Category: Race Communications

Organise a trail race in the Desert, they said…

The weather is dry and predictable, they said…

KLIPSPRINGERS!

Just in case there were still people who thought climate change is not a real thing, Augrabies is forecast to receive 77mm of rain on Wenesday and Thursday this week. To put it in perspective, the annual average rainfall for the area, according to Google, is 119mm. So that is basically two thirds of its annual rainfall falling in 48 hours! In a desert with canyons and gullies and dry river beds, that is a Hollywood-movie level flash flooding scenario!

Fortunately, Race Weekend is looking dry and relatively cool, and anyone who knows the desert knows that it drains fast so we can likely expect perfect running conditions. So although this makes life difficult for the organisers, the impact of this dramatic rainfall on the actual Klipspringer routes should be minimal. HOWEVER, we will only know when it happens, so keep an eye on your mailboxes and social media for updates in case we have to communicate any late changes.

Park Admin

As usual we have a couple of admin shortcuts to help speed through the Park entry & exit processes. First please find attached the SANParks Gate Entry Permit (Click Here). Please download this and print and complete, including the names of all vehicle passengers, before you get to the Park gate. We are not expecting any real bottlenecks but early in the morning this will definitely help, especially for those entering the Park for the first time early on Sunday morning.

REGISTRATION: 15h00-18h00 on Friday at the Park Conference Centre just outside Reception. There is no physical Race Briefing following Registration this year so no need to hang around. Please try and get your registration sorted out as early as possible to avoid queues later on.

SANParks Conservation Fees: Remember that all visitors to South Africa’s National Parks pay a small daily Conservation Fee. Race participants will not need to pay Conservation Fees but all family / friends / other visitors will. If you are not staying at the Park Conservation Fees will not be applicable when you just enter for Registration on Friday and leave, but they WILL be applicable for all Day Visitors accompanying runners into the Park on Sunday. Please make sure applicable Conservation Fees are paid before leaving so you can receive the necessary Exit Permits required to leave the Park.

Attached is the official Klipspringer Race Logo (Click Here). Please download and EITHER print it out to display on your dashboard OR save a copy to your phone to display at the Park gate. This will act as a pass-out for anybody needing to exit and re-enter the Park again. People staying in the Park will also receive a hard copy Weekend Pass when they check in.

PLEASE REMEMBER that everybody staying at the Park will need to officially check out and pay when they leave, at which point they will receive their Exit Permit from Reception.

PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER THAT EVERY ENTRANT INTO THE PARK WILL NEED TO PRODUCE A PHOTO ID SUCH AS ID DOCUMENT / DRIVER’S LICENSE / PASSPORT (OR FOR CHILDREN WITHOUT PHOTO ID, A VALID BIRTH CERTIFICATE)

Khamkirri Ferry

Remember that because of the high water levels the Khamkirri Ferry will unfortunately not be operating. This means that on Day One runners staying in the Park on the Southern side of the river, or in the vicinity, will have to drive themselves to the Start on the Northern side. Similarly on Day Two, for runners staying at Khamkirri or on the Northern Bank getting to the Start at the Rest Camp in the Park on the Southern side. See directions in Pre-race Briefing #2.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for updates! See you all next weekend!

YOUR KLIPSPRINGER TEAM

Hey KLIPSPRINGERS!

10 days to go! The bulk of your training is now (hopefully) mostly done but this final stretch can still be hugely valuable. Just be sure to watch where you’re going and don’t injure yourselves! Reports from the Park indicate that the river is flowing nice and full for this time of year, and we expect the Falls over Race Weekend to put on their usual spectacular show but without the flood drama of Klipspringers past.

The downside of higher than normal water levels, even though way below the last couple of actual floods, is that together with upstream dams being at over 100% capacity and more rain forecast for the Orange River catchment area this week, Khamkirri will unfortunately be unable to operate their awesome Ferry service. This means that on Day One runners staying in the Park on the Southern side of the river, or in the vicinity, will have to drive themselves to the Start on the Northern side. Similarly on Day Two, for runners staying at Khamkirri or on the Northern Bank getting to the Start at the Rest Camp in the Park on the Southern side.

Remember that the Start / Finish on Day One is NOT actually AT Khamkirri, but approximately 5km beyond Khamkirri on the same road. The Start / Finish arch will be set up across the actual road, where you won’t be able to go any further, so you can’t miss it.

DIRECTIONS: From the Park head back towards Kakamas (approx. 39km). About 1km after the traffic light and petrol stations in Kakamas you will cross the bridge over the Orange River. Shortly after crossing the bridge you will take the turn off to the left following N10 / Riemvasmaak / Namibia. (This is where you will turn off to the right if you are coming from Upington, just before the big bridge over the river). The turn off here is pretty much impossible to miss AND there is a very prominent Khamkirri marker. From here follow the Khamkirri and Riemvasmaak signs at every junction. There is 3km of tar road, then 4km of good dirt road to the Riemvasmaak / Lutzputs split (follow Riemvasmaak to the left). After 20.5km of good dirt road you will come to the small community of Vaaldrift, and about 1km further on is the Khamkirri Resort on your left, and the actual Race Start & Finish is approximately 5km further on the same road. The roads are in good condition, but please avoid the temptation to speed up – there are a couple of corrugated sections that you don’t want to be driving too fast on, and after Khamikirri a couple of deceptively low dry river bed crossings. There is ample parking at the Start / Finish area but please park considerately and well to the side of the road to allow for vehicles turning around.

Entries

Please note that online entries are closed! However we have been receiving quite a few enquiries from runners who missed the chance to get their online entries in in time but are desperate to run, so we have decided to accommodate them with late entries at Registration in the Park on Friday afternoon. If you have any of your running friends who fall into this category you can let them know that they will be able to enter in person. They will be able to pay in cash, with or by EFT only (no credit cards), and their entry will NOT include a race shirt.

Registration & Pre-Race Briefing

Registration will take place at the Augrabies Falls National Park Conference Centre (just before Reception) on Friday afternoon 1 May from 15h00 – 18h00, where you will register and receive your race pack and race number. There will be a small Registration facility at the Start on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for those people who absolutely cannot make it on Friday – for those planning on making use of this it is recommended that you are at the Start to register by no later than 06h00.

There will be no physical Race Briefing at the venue, but rather we will distribute a Virtual Race Briefing video in the week before the Race. This means that runners do not have to hang around the Park until 19h00 on Friday evening after they have registered, and they can watch and re-watch at their own convenience.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

It gets harder every year to cater for the increasingly wide range of dietary preferences we all have, but we sure try! If you have any restrictions or strong preferences (vegetarian / vegan / gluten free) please indicate them by return email before midnight Monday 22 April so we can prepare as best we can to ensure no one starves. If you eat anything and everything you can ignore this.

Race Tip #2 – Following the trail and Orientation

Following the trail and NOT GETTING LOST is one of the most important aspects of trail running. Many a race, including some of the world’s biggest, have been won or lost because of a wrong turn at a critical time! Don’t let it be you! The Klipspringer trails will be comprehensively marked and nobody should get lost, but pay attention! Day One will be marked with specific highly-visible Klipspringer orange ribbon markings, and Day Two will be marked with ribbon AND with traditional SANParks Hiking Trail markings (remember that Day Two IS the legendary Klipspringer Hiking Trail). Please always be aware that this is a remote and inaccessible trail in extremely tough terrain. It is unlike the Otter Trail, for example, where the trail is kept clear and visible by the feet of thousands of hikers and tourists every year, and where if the ocean is not to your left, you know you’ve gone wrong somewhere. In addition, it is not just marketing when we say that the remote Northern Section of the Park has the course running through parts that have literally not seen human feet! So although you shouldn’t, there is always the possibility of finding yourself off the trail. Please note that the race maps are NOT navigation standard and the best advice here is that each and every runner take responsibility for their own run – do NOT just follow other runners, always be looking for the next trail marker, and pay attention to the actual DIRECTION of the arrows and trail markers (and Race Organiser instructions in Race Briefings). Also try and just be generally aware – if you’ve run for more than 100m – 200m without seeing a marker, the chances are that you are off the trail and should double back to the last one you saw. We will repeat this advice many times before the Race!

Race Tip #3 – Race Nutrition

Now is the time to start planning your Race eating. Yes there will be a LOT of DELICIOUS (and NUTRITIOUS) stuff at the Water Tables so you will definitely NOT go hungry. However it always pays to think of anything in particular that you might like to glug or gobble with you on a long hard day out on the trails and have it with you – when you need it that energy bar or banana is worth its weight in gold!. It also pays to have an emergency stash of something that can hit that spot if you do hit an energy wall in between Tables.

Enjoy this last week. Take it easy and stay injury-free, and keep your eyes on your inbox. Looking forward to special experience next weekend out out the Augrabies Falls National Park.

KLIPSPRINGERS!

2 weeks and counting!

For those new to the Klipspringer, we found that even before the pandemic turned everything virtual, our electronic Pre-race Briefings were a very popular and useful method of communication before the event. It’s a great way to provide news, updates, race requirements and changes. It is also a convenient place to put out some race tips, which many of you have asked for, and some training tips for those entrants who are relatively new to trail running. All of the important info will also be put up on the race website and Facebook Page. And of course, as usual, please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any specific questions you may have.

Entries

Remember only Paid Entries are confirmed. This year we will accept Race Weekend Entries subject to capacity, so if you have one of those last-minute-special wife, husband or friend who wakes up late and wants to come with you to run, they will be able to join you BUT they won’t be able to get a race shirt.

Compulsory & Recommended Equipment

Being a desert run in winter, one of the upsides of being virtually guaranteed no rain is that it makes it easy to compile the compulsory equipment list – water, phone, whistle and space blanket! Challenge competitors will be required to carry a minimum of 1.5 litres of water from the Start, and Lite competitors a minimum of 1 litre. Why? The idea is that runners have sufficient water to get them from watering station to watering station. It is properly DRY and often very HOT out there, even at this time of the year. For most of us running in the desert, it is not even a thought that this 1.5 litres could last for the whole race. For you racing snakes used to running with very little water and then hydrating like mad at the Finish, this includes you! Regarding space blankets, remember that much of the precaution around the idea of having a Compulsory Kit requirement is not aimed at your perfect running day but rather that day where things go wrong. A missed step and a broken leg on an inaccessible stretch of trail, shock sets in and your core body temperature plummets – even in +30C that space blanket can literally save your (or somebody else’s) life. Please also note that we said that we are “virtually” guaranteed of a dry run. We are unfortunately suffering the unpredictable effects of climate change, so as we all know, anything could happen. Final kit requirements will thus only be confirmed closer to the time. See full COMPULSORY KIT LIST here.

Carry Your Own

As we have for the past few years, runners will be required to carry their own drinking containers. The idea here is to significantly reduce the Klipspringer footprint on our uniquely pristine environment. Runners will need to carry their own hydration packs and use those to fill up at Aid Stations, OR carry portable / collapsible cups OR their own flasks or water bottles. Runners will be allowed to carry normal disposable plastic water bottles, which although not ideal are definitely recyclable AND by definition they are then no longer “single-use”.

River Level

Many of you will have seen the news around the recent heavy flows over the Falls. We’re not expecting the water to still be so high on Race Weekend, and hopefully nothing near last year’s flood levels, but we ARE expecting higher than usual flows again, making for an altogether spectacular experience. That being said, there are a lot of factors effecting this, and we have to be ready with our contingency plans if they become necessary. Keep your eyes on your inboxes and the Klipspringer Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

Preparation

We are proud to tell you that the Klipspringer field of runners ranges from some of the most experienced and accomplished trail runners in the country to road runners who are completely new to the joys and demands of trail running. As such, many of you may know a lot of the training and race tips that we will be sharing from time to time, but hopefully some of you may find them useful. For more comprehensive info check out TRAINING TIPS

Race Tip #1: Footwear and Accessories

This is true Kalahari Desert trail running. It is hot, hard and technical. We do not prescribe specific footwear, and certainly would not want to tell those hard-core barefoot runners that they have to wear shoes, but we do ask that you take your footwear seriously for this race. Protect your feet! In addition, being the desert, expect to run through a fair amount of soft sand which can get into your shoes. It shouldn’t be a major problem, but it does cause some discomfort as it builds up. It is quite fine sand so it also tends to get into your socks, which wastes time having to stop to take off shoes & socks to get rid of it. Gators might help but we find that sometimes they add some discomfort and extra weight, and sometimes don’t actually cover the parts of the shoe where the sand gets in. Test them before Race Day! If you have a choice of shoes to wear, look for ones that are less likely to let sand in through the actual material.

Training Tip #1: Train with Weight

Train with your hydration pack. As any trail runner who has run for more than a couple of hours with their pack knows, it really helps to have your back, neck and shoulders conditioned to the extra weight. This is even becoming a thing for road runners as more and more road events go green and require participants to be more self-sufficient and less reliant on those awful plastic sachets. We recommend that you estimate how much weight you will be carrying on race day, and add a couple of kilograms for training runs. It is also important to get comfortable with your pack in terms of sizing, strapping, zips and pockets, and the actual hydration refill system – you don’t want to be finding stuff out on Race Day!

That’s it for now. Good luck with this important last two weeks, and as always feel free to shout with any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the Desert!

Warren & the Klipspringer Team

Klipspringers!

First things first. As things stand, the flow of the Orange River over the Falls is predicted to peak on the Thursday/Friday before Race weekend at approximately 3000 cumecs (cubic metres per second). For some context, those who were part of Klipspringer 2022 will remember the spectacular scenes we got to see that year, and how we had to implement a few Plan Bs. The flow that weekend was around 2000 cumecs! (Images below were from some of the route scouting a couple of days before the Race Weekend in 2022)

This means that we can look forward to experiencing the River and the Falls as few are ever lucky enough to do, but it also means we can expect some disruption to our race plans. At the moment we can advise that the Khamkirri Ferry will definitely not be able to operate next weekend, so we will all be driving ourselves over the River as required depending on where we’re staying. We will send out a dedicated Directions email for getting to the Start on Day One during the course of next week if anybody needs it.

Entries

Please note that entries are closed! However we have been receiving quite a few enquiries from runners who missed the chance to get their online entries in in time but are desperate to come and run next to a raging Orange River. We will accommodate them with late entries at Registration in the Park on Friday afternoon. If you have any of your running friends who fall into this category you can let them know that they will be able to enter in person, they will be able to pay in cash, with Snapscan or by EFT (no credit cards), and their entry will not include a race shirt.

Registration & Pre-Race Briefing

Registration will take place at the Augrabies Falls National Park Conference Centre (just before Reception) on Friday afternoon 2 May from 15h00 – 18h00, where you will register and receive your race pack and race number. There will be a small Registration facility at the Start on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for those people who absolutely cannot make it on Friday – for those planning on making use of this it is recommended that you are at the Start to register by no later than 06h00.

There will be no physical Race Briefing at the venue, but rather we will distribute a Virtual Race Briefing video in the week before the Race. This means that runners do not have to hang around the Park until 19h00 on Friday evening after they have registered, and they can watch and re-watch at their own convenience.

Race Tip #2 – Following the trail and Orientation

Following the trail and not getting lost is one of the most important aspects of trail running. Many a race, including some of the world’s biggest, have been won or lost because of a wrong turn at a critical time! Don’t let it be you! The Klipspringer trails will be comprehensively marked and nobody should get lost, but pay attention! Day One will be marked with specific highly-visible Klipspringer orange ribbon markings, and Day Two will be marked with ribbon and with traditional SANParks Hiking Trail markings (remember that Day Two is the legendary Klipspringer Hiking Trail). Please always be aware that this is a remote and inaccessible trail in extremely tough terrain. It is unlike the Otter Trail, for example, where the trail is kept clear and visible by the feet of thousands of hikers and tourists every year, and where if the ocean is not to your left, you know you’ve gone wrong somewhere. In addition, it is not just marketing when we say that the remote Northern Section of the Park has the course running through parts that have literally not seen human feet! So although you shouldn’t, there is always the possibility of finding yourself off the trail. Please note that the race maps are not navigation standard and the best advice here is that each and every runner take responsibility for their own run – do not just follow other runners, always be looking for the next trail marker, and pay attention to the actual direction of the arrows and trail markers (and Race Organiser instructions in Race Briefings). Also try and just be generally aware – if you’ve run for more than 100m – 200m without seeing a marker, the chances are that you are off the trail and should double back to the last one you saw. We will repeat this advice many times before the Race!

In view of expecting to have to make some changes to the normal routes, which we will only know closer to the time, please pay extra attention to all info and Race Briefings on routes and route markings!

Race Tip #3 – Race Nutrition

Now is the time to start planning your Race eating. Yes there will be a lot of delicious (and nutritious) stuff at the Water Tables so you will definitely not go hungry. However it always pays to think of anything in particular that you might like to glug or gobble with you on a long hard day out on the trails and have it with you. It also pays to have an emergency stash of something that can hit that spot if you do hit an energy wall in between Tables.

Enjoy this last week. Take it easy and stay injury-free, and keep your eyes on your inbox. Looking forward to special experience next weekend out out the Augrabies Falls National Park.

Klipspringers!

2 weeks and counting!

For those new to the Klipspringer, we found that even before the pandemic turned everything virtual, our electronic Pre-race Briefings were a very popular and useful method of communication before the event. It’s a great way to provide news, updates, race requirements and changes. It is also a convenient place to put out some race tips, which many of you have asked for, and some training tips for those entrants who are relatively new to trail running. All of the important info will also be put up on the race website and Facebook Page. And of course, as usual, please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any specific questions you may have.

Entries

Remember only Paid Entries are confirmed. If you have entered but not yet paid we cannot guarantee you a spot as we fill up. Similarly if you’ve entered but your friends have not yet, make sure you remind them ASAP to avoid them being disappointed. Subject to capacity entries close midnight Monday 21 April 2024. Entries can be found here.

Compulsory & Recommended Equipment

Being a desert run in winter, one of the upsides of being virtually guaranteed no rain is that it makes it easy to compile the compulsory equipment list – water, phone, whistle and space blanket! Challenge competitors will be required to carry a minimum of 1.5 litres of water from the Start, and Lite competitors a minimum of 1 litre. Why? The idea is that runners have sufficient water to get them from watering station to watering station. It is properly dry and often very hot out there, even at this time of the year. For most of us running in the desert, it is not even a thought that this 1.5 litres could last for the whole race. For you racing snakes used to running with very little water and then hydrating like mad at the Finish, this includes you! Regarding space blankets, remember that much of the precaution around the idea of having a Compulsory Kit requirement is not aimed at your perfect running day but rather that day where things go wrong. A missed step and a broken leg on an inaccessible stretch of trail, shock sets in and your core body temperature plummets – even in +30°C that space blanket can literally save your (or somebody else’s) life. Please also note that we said that we are “virtually” guaranteed of a dry run. We are unfortunately suffering the unpredictable effects of climate change, so as we all know, anything could happen. Final kit requirements will thus only be confirmed closer to the time. See full Compulsory and Recommended Equipment List here.

Carry Your Own

As we have for the past few years, runners will be required to carry their own drinking containers. The idea here is to significantly reduce the Klipspringer footprint on our uniquely pristine environment. Runners will need to carry either their own hydration packs or portable / collapsible cups or their own flasks or water bottles. Runners will be allowed to use normal disposable plastic water bottles which although not ideal are definitely recyclable and by definition they are then no longer “single-use”.

River Level

Many of you will have seen the news around the current incredible flows over the Falls (and upstream and downstream). We’re not expecting the water to still be so high on Race Weekend, but we are expecting higher than usual flows making for an altogether spectacular experience. That being said, there are a lot of factors effecting this, and we have to ready with our contingency plans if they become necessary. Keep your eyes on your inboxes and the Klipspringer Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

Preparation

We are proud to tell you that the Klipspringer field of runners ranges from some of the most experienced and accomplished trail runners in the country to road runners who are completely new to the joys and demands of trail running. As such, many of you may know a lot of the training and race tips that we will be sharing from time to time, but hopefully some of you may find them useful. For more comprehensive info check out Training Tips

Race Tip #1: Footwear and Accessories

This is true Kalahari Desert trail running. It is hot, hard and technical. We do not prescribe specific footwear, and certainly would not want to impose on those hard-core barefoot runners, but we do ask that you take your footwear seriously for this race. Protect your feet! In addition, being the desert, expect to run through a fair amount of soft sand which can get into your shoes. It shouldn’t be a major problem, but it does cause some discomfort as it builds up. It is quite fine sand so it also tends to get into your socks, which wastes time having to stop to take off shoes & socks to get rid of it. Gators might help but we find that sometimes they add some discomfort and extra weight, and often don’t actually cover the parts of the shoe where the sand gets in. Test them before Race Day! If you have a choice of shoes to wear, look for ones that are less likely to let sand in through the actual material.

Training Tip #1: Train with Weight

Train with your hydration pack. As any trail runner who has run for more than a couple of hours with their pack knows, it really helps to have your back, neck and shoulders conditioned to the extra weight. This is even becoming a thing for road runners as more and more road events go green and require participants to be more self-sufficient and less reliant on those awful plastic sachets. We recommend that you estimate how much weight you will be carrying on race day, and add a couple of kilograms for training runs. It is also important to get comfortable with your pack in terms of sizing, strapping, zips and pockets, and the actual hydration refill system – you don’t want to be finding stuff out on Race Day!

That’s it for now. Good luck with this important last two weeks, and as always feel free to shout with any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the Desert!

Warren & the Klipspringer Team

Klipspringers!!

One Week To Go!

Although we are still too far away to be able to confidently rely on weather forecasts for the Race Weekend, we are close enough that there actually are forecasts. Right now it’s hinting that we should be a little cooler than it’s been for the past couple of weeks at the end of a hot summer, but we are still in for a warm weekend! Pack your sunblock and take your hydration seriously!

Physio

We are thrilled to have the skills of some of the local Upington physios as Race Physio to heal broken bones and ease tired muscles. 20 minutes of miraculous recovery will cost you just R200. Set up will be at Khamkirri on Saturday and in the Park on Sunday. Sessions will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Park Admin

As usual we have a couple of admin shortcuts to help speed through the Park entry & exit processes. First please find attached the SANParks Gate Entry Permit (Click Here). Please download this and print and complete, including the names of all vehicle passengers, before you get to the Park gate. We are not expecting any real bottlenecks but early in the morning this will definitely help, especially for those entering the Park for the first time early on Sunday morning.

Registration: 15h00-18h00 on Friday at the Park Conference Centre just outside Reception. There is no physical Race Briefing following Registration this year so no need to hang around. Please try and get your registration sorted out as early as possible to avoid queues later on.

SANParks Conservation Fees: Remember that all visitors to South Africa’s National Parks pay a small daily Conservation Fee (Adults R74/day; Children under 11yrs R37/day SA Citizens). Race participants will not need to pay Conservation Fees but all family / friends / other visitors will. If you are not staying at the Park Conservation Fees will not be applicable when you just enter for Registration on Friday and leave, but they will be applicable for all Day Visitors accompanying runners into the Park on Sunday. Please make sure applicable Conservation Fees are paid before leaving so you can receive the necessary Exit Permits required to leave the Park.

Attached is the official Klipspringer Race Logo (Click Here). Please download and either print it out to display on your dashboard OR save a copy to your phone to display at the Park gate. This will act as a pass-out for anybody needing to exit and re-enter the Park again. People staying in the Park will also receive a hard copy Weekend Pass when they check in.

Please remember that everybody staying at the Park will need to officially check out and pay when they leave, at which point they will receive their Exit Permit from Reception.

Other Admin

Please remember that Day One is a remote start with no facilities, so anybody needing a Pre-Start toilet run, please make use of the facilities at Khamkirri on your way to the Start. Similarly runners coming from Upington side, you can stop at Khamkirri for a quick toilet break before the Start (Khamkirri is about 7km before the Start Point). There will also be awesome hot coffee / tea / hot chocolate on sale at Khamkirri in the morning. Please remember your headlamps – the sun is only rising at around 07h00. And something warm. There’s none so cool as a crisp desert dawn!

A full Race Village will be set up at Khamkirri where you can pick up your delicious complimentary lunch and relax your tired legs on the awesome Khamkirri deck enjoying a well-deserved post-run beer or two.

Please bring cash for incidentals like coffee at the Start on Sunday or extra food or drinks – signal and connectivity can be sketchy and can impact electronc payment systems.

Reminder for those still needing to Register on Saturday or Sunday mornings to please be at the Start by 06h00.

Khamkirri to Start – approx 15min (7km)

Previous Pre-race Briefings

Please also re-acquaint yourselves (or acquaint yourselves) with previous Pre-Race Briefings for all the important Race Info, especially around the Day One Start logistics and the Khamkirri Ferry, as well as important times, race rules and compulsory kit requirements.

Pre-race Briefing #1

Pre-race Briefing #2

See you all next weekend!

Your Klipspringer Team

Hey Klipspringers,

Two weeks to go! The bulk of your training is now (hopefully) mostly done but this final stretch can still be hugely valuable. Just be sure to watch where you’re going and don’t injure yourselves! Reports from the Park indicate that the river is flowing nicely for this time of year. We expect the Falls over Race Weekend to put on their usual spectacular show but without the flood drama of Klipspringers past.

Entries & Deadlines!

Please note that entries are still open and close at midnight on Sunday 21 April, so if you know anyone who still hasn’t entered get them onto the website klipspringerchallenge.co.za to make sure they get their entries in! Remember That Only Paid Entries Are Confirmed!

Registration & Pre-Race Briefing

Registration will take place at the Augrabies Falls National Park Conference Centre (just before Reception) on Friday afternoon 3 May from 15h00 – 18h00, where you will register and receive your race pack and race number. There will be a small Registration facility at the Start on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for those people who absolutely cannot make it on Friday – for those planning on making use of this it is recommended that you are at the Start to register by no later than 06h00.

There will be no physical Race Briefing at the venue, but rather we will distribute a Virtual Race Briefing video in the week before the Race. This means that runners do not have to hang around the Park until 19h00 on Friday evening after they have registered, and they can watch and re-watch at their own convenience.

Important Khamkirri Ferry Info!!!

The awesome Khamkirri Ferry Service is operating normally. Please familiarise yourselves with the ferry info and directions to Khamkirri from the Upington side.

Khamkirri Ferry Info

It will be dark at Ferry time in the morning, so we recommend that every runner has a headlamp that they can just chuck into their hydration pack or Drop Bag at Khamkirri. We are expecting dry river banks and no need for sandals.

Lunch, drinks, physio and general post-run kuiering will be at the fantastically scenic riverside Khamkirri Race Village.

Dietary Requirements

It gets harder every year to cater for the increasingly wide range of dietary preferences we all have, but we sure try! If you have any restrictions or strong preferences (vegetarian / vegan / gluten free) please indicate them by return email before midnight Monday 22 April so we can prepare as best we can to ensure no one starves. If you eat anything and everything please ignore this.

Race Tip #2 – Following the trail and Orientation

Following the trail and not getting lost is one of the most important aspects of trail running. Many a race, including some of the world’s biggest, have been won or lost because of a wrong turn at a critical time! Don’t let it be you! The Klipspringer trails will be comprehensively marked and nobody should get lost, but pay attention! Day One will be marked with specific highly-visible Klipspringer orange ribbon markings, and Day Two will be marked with ribbon and with traditional SANParks Hiking Trail markings (remember that Day Two is the legendary Klipspringer Hiking Trail). Please always be aware that this is a remote and inaccessible trail in extremely tough terrain. It is unlike the Otter Trail, for example, where the trail is kept clear and visible by the feet of thousands of hikers and tourists every year, and where if the ocean is not to your left, you know you’ve gone wrong somewhere. In addition, it is not just marketing when we say that the remote Northern Section of the Park has the course running through parts that have literally not seen human feet! So although you shouldn’t, there is always the possibility of finding yourself off the trail. Please note that the race maps are not navigation standard and the best advice here is that each and every runner take responsibility for their own run – do not just follow other runners, always be looking for the next trail marker, and pay attention to the actual direction of the arrows and trail markers (and Race Organiser instructions in Race Briefings). Also try and just be generally aware – if you’ve run for more than 100m – 200m without seeing a marker, the chances are that you are off the trail and should double back to the last one you saw. We will repeat this advice many times before the Race!

Race Tip #3 – Race Nutrition

Now is the time to start planning your Race eating. Yes there will be a lot of delicious (and nutritious) stuff at the Water Tables so you will definitely not go hungry. However it always pays to think of anything in particular that you might like to glug or gobble with you on a long hard day out on the trails and have it with you. It also pays to have an emergency stash of something that can hit that spot if you do hit an energy wall in between Tables.

Past Communications

If you missed the previous email briefing it contains a lot of important info so make sure you read it Pre-race Briefing #1

Enjoy this last stretch of training and as always any questions just shout! In the meantime here’s last year’s official Klipspringer Race Video to whet your appetite Race Video 2023

Your Klipspringer Team

Across the breadth of South Africa’s spectacular remote Northern Cape Province, a timeless struggle plays out. The life-giving Orange River snakes its way through the red sands of the incredible Kalahari Desert on its way to the icy Atlantic Ocean. At the very heart of this forbidding landscape the water squeezes through a narrow granite gap and tumbles 200ft to a thundering pool below. At the bottom of this churning cauldron, some say, lives a giant snake. But this is no ordinary serpent. This is the legendary Augrabies Watersnake. A powerful mythical creature with mesmeric eyes, shimmering scales and a huge flawless diamond on its head for a crown. Ancient local tribes believed that this enormous jewel can bring great wealth, happiness and eternal life – if you could only outwit the snake. But fall under its spell and you’ll be captured in its shimmering scales and pulled underwater into the churning froth, gone forever.

No one has ever outwitted the snake.

Dare The Desert! Live The Legend!

(Thanks to karoospace.co.za for some of the info behind the legend)

Klipspringers!

3 weeks and counting!

For those new to the Klipspringer, we found that even before the pandemic turned everything virtual, our electronic Pre-race Briefings were a very popular and useful method of communication before the event. It’s a great way to provide news, updates, race requirements and changes. It is also a convenient place to put out some race tips, which many of you have asked for, and some training tips for those entrants who are relatively new to trail running. All of the important info will also be put up on the race website and Facebook Page. And of course, as usual, please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any specific questions you may have.

Entries

Remember only Paid Entries are confirmed. If you have entered but not yet paid we cannot guarantee you a spot as we fill up. As always, in terms of our agreement with SANParks, numbers are limited so don’t dawdle! Similarly if you’ve entered but your friends have not yet, make sure you remind them ASAP to avoid them being disappointed. Subject to capacity entries close midnight Sunday 21 April 2024. Entries can be found here.

Compulsory & Recommended Equipment

Being a desert run in winter, one of the upsides of being virtually guaranteed no rain is that it makes it easy to compile the compulsory equipment list – water, phone, whistle and space blanket! Challenge competitors will be required to carry a minimum of 1.5 litres of water from the Start, and Lite competitors a minimum of 1 litre. Why? The idea is that runners have sufficient water to get them from watering station to watering station. It is properly DRY and often very HOT out there, even at this time of the year. For most of us running in the desert, it is not even a thought that this 1.5 litres could last for the whole race. For you racing snakes used to running with very little water and then hydrating like mad at the Finish, this includes you! Regarding space blankets, remember that much of the precaution around the idea of having a Compulsory Kit requirement is not aimed at your perfect running day but rather that day where things go wrong. A missed step and a broken leg on an inaccessible stretch of trail, shock sets in and your core body temperature plummets – even in +30C that space blanket can literally save your (or somebody else’s) life. Please also note that we said that we are “virtually” guaranteed of a dry run. We are unfortunately suffering the unpredictable effects of climate change, so as we all know, anything could happen. Final kit requirements will thus only be confirmed closer to the time. See full Compulsory and Recommended Equipment List here.

Carry Your Own

As we have for the past few years, runners will be required to carry their own drinking containers. The idea here is to significantly reduce the Klipspringer footprint on our uniquely pristine environment. Runners will need to carry EITHER their own hydration packs OR portable / collapsible cups OR their own flasks or water bottles. Runners will be allowed to use normal disposable plastic water bottles which although not ideal are definitely recyclable AND by definition they are then no longer “single-use”.

Preparation

We are proud to tell you that the Klipspringer field of runners ranges from some of the most experienced and accomplished trail runners in the country to road runners who are completely new to the joys and demands of trail running. As such, many of you may know a lot of the training and race tips that we will be sharing from time to time, but hopefully some of you may find them useful. For more comprehensive info check out Training Tips

Race Tip #1: Footwear and Accessories

This is true Kalahari Desert trail running. It is hot, hard and technical. We do not prescribe specific footwear, and certainly would not want to impose on those hard-core barefoot runners, but we do ask that you take your footwear seriously for this race. Protect your feet! In addition, being the desert, expect to run through a fair amount of soft sand which can get into your shoes. It shouldn’t be a major problem, but it does cause some discomfort as it builds up. It is quite fine sand so it also tends to get into your socks, which wastes time having to stop to take off shoes & socks to get rid of it. Gators might help but we find that sometimes they add some discomfort and extra weight, and often don’t actually cover the parts of the shoe where the sand gets in. Test them before Race Day! If you have a choice of shoes to wear, look for ones that are less likely to let sand in through the actual material.

Training Tip #1: Train with Weight

Train with your hydration pack. As any trail runner who has run for more than a couple of hours with their pack knows, it really helps to have your back, neck and shoulders conditioned to the extra weight. This is even becoming a thing for road runners as more and more road events go green and require participants to be more self-sufficient and less reliant on those awful plastic sachets. We recommend that you estimate how much weight you will be carrying on race day, and add a couple of kilograms for training runs. It is also important to get comfortable with your pack in terms of sizing, strapping, zips and pockets, and the actual hydration refill system – you don’t want to be finding stuff out on Race Day!

That’s it for now. Good luck with this important training period, and as always feel free to shout with any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the Desert!

Warren & the Klipspringer Team

Klipspringers!!

One Week To Go!

Although we are still too far away to be able to confidently rely on weather forecasts for the Race Weekend, we are close enough that there actually are forecasts. Right now it’s showing that we are in for a warm weekend! Pack your sunblock and take your hydration seriously!

Physio

We are thrilled to have the magic hands of Chris-Mari back at Klipspringer this year as Race Physio, with her team from Chris-Mari Lombaard Fisioterapie from Upington. 20 minutes of miraculous recovery will cost you just R200. Bookings can be made directly with them by whatsapp 084 019 0151.

Park Admin

As usual we have a couple of admin shortcuts to help speed through the Park entry & exit processes. First please find attached the SANParks Gate Entry Permit (Click Here). Please download this, print and complete, including the names of all vehicle passengers, before you get to the Park gate. We are not expecting any real bottlenecks but with this year’s record Klipspringer field this will definitely help, especially for those entering the Park for the first time early on Sunday morning.

Registration: 15h00-18h00 at the Park Conference Centre just outside Reception. There is no physical Race Briefing following Registration this year so no need to hang around. Please try and get your registration sorted out as early as possible to avoid queues later on.

SANParks Conservation Fees: Remember that all visitors to South Africa’s National Parks pay a small daily Conservation Fee (Adults R63/day; Children under 11yrs R31/day SA Citizens). Race participants will not need to pay Conservation Fees but all family / friends / other visitors will. If you are not staying at the Park Conservation Fees will not be applicable when you just enter for Registration on Friday and leave, but they Will be applicable for all Day Visitors accompanying runners into the Park on Sunday. Please make sure applicable Conservation Fees are paid before leaving so you can receive the necessary Exit Permits required to leave the Park.

Attached is the official Klipspringer Race Logo (Click Here). Please download this and either print it out to display on your dashboard or save a copy to your phone to display at the Park gate. This will act as a pass-out for anybody needing to exit and re-enter the Park again. People staying in the Park will also receive a hard copy Weekend Pass when they check in.

Please remember that everybody staying at the Park will need to officially check out and pay when they leave, at which point they will receive their Exit Permit from Reception.

Other Admin

Please Remember that Day One is a remote start with no facilities, so anybody needing a Pre-Start toilet run, please make use of the facilities at Khamkirri on your way to the Start. Similarly runners coming from Upington side, you can stop at Khamkirri for a quick toilet break before the Start (Khamkirri is about 7km before the Start Point). There will also be awesome hot coffee / tea / hot chocolate on sale at Khamkirri in the morning. Please remember your headlamps – the sun is only rising at around 07h00. And something warm. There’s none so cool as a crisp desert dawn!

A full Race Village will be set up at Khamkirri where you can pick up your delicious complimentary lunch and relax your tired legs on the awesome Khamkirri deck enjoying a well-deserved post-run beer or two.

Reminder to those still needing to Register on Saturday or Sunday mornings to please be at the Start by 06h00.

Khamkirri to Start – approx 15min (7km)

Previous Pre-race Briefings

Please also re-acquaint yourselves (or acquaint yourselves) with previous Pre-Race Briefings for all the important Race Info, especially around the Day One Start logistics and the Khamkirri Ferry, as well as important times, race rules and compulsory kit requirements.

Pre-race Briefing #1

Pre-race Briefing #2

See you all next weekend!

Your Klipspringer Team

Hey Klipspringers,

Two weeks to go! The bulk of your training is now (hopefully) mostly done but this final stretch can still be hugely valuable. Just be sure to watch where you’re going and don’t injure yourselves! Reports from the Park indicate that the river is much closer to normal flow levels at the moment, and we expect the Falls over Race Weekend to be above average for this time of year but nowhere near the flood levels of last year’s race. And also with less disruption. That being said it is uncertain whether we will be able to take runners through the Gorge section on the Challenge route again this year. Although the water levels themselves are manageable the effects of the two massive flooding events earlier this year are still being felt and we will be making the call together with the SANParks Rangers a bit closer to the time. Should we not be able to use the Gorge section we will be switching over to the alternative route we used on last year’s Challenge, which was loved by most runners.

Entries & Deadlines!

Please note that entries are still open and only close at midnight on Sunday 17 April, so if you know anyone who still hasn’t entered get them onto the website Klipspringer Challenge to make sure they get their entries in! Remember That Only Paid Entries Are Confirmed!

Registration & Pre-Race Briefing

Registration will take place at the Augrabies Falls National Park Conference Room (just before Reception) on Friday afternoon 28th April from 15h00 – 18h00, where you will register and receive your race pack and race number. There will be a small Registration facility at the Start on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for those people who absolutely cannot make it on Friday – for those planning on making use of this it is recommended that you are at the Start to register by no later than 06h00.

There will be no physical Race Briefing at the venue, but rather we will distribute a Virtual Race Briefing video in the week before the Race. This means that runners do not have to hang around the Park until 7pm on Friday evening after they have registered, and they can watch and re-watch at their own convenience.

Important Khamkirri Ferry Info!!!

The main upside of the more normal water levels is that Khamkirri is able to safely operate their awesome ferry service again this year.

Please familiarise yourselves with the ferry info and directions to Khamkirri from the Upington side here Khamkirri/Ferry

The floods have changed a couple of things but we will be confirming all the finer details closer to the time. One thing we can say now is that it’s likely to be a bit wet/muddy getting from your car to the Ferry jetty in the morning, so we recommend that every runner has a headlamp and carries a pair of light sandals that they can wear and just chuck into their hydration pack to avoid the discomfort of wet muddy shoes before they start.

Lunch, drinks, physio and general post-run kuiering will be at the fantastically scenic riverside Khamkirri Race Village.

Dietary Requirements

It gets harder every year to cater for the increasingly wide range of dietary preferences we all have, but we sure try! If you have any restrictions or strong preferences (vegetarian / vegan / gluten free) please indicate them by return email before midnight Tuesday 18 April so we can prepare as best we can to ensure no one starves. If you eat anything and everything please ignore this.

Race Tip #2 – Following the trail and Orientation

Following the trail and Not Getting Lost is one of the most important aspects of trail running. Many a race, including some of the world’s biggest, have been won or lost because of a wrong turn at a critical time! Don’t let it be you! The Klipspringer trails will be comprehensively marked and nobody should get lost, but pay attention! Day One will be marked with specific highly-visible Klipspringer orange ribbon markings, and Day Two will be marked with ribbon and with traditional SANParks Hiking Trail markings (remember that Day Two IS the legendary Klipspringer Hiking Trail). Please always be aware that this is a remote and inaccessible trail in extremely tough terrain. It is unlike the Otter Trail, for example, where the trail is kept clear and visible by the feet of thousands of hikers and tourists every year, and where if the ocean is not to your left, you know you’ve gone wrong somewhere. In addition, it is not just marketing when we say that the remote Northern Section of the Park has the course running through parts that have literally not seen human feet! So although you shouldn’t, there is always the possibility of finding yourself off the trail. Please note that the race maps are not navigation standard and the best advice here is that each and every runner take responsibility for their own run – do not just follow other runners, always be looking for the next trail marker, and pay attention to the actual direction of the arrows and trail markers (and Race Organiser instructions in Race Briefings). Also try and just be generally aware – if you’ve run for more than 100m – 200m without seeing a marker, the chances are that you are off the trail and should double back to the last one you saw. We will repeat this advice many times before the Race!

Race Tip #3 – Race Nutrition

Now is the time to start planning your Race eating. Yes there will be a lot of delicious (and nutritious) stuff at the Water Tables so you will definitely not go hungry. However it always pays to think of anything in particular that you might like to have with you on a long hard day out on the trails and have it with you. It also pays to have an emergency stash of something that can hit that spot if you do hit an energy wall in between Tables.

Past Communications

If you missed the previous email briefing it contains a lot of important info so make sure you read it Pre-Race Briefing #1

Enjoy this last stretch of training and as always any questions just shout! In the meantime here’s last year’s official Klipspringer Race Video to whet your appetite 2022 Race Video

Your Klipspringer Team