Blog

A mountainbike race/ride from Langebaan to Durbanville
3 Days / 200 Teams / 100 Solos / 20 School Teams / West Coast / Flowers / Wine

Pictures from last year's ride

Langebaan to Darling	Darling to Malmsberry
Darling to Malmsberry	Malmsberry to Durbanville

Come Ride the Rhino with us  -  The West Coast will be in full bloom!

Date: Friday, 30 September to Sunday, 2 October 2011

Langebaan to Durbanville through the remaining patches of Renosterveld. Riders will be doing this unforgettable trip cycling through the natural splendour and remnants of the remaining Renosterveld – today only 4% left. And it’s high blooming season, ensuring that the landscape will be alive with colour.
If you did the very successful Ride the Rhino last year, you will know exactly why you must do it again. And if you did not – you better enter because the best thing about our events is that we keep it small (only 200 teams), ensuring you the best service, best route, home made meals and no queues!

Black Rhino (Teams and Solos)
Stage 1: Langebaan to Darling (85 km, 1650m climb)
Stage 2 Darling to Malmesbury (90 km, 1500m climb)
Stage 3: Malmesbury to Durbanville Nitida Wine Farm (80 km, 1500m climb)
White Rhino (Teams and Solos)
Day 1, 2 and 3: 60 km's or closest waterpoint to 60km
Junior Rhino (scholars under 18yrs, No Solos)
Day 1, 2 and 3: 60 km's or closest waterpoint to 60km
All Inclusive Package: R3200 pp / Team of 2 people / R6400 per team entry
All meals, tented accommodation and transport of gear included.

Self Catering Package: R2200 pp / Team of 2 people / R4400 per team entry

Junior Rhino Package: R1500 pp / Team of 2 scholars under the age of 18 years/ R3000 per team entry. No Solos. All meals and tented accommodation included. Own transport from Finish to overnight stop must be organized.

Enter on www.renosterveldmtb.co.za

Ride the Rhino to save the Renosterveld

30 Sep - 2 Oct 2011
3 Days / 255km / 4200 climbing
Langebaan to Nitida Wine Estate, Durbanville

Ride the Rhino is a 3 day mountain bike event from Langebaan to Nitida Cellars. Its intention is to create awareness for the plight of the rhinos in South Africa and the renosterveld in the Western Cape.

Come and join us to cheer the riders on to the finish as they cycle across the Cassia dam on Sunday 3rd October - all this as part of the Seasons of Sauvignon Celebration on the farm.

Entry is free, there is live music, loads of ball games and fun for kids plus stunning food and beverages including Nitida wines are available for sale on the day.

20% of the proceeds from the ride will be donated directly to the Renosterveld Trust  to help establish nurseries, seed collection, conservancies and other identified projects.

The South African Rhinos
In 2011 alone more than 288 rhino’s have been poached in South Africa, this astounding figure of more than one a day, is made even more frightening when you realise that it is a 1000% increase on just 4 years ago (27 were killed in 2007).

Clearly there is some very big money that has come into play and it appears to have decided to target South African home to over 90% of the rhino in the world.

The West Coast Renosterveld
The little known West Coast Renosterveld, our indigenous vegetation in Durbanville and along the Western Cape coastal areas, is equally endangered. Its major sin is that it grows on rich, fertile soils – exactly the type of ground that every farmer wants to farm. Over the centuries these soils have been put to successful agriculture and today just 4% of the original area remains.

Part of our fynbos plant kingdom, it has attracted little attention until recently probably because it is pretty unglamorous vegetation at first glance. However, in spring time there are glorious bulbs that appear, sometimes in flower for as little as just one day of the year. Of course the vegetation is also home to a multitude of insect, mammal and reptile species, many of whom are becoming endangered as their habitat is destroyed. 

To become involved in protecting the Renosterveld and to read more about the Trust