Five local mountain bike riders took part in the Eurosteel Drak Descent over the weekend of January 25 and 26. There were two race distances: 55km and 48km. Marius van Eeden, Eugene Bosch, Lino Dias, Brendan Smith and Marian Channon participated in this gruelling event near Underberg. The original idea behind the race was for riders to follow the paddlers for sections of the Umzimkulu River as they did the annual Drak Challenge canoe race. But then competitive human spirit kicked in and the organisers wanted to see if they could ride all the way next to the river from Restmount Children’s Home to Umzimkulu River Lodge.
Not only did the riders want to follow the river, they wanted to see if they could ride faster than the canoeists.
The Euro Steel Drak Descent is unique for many reasons – and this is what the organisers had to say:
The numbers for the MTB race/ride are strictly capped. It’s a race that offers lovely prizes and giveaways, but no cash.
Or it’s a leisure ride, if you want. But whatever you want it to be, it’s assured to be testing, spectacular and lots of fun.
Much of the route is along the banks of the Umzimkulu River and its tributaries, and also from the plateaus – right alongside the canoeists doing their race.
This is an annual ride and much of the route is on private property (part of a World Heritage Site) that is otherwise inaccessible during the rest of the year.
There will be a race/ride, come hell or high water. The race is held in afternoon thunderstorm season in the Drakensberg – and if the rain or river gods are not with us, we may well be swimming and not riding. But at least it’s bound to be warm at that time of year!

It’s the first stage race/ride of the season and will test your early-season fitness and skills – as it’s definitely not for the inexperienced beginner! You’ll see the river from close – and also up from plateaus – giving some spectacular views. It is a ‘descent’, but as you may well have heard, ‘life is not all downhill!’
The race is one of the pillars of the Drak Adventure Weekend, together with the Euro Steel Run, the Rivers and N3TC Drak Challenge.

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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.