Glacier Storms River Traverse
Mud in Your Face
The Glacier Storms Traverse is recognized as one of the premier adventure rides in South Africa, offering participants a dynamic mix of terrains, including forest trails, mountain paths, and river crossings.
Spanning three days, with a separate ride each day, the routes are carefully designed to challenge riders with technical sections, steep climbs, and thrilling descents, all while accommodating a range of skill levels—from novices to seasoned experts. This year’s event (9-12 August) lived up to expectations, even if it meant getting a little mud-splattered!
Glacier Storms River Traverse – A World-Class Adventure Ride
The event’s origins are equally compelling. About a decade ago, David “Pine” Pienaar, a dedicated mountain biking enthusiast and businessman from Oudtshoorn, found himself in Storms River Village. Enchanted by the scenic surroundings and the potential for outdoor adventure, Pienaar and his wife Wilma, along with Chris Sykes and Irma de Villiers, decided to purchase and revitalize a struggling local hotel.
After just one ride through the village’s lush forests, Pienaar was hooked, and a vision for a mountain biking event was born. Driven here through curiosity and the need to find new training turf for himself and his buddies, it took just one ride in the surrounding forests and he was hooked.
This is all understandable, given Storms River Village is a charming and picturesque settlement in the heart of the Tsitsikamma, renowned for its natural beauty and outdoor adventure opportunities. Hemmed in by nature, this unique destination used to be a closely guarded secret for just a few.
Thanks to innovative adventure activities developed in the early 90s and 12 annual Traverses later, there are now very few who don’t know about the quaint village of Storms River.
With the support of Henco Rademeyer, Carel Herholdt and Bernard le Roux from Dryland Event Management and Glacier by Sanlam who has been the most loyal of partners over the years, Pine and his wife Wilma nurtured the idea of creating a challenging winter mountain biking event.
Offering the natural borders of the pristine Witteklip River to the west, the famous Storms River to the East, the symbolic Tsitsikamma mountain range to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south, the Storms River Traverse event has it all.
This is especially suited for serious weekend warriors, those new to stage riding and the growing number of e-bike enthusiasts, in fact, this year saw probably more e-bikes congregated at Storms River Village than at any other mountain bike ride of this nature.
Now, 14 years on, with two events cancelled due to COVID-19, the Storms, as it is affectionately known, has firmly established its reputation. The unpredictable weather adds to the allure. As Pienaar says with a grin, “Good weather makes everyone happy, but wet and muddy conditions leave riders ecstatic.” Known as ‘The Wet and Muddy Ride,’ the event has seen its fair share of challenging weather, adding an extra layer of competitiveness that riders seem to thrive on.
How to get there:
Storms River Village is approximately 180 kms west of Port Elizabeth and east of George on the N2. Both cities have commercial airports and car hire companies.
When:
In August, around Women’s Day.
For the 2024 Glacier Storms River Traverse Results and more information please visit: www.stormsrivertraverse.co.za
