THE ROUTE

WHERE WE'RE GOING

OVERVIEW

Starting in the jewel of the Garden Route, Nedbank Gravel Burn blazes a trail from Knysna's languid lagoon into the heart of the Great Karoo, towards Graaff-Reinet, the fourth-oldest town in South Africa. Riders tackle many challenging mountain passes along the 7-day route and their just reward comes with the breathtakingly beautiful and contrasting scenery – from coastal forests to arid semi-desert to African bushveld, as Gravel Burn reaches its conclusion at Shamwari Private Game Reserve.

Stage 1

Knysna –

Avontuur

→ 80km

↑ 2050m

Stage 2

Avontuur –

Willowmore

→ 100km

↑ 1150m

Stage 3

Graaff Reinet –

Blaauwater

→ 90km

↑ 1350m

Stage 4

Blaauwater –

Blaauwater

→ 108km

↑ 1400m

Stage 5

Blaauwater –

Merino Farm

→ 162km

↑ 1700m

Stage 6

Merino Farm –

Middleton

→ 142km

↑ 1750m

Stage 7

Middleton –

Shamwari

→ 115km

↑ 1250m

PRINCE ALFRED PASS

KNYSNA LAGOON

KNYSNA FOREST

ON THE WAY TO WILLOWMORE

THE THINGS YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY

DEEP IN THE GREAT KAROO

THE COLOURS OF GRAVEL BURN

A GEOLOGIST'S DELIGHT

KAROO CONTRASTS

GREAT KAROO CROSSROAD

TRAFFIC AHEAD

APPROACHING THE BIG CLIMB

SCENES FROM THE FINAL STAGE

HEADING THROUGH GAME COUNTRY

ENTERING BIG GAME COUNTRY

DEEP INTO STAGE 7

WILD WELCOME

SPECTATORS AWAIT AT SHAMWARI

SHAMWARI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

Start town:

Knysna

Loop stage:

Stage 4

Finish location:

Shamwari

Burn Camp locations:

Avontuur, Graaff-Reinet, Blaauwater (2 nights), Merino, Middleton

Sunrise:

±5:20am

Sunset:

±6:50pm

Average temperature range:

Low: 10°C/50°F
High: 29°C/84°F

Shortest stage:

±80km

Longest stage:

±160km

What is Gravel?

Gravel is freedom. Gravel is discovery. Gravel is about long stretches of open road, with the horizon far in the distance and your thoughts coming into focus. We’ve captured this essence and crafted a pure South African gravel course with just enough variety to keep it interesting. There’s no technical riding at Nedbank Gravel Burn – it’s a gravel bike route, designed so that a gravel bike is the best possible tool for the task. Get on your bike. Gravel is waiting.

HIGHLIGHTS

THE PASSES

Challenging climbs in bike races have the power to turn mortals into legends, yet they can humble even the world’s finest. With the breathtaking views they deliver, the passes are to be savoured as much as conquered.

STAGE 1

Prince Alfred’s Pass

LENGTH: 13.9km

CLIMBING: 820m

Completed in 1867 by Thomas Bain, Prince Alfred’s Pass is a popular destination for locals, tourists and Strava subscribers alike. Said to be South Africa’s longest publicly accessible mountain pass, boasting an abundance of local flora and fauna, it will provide a leg-scorching challenge as much as a sightseeing opportunity.

STAGE 2

THE ONION

LENGTH: 2km

CLIMBING: 160m

Kicking up sharply at around the 25km mark on stage 2, the aptly named Onion is a short, rocky ascent that marks the end of the opening act of the Nedbank Gravel Burn story. Shortly after, the headline feature unfolds as we cross the Western Cape provincial line and enter the Eastern Cape.

STAGE 5

WAPADsberg pass

LENGTH: 10.2km

CLIMBING: 364m

The route on stage 5 prescribes an early ascent, starting from the base of the imposing Lootsberg. At this point in the race, the smooth tarred surface offers a pause from the rugged paths they’ll encounter during raceweek, letting riders focus on tackling the gradient.

STAGE 5

Swaershoek Pass

LENGTH: 18.5km

CLIMBING: 790m

With its highest point at 1,981m, Swaershoek (brother-in-law) Pass forms part of the district road between the Eastern Cape towns of Nxuba (formerly Cradock) and Pearston. The road surface remains in good condition, but an elevation gain of 470m in the closing kilometres will keep riders honest in the finale.

STAGE 6

Tarka-Botha Pass

LENGTH: 6.4km

CLIMBING: 247m

Early in stage 6, riders head into the more remote parts of the route, ascending on the tracks that lead to one of Nedbank Gravel Burn’s more treacherous sections. They’ll need to stay sharp while navigating the rugged Tarka-Botha Pass towards Witmos. The scenery is superb, but this will demand much of the riders’ attention.

STAGE 6

Waainek PASS

LENGTH: 13,3km

CLIMBING: 582m

The penultimate stage presents the race’s final major obstacle as riders make their way towards Middleton. Although the average gradient may not appear unusually onerous, the climb features an extended series of steep ramps that make it especially challenging.

FEES & REGISTRATION

ENTRY PACKAGES

For more info on entry packages, pricing, what’s included and what’s also available, click below.