Dates confirmed for Drak Challenge
Organisers have announced the dates for next year's N3TC Drak Challenge.
THE 23rd edition of the hugely popular two-day N3TC Drakensberg Challenge canoeing marathon on the uMzimkhulu River through the Southern Drakensberg is on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 January 2016, and will serve as the South African leg of the International Canoe Federation's Classic Series.
Founded in 1994, this unique river race has caught the attention of the river paddling community with its clean water, steep challenging rapids and long deep clear pools, and the warm hospitality and many attractions of the Underberg/Himeville area.
Just a month before the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon, the race attracts a field of close to 1000 paddlers, and many of the country's elite stars. It is always a K1 championship race, but provided the river is not running too low, it is still a popular race for many social K2 crews.
The first stage is 26km long and runs from the Castleburn Bridge close to the Drakensberg Gardens hotel, to the Swartberg Road bridge on the outskirts of Underberg. It starts with 10km of steep alpine river descent littered with numerous rapids in what is known as the Valley of a Thousand Rapids.
The 38km second stage is held from the Swartberg Road bridge to the Early Mists Farm close to Coleford Resort, and runs through the Underberg Gorge and the Lower Gorge, interspersed with long flat sections where bunch riding and marathon racing tactics come to the fore.
The race is entirely dependent on summer rainfall in the mountain catchment area, and as such offers different racing challenges every year. In the event of very low water conditions, the start can be moved 15km downstream to the Trout Hatcheries, in which case the overnight stop moves to Callaway Bridge below Glenhaven.
