Early start in 2019 for competitive canoeists
The two-day event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 January 2019
THE 26th edition of the popular N3TC Drak Challenge canoe marathon offers an early start to the competitive calendar for canoeing enthusiasts.
The two-day event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 January 2019, based in the Southern Drakensberg town of Underberg.
Founded in 1994 the race takes in two stages of river racing on the uMzimkhulu River, starting high in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg at the confluence of the uMzimkhulu and the uMlambonja River close to Castleburn resort on the Drak Gardens road.
The 26km long first stage starts by tumbling through ten technically challenging kilometres now known as the Valley of a Thousand Rapids, ending in the fabled Black Murray Rapid, before the gradient eases through to the finish of the first stage at Sinister Pool, just above the R617 Swartberg Road bridge outside Underberg.
The longer 36 kilometre second stage passes through two gorges laced with technically demanding rapids, interspersed with long deep pools, finishing at Early Mist Farm close to the Coleford resort.
The clean water, exciting rapids and serene flats have made it a popular choice with paddlers and their families countrywide, and the race is well established as one of the three biggest canoeing races on the national calendar.
Pulling together the three major sporting events that take place in Underberg on the same weekend is the second edition of the FNB Drak Music Experience that entertains the paddlers, trail runners, mountain bikers and the local community with a concert at the Underberg Country Club on the Saturday afternoon.
Start time for day one is 8am and day two gets underway at 7am. Normal entries close on 9 January, with late entries closing on 16 January. For more details, go to www.drak.co.za
