Take it as read that steering a mountain bike through one of Africa’s most spectacular scenic regions is going to be a life-changing experience. Whether you are an MTB enthusiast, conservationist or adventure junkie, you will find exhilaration on the three-day Zambezi Cycle Challenge 2015 (ZCC) held at the Victoria Falls – the largest sheet of falling water in the world.
The route snakes alongside the famous Zambezi River that divides Zimbabwe from Zambia, heads into the Zambezi National Park, ploughs throughteak forests, valleys and grasslands and takes in views of the waterfall that stretches 1,708 metres wide with a drop of 108 metres. It’s not hard to understand why the locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders).
Riders not only have to test their physical ability but also have to be constantly aware of wildlife in an area where man is the intruder.
The inaugural ZCC held in July this year was organised by residents Bruno De Leo and Brent Dacomb, the main objective being to raise funds for conservation of the wildlife and environment surrounding the Victoria Falls, while at the same time providing a unique thrilling experience for mountain bikers.
Get in the Zone
On Day One of this year’s event cyclists hugged the Zambezi River for about 58 kilometres on single track and gravel through areas rich with wildlife. Radical Challenge, a Zimbabwe-based life-skills course designed to cultivate upstanding young men, entered a team that included student Andrew Deller, who said: “Wow-the first day was really difficult as we rode through what seemed like nothing but sand, which the organisers commented on as “just a sprinkling!” It was a gruelling seven-hour ride, whereas the professionals rode it in four hours.
He added: “Thank you went to the last water table crew who were fantastic. It was like having Christmas out there on the airstrip as we were the last group! We were thrilled when we eventually hit the tar and ended up face down kissing the tar.”
On Day Two the MTB’s headed inland for about 70 kilometres through the big game country of Chamabonda Vlei and Matetsi Safari Area. Cycling on single and double track deep into the bush was eventful for another Radical Challenge student and UAE resident, James Connold. “We were making good time and staying way ahead of the pack but about 30 kilometres into the race, Derek fell ill and had to stop. This resulted into me joining up with another group of managers from Johannesburg. I stayed with them for most of the race. It was an amazing experience riding next to the Zambezi River through the National Park bush.”
He continued: “On the 3rd day I took numerous falls and my bike basically disintegrating beneath me. Despite me only being able to go into second gear and my chain continually falling off, myself and my group finished the ride.” Day Three was all about riding on the edge, a technically challenging 45 kilometres stretch of 90% single track leading towards Victoria Falls along the Batoka Gorge. “The track took us to within metres of the edge of the gorge so the scenery was unbelievable,” said Andrew.
Dates for 2016
ZCC organiser Brent says that next year’s route will be much the same as the inaugural event although the structure of Day One will be adjusted. “The ‘sprinkling of sand’ was a bit of an understatement! We will probably shorten day one by 10-15 kms and cut out about 25kms of sand by choosing a different route,”he said.
Both social adventure-loving mountain bike enthusiast and competitive cyclists are welcome to join next year’s event, taking place on 8th, 9th and 10th of July.
Proceeds of the challenge go towards Children in The Wilderness (CITW) and the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (VFWT). The latter non-profit organisation was established by conservationists who believed more needed to be done to conserve the wildlife and natural resources in southern Africa, and does so through wildlife research, managing a wildlife veterinary laboratory and rehabilitation clinic, educating local people in conservation practises and finding ways for communities and wildlife to co-exist.
“As a non-profit, we rely very heavily on funding from a variety of sources – one of which is from events like the ZCC,” said Roger Parry, Wildlife Manager for the VFWT. “The event raised a significant amount for the two recipients.” He hopes the VFWT will receive more sponsorship next year to increase the contribution to conservation.
CITW is a non-profit organisation supported by ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris that enables sustainable conservation through the leadership development of rural children in Africa. It runs camps, eco-clubs and programmes at schools within the rural communities that live on the edges of the wild areas of Africa.
Tour de Tuli
Funds raised from the annual Nedbank Tour de Tuli mountain biking event also go to the CITW. In August this year, the Tour’s 11th edition attracted 340 participants.
The next event is scheduled from July 29 to August 3, 2016. A few changes will be made to the route and camps to incorporate new challenges and surprises, especially as the event has a high repeat rate in terms of participants. Organisers Tour de Wilderness, the umbrella brand which manages and coordinates fundraising activities for CITW, will finalise the route in a few months’ time.
The Tour de Tuli is renowned for its high standards of organisation, tented accommodation in beautiful wilderness locations and stunning scenery in geologically rich areas. As Nicola Harris, Tour Director said: “The Tour has become synonymous with adventure, serious single-track riding, and an incredible spirit of comradery and this year was certainly no exception.”
Starting from the Pont Drift border post between South Africa and Botswana, cyclists headed off for two days across Botswana’s northern Tuli Game Reserve of indigenous forest and sandstone ridges. After that they crossed into Zimbabwe where one of the highlights was to visit Jalukange Primary School. “We include a visit to a CITW school every year, and some participants have been so moved by this experience that they have continued to independently support the various schools after the Tour,” said Nicola.
On day four, cyclists crossed back over the Limpopo River and into South Africa where they cycled through the baobab-sprinkled Mapungubwe National Park, the final destination for the Tour.
Photojournalist Jacques Marais wrote about his first Tour in SA 4×4 Magazine: “I looked down to inspect the crank, and immediately noticed the stripped thread. Two thoughts popped simultaneously into my head: ‘This is Big 5 country,’ and ‘I’m buggered for the rest of the Tour if I can’t get this fixed.’ Fortunately, I was only about two kilometres from one of the start points, and started pushing my slider back at a pace, all the while keeping an eye on the surrounding bush for signs of anything higher on the food chain than I was.” Take it for read: the back-up teams for the Tour de Tuli as well as the Zambezi Cycle Challenge are more than well practised at getting riders back on their wheels.
Some pointers
- Obey all National Park rules and regulations
- Don’t wander off the designated course
- Minimum age 16, maximum 70 (exceptions can be granted)
- Bring your own bike (or hire for at least $100 a day)
- Contact tuppy.robertson@gmail.com for further information and if you would like to join a group from UAE travelling to the ZCC at Victoria Falls, call 050 425 1656
Words By: Cheryl Robertson
