Route 2026
A Journey Through Time
750 km that take riders back 252 million years: a spectacularly scenic showcase of the Great Karoo's geological marvels, ending with a Big 5 welcome in African bushveld.
- 7daysof frontier gravel stage racing
- 750kmof pure African gravel
- 8,500mof climbing
- 4Burn Campswith legendary Karoo hospitality
- Stage 1Sun, 25 OctGraaff-Reinet – BlaauwaterRace90km 1,450 m up 700 m down
- Stage 2Mon, 26 OctBlaauwater loopRace111km 1,450 m up 1,450 m down
- Stage 3Tue, 27 OctBlaauwater – MerinoRace137km 1,550 m up 1,450 m down
- Stage 4Wed, 28 OctMerino loopRace61km 550 m up 550 m down
- Stage 5Thu, 29 OctMerino – GwanishiRace128km 1,050 m up 1,800 m down
- Stage 6Fri, 30 OctGwanishi – ShamwariRace76km 700 m up 950 m down
- Stage 7Sat, 31 OctShamwari loopRace94km 1,350 m up 1,350 m down
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Experience the route
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Explore the route
Seven stages from Robert Sobukwe Town / Graaff-Reinet across the Great Karoo to Big 5 country at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, with four Burn Camps along the way:
- Blaauwater 2 nights
- Merino 2 nights
- Gwanishi 1 night
- Shamwari 2 nights
Stage 1 · Sun, 25 Oct
Graaff-Reinet to Blaauwater
- Race
- 90km
- Climbing
- 1,450m
- Descent
- 700m
- Liaison
- 1km
- Climbing
- 5m
- Descent
- 25m
- Maximum Stage Time = 6h30
Out of town and onto Karoo gravel: climbing towards Conical Peak before a rough, remote descent, then a windswept drag to Blaauwater Burn Camp.
Stage 1 in detailStage 2 · Mon, 26 Oct
Blaauwater loop
- Race
- 111km
- Climbing
- 1,450m
- Descent
- 1,450m
- Maximum Stage Time = 8h00
The 2025 riders’ favourite: a loop via Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, around Compassberg and through Nieu-Bethesda, on every kind of gravel.
Stage 2 in detailStage 3 · Tue, 27 Oct
Blaauwater to Merino
- Race
- 137km
- Climbing
- 1,550m
- Descent
- 1,450m
- Liaison
- 5km
- Climbing
- 0m
- Descent
- 300m
- Maximum Stage Time = 9h30
The longest stage: Wapadsberg Pass, long rolling tar sections, through lush riverside farmland with a summit finish on Swaershoek Pass.
Stage 3 in detailStage 4 · Wed, 28 Oct
Merino loop
- Race
- 61km
- Climbing
- 550m
- Descent
- 550m
- Maximum Stage Time = 4h30
Fast, rolling hills: the roads trend down towards the Klein-Visrivier valley, then gradually upwards again, back to Merino Burn Camp for another night.
Stage 4 in detailStage 5 · Thu, 29 Oct
Merino to Gwanishi
- Race
- 128km
- Climbing
- 1,050m
- Descent
- 1,800m
- Liaison
- 7km
- Climbing
- 50m
- Descent
- 70m
- Maximum Stage Time = 8h45
A mix of surfaces: heading due south, then east towards Gwanishi, across remote semi-desert on smooth open gravel, rough farm tracks and a paved connector.
Stage 5 in detailStage 6 · Fri, 30 Oct
Gwanishi to Shamwari
- Race
- 76km
- Climbing
- 700m
- Descent
- 950m
- Liaison
- 33km
- Climbing
- 500m
- Descent
- 510m
- Maximum Stage Time = 5h30
From Karoo plains into African bushveld: almost all on gravel, with unpredictable surfaces, treacherous riverbeds and a 33 km safari liaison.
Stage 6 in detailStage 7 · Sat, 31 Oct
Shamwari loop
- Race
- 94km
- Climbing
- 1,350m
- Descent
- 1,350m
- Maximum Stage Time = 7h00
The Big 5 ride: a Shamwari loop through Founder’s Gate, past Alicedale and over Assegaai, then home through The Gauntlet to the celebrations.
Stage 7 in detail
- Burn Camp
- Race route
Padstal
Summit- PCToyota Power Climber
- KMRed Bull KM
Technical descent
River crossing
Railway crossing
Finish- Paved
- Gravel
- Liaison
The finish line
Race stages and liaisons
Each day's racing finishes at the iconic orange windmill. On some stages the windmill stands outside the Burn Camp, and riders complete a liaison section to reach camp. A stage's total distance is its racing distance plus its liaison.
Liaisons are there for two important reasons:
- Safety. The final kilometres into some Burn Camps, with steep descents, rough surfaces or tight bends, aren't safe for a fast race finish.
- Biosecurity. The liaison lets us carry out the foot-and-mouth disease precautions agreed with the authorities and landowners on the way into camp. The disease affects cloven-hoofed animals only, not people. Biosecurity information
Liaisons in 2026
The start
Graaff-Reinet
Riders from all over the world gather in Graaff-Reinet, South Africa's fourth-oldest town, before heading into the Great Karoo for a week of contrasting vistas.
Founded in 1786 and known as Graaff-Reinet for almost 240 years, the town has recently been renamed Robert Sobukwe Town, after the anti-apartheid leader who was born there.
The heart
The Great Karoo
Vast, arid semi-desert: an open treasure chest of geography, geology, history, astronomy and biology, and the lessons they teach us. A place where life clings to the edges and the hardiest creatures thrive.
The finish
Big 5 country
The horizon shifts, and in a moment you sense you're in wildlife country. The final stage, the Big 5 ride, starts and finishes at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, where riders share the road with elephant, rhino and lion.