorship. I have wanted to run the Klipspringer challenge since I heard of it but on most occasions, it clashed with the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, which had been my annual race. So, in 2021 when road races were still suspended due to the pandemic, this offered an opportunity to revisit the list of races to run especially that out of province. Klipspringer challenge has two categories, distance split over two days, the Lite challenge (+-40km) and the full challenge (+- 65km). I opted for the Lite challenge, considering that I had not been running for some time but to also afford the free time to explore the province in between.
Day 1 | Khamkirri Resort
Day 1 of the race started at a remote area, on the banks of Orange River at a place called Khamkirri lodge which we accessed by ferry. This was undeniably one of the highlights of the race. Khamkirri lodge ranks top in the province and has previously been awarded the guest’s choice award. The lodge is nothing short of an adventurer’s dream destination, offering a range of activities for the young and old, from safari drives to water sports. The establishment was used as a meeting point to transport the runners to the race start area, which was approximately 7km away from the lodge. The road to the start was paralleled by raisins vineyards, giving away the richness of the landscapes. Northern Cape province is reported to be the main raisins production province in South Africa, due to the year-round availability of irrigation water from the Orange River.
The race started late due to all the logistical errors to get to the starting point, which meant that we busked under the sun for most of the trail. Navigating heavy sands and the scorching hot sun was the deal of the day. The lite challenge wasn’t very strenuous and fitted perfectly for beginners. There were two water points, first at 9kms and the last at 16km, both manned by a company called Raisins South Africa. Day 1 is a dessert run, taking runners through varying landscapes littered with quiver trees all around. It was not technically challenging and in fact at the end of the race, I still had so much appetite to run which further confirmed that perhaps the full challenge would have been a better option.
Day 2 | Augrabies Falls National Park
If Day 2 of the race was anything to go by, Day 1 was just a warm-up. Very technical circular trail trotting the SANPARK's Klipspringer Hiking Trail at Augrabies Falls National Park to the foot of the gorge. Spoiled with views and as if that was not enough there was a water point manned by Orange River wine cellars that offered wine tasting. The water point was well-positioned with less than 5km to the finish, one could afford to walk with the satisfaction of fermented grapes in the belly. Immediately after the water point, we were greeted by a steady climb to the moon rock, a large exfoliation dome offering 360 views of the park. This is also the last check-in point of the race before heading to the finish at the park. The one thing that stirs my curiosity is how far I can push my body to reach new heights and accelerate in ways to improve as an endurance athlete. When I return next, it will be to tackle the full challenge.
Exploring Northern Cape
As an adventurer traveller, it was a no-brainer to draw up a list of places to explore in the province. The idea was to get exposed to as much as possible while also identifying areas of interest for a return visit. At the top of the list of places to visit was Riemvasmaak, a settlement just outside of Kakamas preceded by a gravel road spanning over 60km to the destination. At the time of the visit, road constructions were underway but punctuated in certain areas. As painful as the dirt road was, it made sense as soon as we arrived why the area is such a big attraction. Riemvasmaak is a hidden gem with amazing scenery and hot pools surrounded by 80m high granite cliffs. The landscapes were carved out by volcanic eruptions some years ago. A fun fact is that it ranks top 5 of natural hot spring pools in the country. In addition, learning about this place’s history and its people made it more special.
We were in luck to meet with the Northern Cape tourism representative who gave us insights about the province at large and free history lessons. Riemvasmaak was one of post-apartheid South Africa’s first land restitution projects and was largely occupied by Xhosa, Damara, Herero, Nama, and Coloured origin, (R. (2021). Riemvasmaak. Riemvasmaak. https://www.riemvasmaak.co.za/). They were forcefully removed from their ancestral land to Namibia in the 1970s by the then government for military use, narrated the representative. As a result of the disposition, most of the people who live here have relatives in Namibia.
Tourism in this area is fully administered by the community with the help of the provincial government to improve the infrastructure. Also notable in the area are crystals, rose quartz, and green fluorite stones sold on the streets. Other activities like mountain biking, bird watching, abseiling, 4x4 trails, and camping are available for booking at the tourism office.
Keen on taking up the Klipspringer Challenge? Follow the link to enter the race:
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