uBhejane Xtreme MTB Challenge Media Release

 No: UX2004

08 Dec 2020

Embargo: None

uBhejane Xtreme kicks off with three day ride

Durban – At the end of a turbulent year, the 2020 edition of the uBhejane Xtreme MTB Challenge will get underway with the 3-Day Ride starting from Hillcrest on Thursday, 10 December as riders head to Bonamanzi on the KZN North Coast.

The event continues to be a crucial fund raiser for rhino conservation in KwaZulu-Natal and over the past six years the event has raised over R 2.8 million. This money is donated to Project Rhino and Helping Rhinos, two organisations that do important work in the Zululand area of the province in rhino poaching awareness, education and prevention.

uBhejaneX helps fund four different divisions of Project Rhino. Money raised goes towards the ZapWing, K9 Unit, Horse Unit and the Rhino Art initiative, as well as ranger training, community engagement, thermal imaging equipment, and also supporting the rhino orphanage that has been set up in the region.

The three day ride will take the participants from Hillcrest through the Inanda Valley, and they will follow a number of the back roads and sugar cane roads to their first stop of the event at Zinkwazi, making up a day of just over 140km.

The second day is a 120km day in the saddle from Zinkwazi following the cane roads that wind their way north to the second overnight stop at the Canefields Country Hotel in Empangeni.

The third and final day of the event is the another challenging push of 130km from Empangeni, through the world heritage site of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, to the finish of the event at Bonamanzi Camp.

The uBhejane Xtreme this year has cut out the tough final 30km slog up to Hilltop Camp in the Hluhluwe/Mfolozi Game Reserve and have added a bit more distance to the event but it is a lot flatter heading into the finish at Bonamanzi.

Riders can also look forward to an exciting new section of trail through the famous iSimangaliso Wetland Park as they approach the finish of what will be an exciting but challenging three days in the saddle.

The three day ride precedes the four other rides that will take place on Saturday, 12 December.

uBhejane Xtreme’s flagship ride, the 350km Long Horn begins in Hillcrest before midnight on the 11th of December, the 270km Short Horn starts at the Umvoti Toll Plaza at around 1am, the 130km Baby Horn will start in Empangeni at Canefields at 8am and then the shortest ride, the Orphan, is a 60km stretch from Monzi to the finish at Bonamanzi starting at around 12pm.

Those interested in donating can be submitted and more information can be found via the event’s website, www.ubhejanex.org.

ENDS