Water Points:
- Water Point 1 @ 44 km
- Water Point 2 @ 63 km
Route Description:
9:00am Start at Sani Spoors Clubhouse at the Olde Duck Café.
The route must be loaded on GPS and followed accordingly. The route is very sparsely marked, and you will get lost if you do not have a pre-loaded GPS. The first 3 km is a neutral zone until you reach the gravel at the Bushman’s Nek turn off the R617. You will cross the crystal Mzimkulu River on this section. We encourage you to be very careful on all sections but particularly the tar sections. You will be cycling towards the Southern Drakensberg Mountains up a valley that leasd to the Bushman’s Nek Hotel. The Road offers beautiful views of sweeping valleys and steep foothills leading to the main Drakensberg escarpment, the border between SA and our land-locked neighbour Lesotho. At WP1, approximately 44 km, there will be a short stint along and crossing the R617 road prior to climbing up the hill to drop into Coleford reserve. The crossing here is a compulsory stop and, while manned by experienced Marshalls and the Traffic Department, needs to be cautiously approached – especially after eating your fill at the Water Point. From here you will continue through Coleford along towards Kilmun, with some lung busters and fast descents – be especially cautious here. WP 2 is set at the top of a particularly steep climb at 63 km along your route. This is your last WP on the 90 km so be sure to stock up. Your next crossing will be at the R617 tar road. The crossing here is a compulsory stop and, while manned by experienced Marshalls and the Traffic Department, needs to be cautiously approached. From here extreme caution needs to exercised as you will be travelling along paved road through Underberg Town and down to Sani Spoors at the Olde Duck Café. Cut Off Time for the 90 km will be at this intersection and will be at 3:00 pm (15H00) which means you will have to do an average speed of 15.4 km/h
DOWNLOAD .GPX FILE HERE – right click to save
DOWNLOAD .FIT FILE HERE – right click to save
… or click on map below, press play icon, click on menu and select download options.
Route map for Underberg Gran Fondo 90km by Tim Whitfield
Click Play button and then choose menu item to see more route features and route profile.
| Distance | 88.992 km | Total Ascent/Descent | 1719 m / 1718 m | |
| Lowest Point | 1418 m (at 77.76 km) | Highest Point | 1805 m (at 63.00 km) | |
| Uphill | 37.80 km (42.5%) | Downhill | 42.57 km (47.8%) | |
| Flat | 8.55 km (9.6%) | Height Gain | 387 m | |
| Steepest Uphill | +18.9% (at 60.12 km) | Steepest Downhill | -13.3% (at 47.88 km) | |
| Longest Uphill | 4.05 km (at 57.87 km) | Longest Downhill | 4.77 km (at 65.07 km) | |
| Ascent Rate | 19 m/km | Descent Rate | 19 m/km |