The second Klein-Aus Vista Mountain Bike Challenge will be held on 29 and 30 April 2012 at Klein-Aus Vista, the Gondwana lodge near Aus in south-western Namibia. Participants can choose to compete in a marathon of 110 km or a half-marathon of 60 km with 60 percent of the route consisting of single tracks. It follows that marathon riders have to cover 55 km per day, while a day’s stage for the half-marathon is 30 km. There are four water and marshal points along the route. The categories, for men and women, are Elite, Master and Junior.
Monday, 16 April 2012 is the final day to register for the Klein-Aus Vista Mountain Bike Challenge. The registration fee is N$ 175.
The demanding route leads through a unique landscape of granite mountains, rugged valleys and meandering dry riverbeds. Many spots along the way afford grand views of the Namib plains – for safety reasons participants will probably not be able to appreciate them, however... Sections of the route follow a historic path which the Schutztruppe used during the First World War for transporting water with mules and ox wagon to their entrenchments at the western foothills of the mountains. The fortifications on the mountain slopes can still be seen today.
Naturally the scenic beauty of Klein-Aus Vista can be explored by mountain bike at any time other than the weekend of the race as well. There is a choice of three routes: two long ones (30 to 40 km) and a short one (about 5 km). The longer trails are a real challenge, as they mostly consist of narrow single track paths through the scenery of bush and rocks.
Guests need to bring their own mountain bikes. If you would like to rent a mountain bike for your roundtrip through Namibia you can contact Cycletec in Windhoek. The bikes easily fit into a car when their front wheel is detached.
For those who prefer to explore the fauna and flora of the Succulent Karoo on foot there are six different trails to choose from. They are well marked and take hikers through the wildly romantic scenery of the Aus Mountains.
Klein-Aus Vista also offers guided drives through Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park for guests to familiarise themselves with the fascinating plant and animal world of the Succulent Karoo.
