There are four Sunday Tribune Jeep Hill 2 Hill races – the main race is about 100km and starts in Hilton, a 40km race starts at Cato Ridge and follows the last 40 kilometres of the main race, and then two short kids races in the Shongweni Polo Club grounds.

The good news for cyclists in the 100km race is the race is just under 100km in 2009, but while the final heart-breaking hill from 2008 has been removed (a hill which had riders climbing a final ascent while within earshot of the festivities at the finish), the race is still not a walk in the park and the key to enjoying the event is to pace yourself.

The first 10km are probably the easiest 10km of any mountain bike in the country, but be careful of being lulled into a false sense of security. Riders set off from from the Girl Guides Hall at World View and meander through the forest for three kilometers before the descent into Pietermaritzburg starts with some single track interspersed with forest roads and jeep track and then a steep section of single track into Wylie Park (6km).

From Wylie Park it is fast (very fast) downhill on tar through Pietermaritzburg. Riders are asked to please be aware of the traffic. The race does not have full road closure and while traffic officers will be on hand to control traffic, it is the responsibility of riders at all times to give way to vehicles. The early morning ride through Pietermaritzburg is a chance to settle down before tackling the infamous steps into Alexandra Park (10km). The steps off the bridge over the Umzindusi River are dangerous so only ride them if you are confident.

From there it is a short section through the Alexandra park, past the NCC clubhouse where the annual Dusi starts every year and then a gentle climb up to Alexandra Road and on the Alexandra Rd Extension and the end of the tar – and the start of the real racing! Please be careful of the crossing at Bisley Nature Reserve (16km) takes riders onto undulating district road. A short, fast descent leads to the first real climb of the day, Friesland Hill. The hill is not steep and even if the weather is bad the mud will not be as bad as in 2008, so get into a nice rhythm but don’t over do it – it is just the first hill. Soon after the top of the climb you can recharge your bottles at Umlaas Road (27km), the first water point.

Once again, be careful of the road crossing and then enjoy the next few kilometers before Mike’s Hill tests how much you saved on Friesland Hill. The climb has been made a bit easier this year and as you reach a third of the total distance (33km) you can celebrate the fact that you are now at the highest point since dropping down from World View – it is all downhill from here … not.

Some sublime single track through a forest, with a little bit of technical riding, will test your skills and allow you to forget Mike’s Hill, and then it is some undulating riding until the underpass under the Eston Road and the second water point at 40km. There are a series of short climbs (including one little monster which peaks at 22% gradient) and descents which take you beyond the half way mark and through to Cato Ridge (56km).

40 KM START

For the shorter race, Cato Ridge is only the start of their journey, but for the longer riders the water point provides the knowledge that the race is more than half over. The next 10kms are pretty easy riding with a minor climb to the highway crossing with lots of nice, gentle downhills, firstly along some cattle paths soon after crossing the N3, and then a fast gentle descent next to the railway line. Watch for the sharp left turn to cross the disused railway tracks and the underpass under the N3 … then the fun starts.

At this point the long riders will have completed 66km, two thirds of the race, and done just over 1 000m of climbing – there is still over 900m of climbing in just 32 kilometres. Few riders do many races longer than 60km, so the final 30-odd kms (and the extra 900m of climbing) are pretty much new territory for a lot of competitors, but should be OK as long as you didn’t push too hard in the first 30!

The longest climb of the race takes riders from under the N3 up to the top of Bartletts and up to the fourth water table (70km). From there it is mostly downhill with a bit of everything thrown in through Bartletts, Woodcutters and on to the Hammarsdale road crossing: There is cane break riding, a bit forest single track, some jeep track, district road and even a short section of tar before riders reach the Ark and the final water point.

Then, as you struggle up Sunrise Hill you can take heart from the fact that this is the final big climb of the event. Once over the top you are within three kilometers of the finish as the crow flies. Fortunately you are not a crow, and by mountain bike you still have ten kilometres of fun left. A short walk (unless you are Burry of course) will take you past the electricity sub station and only Hawkstone Road. The tar will be a relief after Sunrise and will help on the one-kilometre rise towards Summerveld. Once you get off the tar riders know that barring a few gentle hills it is pretty much all downhill along some brilliant, fast single track and paths. The lead to ward the finish is flat and fast (if you have the energy) and then a final climb from under the highway up to the club before riders can enjoy the ride around the track at Shongweni.

From there it is a medal, a beer, a shower, and prizegiving with a sense of achievement.