Rhino Ride charges poaching

A passionate peloton of 25 riders endured hundreds of kilometres, braved searing temperatures and risked the wrath of Africa’s fiercest predators when they took on the 2015 Ride for Rhinos mountain bike challenge.

At 1am on Saturday, 15 cyclists left Hillcrest bound non-stop for their Hilltop destination 341 kilometres away, and were joined later in the day by 10 riders doing the shorter 240 kilometre ride, who set off from Darnall, near Zinkwazi.

The event aimed to raise money for the ongoing fight against poaching, with each rider sponsoring their own participation in the ride while also taking pledges from personal sponsors, 100% of which will be donated to Project Rhino and its partners.

The ride involved a heart-stopping route that finished at Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve’s Hilltop camp had a cut off time of 16 hours. This was because predators including lions, leopards and hyenas are a threat after nightfall.

Project ambassador and fundraiser at Project Rhino, Grant Fowlds, said that last year’s inaugural ride was so successful that the organisers had to make it an annual event, in what is arguably one of the toughest one-day mountain biking rides in South Africa.

“This ride is unique not just because of the distance, but because the gruelling last 35 kilometres go through the very game reserve where rhinos were saved from extinction back in 1961,” said Fowlds.

This year’s ride generated more than R100 000 in public donations.

Gary Doyle, a Ballito resident and co-owner of Cadence Cycling Performance Centre, took part in Saturday’s epic ride and said it was one of the most fulfilling experiences he has ever had.

“It was definitely one of the toughest rides anyone can do as the sheer distance, in addition to the hot conditions, made it challenging,” said Doyle, who added that temperatures averaged about 30°C on the day.

“What was really special for all of us was seeing a family of white rhinos just 50 metres away from us. That viewing really made it all worthwhile,” said Doyle, who added that the morale between the riders was crucial to getting the group to the finish.

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