The Giants Challenge is a tough one-day mountain-bike marathon held in April in the rugged and picturesque Giants Cup area of South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains. The course is 75 kilometres of tough and scenic terrain through the uKhahlamba Drakensberg National Park, a World Heritage Site, and is widely regarded as one of the toughest of South Africa's MTB marathons.
Riders take between four and nine hours to complete the challenging course, which includes several kilometres of compulsory portages, insanely fast downhills and wet river crossings through icy rivers.
Route
Biking is allowed only on the route and in the direction shown by route markers, unless changes are announced by the Organisers. The route, especially the remote portion, will be marked with plastic barrier tape attached to fencing droppers at approximately 100m intervals.
Standard mountain biking danger signs will be used to warn of dangerous points especially along the main downhill section of the course.
Cyclists will leave Giant's castle Picnic Area & continue along the tarred road out of Giant's Castle, make a left turn, crossing the Bushman's River & continue along the White Mountain road turning left again towards the KZN Wildlife's Hillside Camp. Just before reaching Hillside gate cyclists will head through the Emanjokweni Village & climb out onto the Ntondolo Flats.
The route then climbs the Ntondolo Ridge (a compulsory portage of 600m) taking cyclists cross-country to the Njesuthi 4x4 track. Cyclists continue along the track dropping back down to the Bushman's River crossing at the Witteberg Entrance Gate at which point a right turn is made to take riders back up the tar road to the finish at the Giant's Castle Picnic Area.
There are 4 Check points along the route. Each Check Point is manned by Medical Assistants & a coordinator. All participants are checked through these Check Points which are in radio contact with the Start/Finish Area Manager.