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AMATOLA 100K TRAIL RUN or BIG BAFER
(BORDER AMATEUR FUN ECO RUN)
The Amatola Trail Run is 12 years old. For those who don’t know, BAFER stands for Border Amateur Fun Eco Run, not to be confused with a fun run however, this is a tough trail run. Once again the normal (not as in sane) gang will be there to plan and present a weekend of fun. They are Kevin Dettman (Feeding and Sgt. Major), Patrick Elson (Very handyman and Little Bafer coordinator), Colleen Durant (Very handywoman and organiser), Peter Samuel (Race doctor, organiser), Chel Gassner (Supervisor), Dave Gassner (admin). We will do all we can to ensure that you all have a great weekend in the mountains with a little running, clambering and climbing added for good measure.
Others who support this event:
Andy Brewis - SILVER EAGLE SPUR, EAST LONDON - meat and beer.
Travis and Alan - SAB, CASTLE LITE - for each runner at the finish.
Gotz and Mark - SUPERSPAR GONUBIE for groceries.
Alan Leicster - ALDERSON AMBULANCE - on standby.
Johan le Roux - STAR BAKERY.
Date: 16th and 17th October 2010.
Start: 06:00
Registration and kit check: 15th from 17:00 and 16th till 05:30 at Maden Dam.
Race briefing: 05:55.
Place: Maden Dam, 20k outside King William’s Town, Eastern Cape.
Cost: R575.00
PRE ENTRY ONLY. Entries must be received by the 20th September. Entries will be limited to 50. Entrants must be 18 or older on race day. Maps will be distributed to all runners at the start; detailed instructions and maps (jpg for reference to instructions) will be emailed on closing date.
Refunds: 50% refund up to a month before closing date. No refund thereafter. Substitutions allowed.
Route:
The first day starts at Maden Dam and follows the Amatola Hiking Trail to Gwili-Gwili and over Mount Kemp, up to Dontsa just below Mount Thomas and then turns to follow the ridge towards Cata, the half way stop at 53.9k.
The second day begins at 05:00 with a climb over Geju Peak and then once again follows the ridge line past Mnyameni and Zingcuka with a final climb up Hog 1 and then straight down to the finish at Hobbiton, a total distance of 102.6k .
Route Info:
This is an undulating trail which means that it goes up and down quite a bit, in fact it is relentless. It passes through indigenous forest, plantation and mountain grasslands, it is well marked and thus easy to follow, no trail blazing is necessary. Although the trail is in the Amatola Mountains, no great altitude is reached and therefore altitude training is not necessary. The average height is about 1500m with a max of 1900m. There is adequate water on the trail to refill bottles and bladders from the many streams. This is a gruelling (very tiring, exhausting) trail run, be prepared.
Runner’s info:
Runners must be self sufficient for the day, no seconding, and no feeding stations.
There will be cut off times along the way, after which emergency routes must be followed. This does not disqualify you.
Times per day range between 9 and 15 hours.
Runners must be fit and have run a marathon or at least a 35k trail (as opposed to a dirt road run) run recently.
Runners must stick to the marked trail. No short cuts are allowed.
There will be a sweeper.
There will be check points. Missing a check point will move you to the end of the results.
Runner’s kit will be transported to half way and the end.
There are hot showers at Cata and sleeping space for 32 runners in a hiking hut with bunks and mattresses, the rest in a closed lapa.
Runners will be fed on Sat night. Runners are to bring with any special food requirements plus breakfast and food for the second day.
Runners will receive a light meal and refreshments at the finish.
Compulsory running equip:
1. Shoes in good condition.
2. Backpack or large hip pouch.
3. Water container min 2l.
4. Waterproof rain jacket / windbreaker.
5. Torch and spare battery. (Tested to last at least 5 hours).
6. Whistle.
7. Space blanket.
8. Dry bag for your map.
9. Gloves
10. Warm clothing (long sleeve top).
11. High-energy food/drink.
12. Small first aid kit with plasters, headache tablets etc.
13. Cell phone - emergency numbers will be supplied.
Advisable equipment:
1. Gaiters to stop grass seeds and stones getting in your shoes.
2. Sunglasses.
3. Sun block.
4. Camera.
5. Rain trousers.
6. Warm pants.
7. Tick repellant.
8. Tog bag.
9. Sleeping bag.
10. Towel, soap, toothbrush and paste etc.
11. Food and clothing for second day.
Also remember:
Rain and cold weather gear, 1st aid and emergency equipment, food and water all need to be carried. The weather is unpredictable and can change from berg wind conditions to extreme cold and snow in a few hours. The emergency services will be on standby in East London so it is imperative that you have the necessary equipment with you. Runners are obliged to assist others in distress.
The hiking trail is described in hiking books as difficult, requiring hikers to be fit. The same obviously applies to runners. Runners must be ultra fit, once you are out there on the trail you are on your own. Expected pace will be about 5 or 6 km per hour which includes lunch stop etc. Check point control will be by participants, each person required to place a supplied race number at each check point. This is imperative to ensure everyone is accounted for. Anyone declared medically unfit by the course doctor will not be allowed to continue. On day one a cut off will be imposed at the entrance to Waterfall Forest. If runners are not going to get through the forest by darkness they will have to take the escape route. On the second day a cut off will be imposed at the forestry road intersection of the climb up the Hogsback Mountain to ensure that no one is stuck on the mountain at night.
Missing a checkpoint or taking an escape route will not disqualify a participant as it is an awesome achievement even if this happens. Finish positions will be shuffled to reflect this however.
Transport will be available at the start to transport sleeping equipment and trail supplies to Cata and from there to the finish. The entrant must arrange all other travelling and accommodation. Vehicle logistics can be sorted out at Maden Dam, seconds must proceed to Hogsback (no seconds allowed to overnight at Cata) and organising helpers will drive other runner’s vehicles where possible. At Cata runners are accommodated in a hiking hut with bunks and mattresses and there is extra space in a closed lapa with mattresses on the floor. There are hot showers at Cata. There will be tea, coffee, bread and soup and a meal for runners at Cata. Please do not pack 5l bottles of water in your bags, there is adequate drinking water available. Wearing two pairs of socks is a good idea, a thin moisture management pair first and then another of your choice. Helps to prevent blisters.
Any emergency evacuation costs will be for the participant. The persons performing the evacuation may not be emergency personnel. In Hogsback I encourage entrants and seconds to use Hobbiton as overnight accommodation as they serve a noble cause (outdoor education for disadvantaged youngsters of all races) and they are supporting the event. The roads in the area are rough, and services in Hogsback are limited, although there are hotels, a restaurant and a bar. The petrol supply is not reliable. In King William’s Town, Pat Speir offers reasonably priced accommodation. I recommend that Friday night is spent at Maden Dam, tenting (bring your own tents) or sleeping in vehicles, (the ablutions consist of toilets and basins only) as this will enable a briefing session to be held the night before and a general meeting of old and new acquaintances.
Other information.
In The Beginning.
In October 1997, Greg Pretorius, Chel and I took part in the Reunion Grand Raid. We decided that it would not be too difficult, it was only 125 kilometers with a cut off of 60 hours, the pictures in Runners World showed hikers finishing comfortably and we were all Comrades runners for goodness sake. Reunion Tourism was offering well priced packages so our minds were easily made up. To cut a long story short, we had an adventure that we felt only the three of us could comprehend, never mind the other 1400 competitors, we suffered big time, nearly gave up on more than one occasion but made the finish in 56 hours. I am an avid outdoor person and having hiked the Amatola Trail quite a few times, decided that if we planned a trail run on this trail, we had the makings of a slightly easier grand raid. Only slightly easier mind you, Reunion has a massive infrastructure in the army and schools to organize their run, the Amatola would be self sufficient running.
1999.
The Amatola Trail is a six day, approximately 110k, pretty mountainous mixture of forest and grass lands. I thought that it would best be broken into two halves, one run on Saturday and one on Sunday. First I had to test the first half to see if it was feasible and so Robin Ackerman and I set off from Maden Dam at 07:00 one Saturday morning in the pouring rain and arrived at Cata Forest Station at 17:00, the rain still pouring down. We could do it !!
We (Peter Samuel, race doctor and dogs body, Chel, wife, cook, dish washer and prodder plus myself) organized the first run based very much on what we had seen in Reunion and our hiking experience. We had 25 entries, 24 starters and 17 finishers. Jurgen Muller pushed on from half way in an attempt to finish the event in one day but got seriously lost in a terrific storm later in the night. It is an understatement to say that we were worried, there are poor communications in the mountains and to send out rescuers would be futile, where would they search? Jurgen managed, very late in the night, to persuade some locals that he found after some extreme searching to take him to Hogsback at an exorbitant fee. The following day Jurgen re-joined the trail where he had lost it the previous day and came in first in a time of 29 hours and 44 minutes. After this, the stop over at Cata (half way) became compulsory. First lady home was Colleen Durant in 36 hours and 43 minutes. The last two, Brian Collings and me as sweep came in 38 hours and 20 minutes. The weather was very cold and wet and I think most of us learnt a few lessons on the first run but in retrospect it went off very well.
2000 to now.
From 2000 the entries increased, reaching a maximum of 60 in 2003. As the entries increased and runners became more familiar with the requirements of trail running and self-sufficiency, the finish rate increased from a poor 50% to present 88%. We have removed the Bain’s Waterfall section on the second day and imposed a cut off at Zingcuka after getting home at 01:00 on Monday morning a few times. Now the finish time is more acceptable and the effort rating reduced accordingly. We have now imposed two cut off times, one for each day, where runners have to take an escape route. This enables runners to still complete a shortened course and not be pulled out of the race. We have also introduced some extra check points to prevent short cuts.
The guys who help.
There are quite a few people who help in various ways to make the race a success, who subscribe to the philosophy and support us. Most important are the runners and they must receive the accolade for entering and coming back for more.
There are those who help with organizing, Chel, Peter, Kevin, Colleen and Patrick who organize the 35k run on Sunday and sort out arrangements in East London. Bonisile Malgas of DWAF who goes out of his way to assist and accommodate us. Josh and Tanya at Hobbiton for the facilities. Marie Robertson at Maden Dam, always accommodating and helpful. The sweeper, Ian Ross.
Runners Comments
Hi Dave
Just a big thank you to you (and the crew) for organising such a
great
race (or journey) once more.
I had a wonderful time out in the mountains with all the ups and down
(literal and figurative). Some of the funnest running days ever.
Hope to be back next year.
Keep well
Grant Blair
Hi
Dave
Got back last night after 10 days spent in the EC, begun with the Amatola
and rounded off with a wedding in Stutt. It is difficult to describe to
anyone who doesn't know the feeling quite what it is like to run The BAFER.
I took the time to capture some of the images on my camera, but they can't
convey what it feels like to be running through the mist, past the lichen
covered trees...and of course the little ups and downs that didn't seem
nearly as steep or as long as last year. An annual pilgrimage it shall
become...and I have just been on the
Wild Coast page building a little
enthusiasm for that 'little' challenge.
Thank you so much to you and your crew for putting together a truly awesome,
down to earth Eastern Cape
experience
Lance Wynne
Hi Dave
Thanks it was an awesome run. Well done on organising it! We really enjoyed the little Baffer
Just a quick question - how does one train for that wild coast run?I am def keen so pls send me any extra info.
Keep well
Lucille de Wet
Hi Dave
What a wonderful event and trail run. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the
Amatola. It is such a brilliant wilderness experience made all the more intimate
by the way you do things and the attitude of your team. Please put me down for a
place next year. I’m definitely coming back and this time I’ve got things to
prove and check points to reach.
All the best
Filippo Faralla
Loved it thanks, and I’m very keen to do the Wild Coast. Kate Godfrey
Hi Dave
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to run on one of the best trails
in RSA!! We all (from PE) enjoyed the day.
Just a query - as pre entries, did / do we qualify for T shirts?? I
don’t recall any of us receiving any shirts? (Tshirts on their way, sorry,
Dave)
Regards
Emil Hougaard
PS - Back next year.....for the Big one!
Dear David
Many, many thanks to you and the crew of dedicated helpers for the wonderful event. I was blown away by the wonderful organisation, back up and care that underpinned the race. The logistics and organisation went so off smoothly that they were hardly noticeable to me - the sign of great co-ordination and dedication by so many individual people who went out of their way to make the run comfortable and special for the runners.
On a more personal level, thanks so much for all the local fetching and carrying you did for me - its made me feel very loved and part of your family, which was very special.
Overall: I had a wonderful and memorable time of which one of my main memories are the care, concern and love I experienced.
My sincere thanks
Regards
Rod Warner
Hi Dave
WOW!!! What a super event – thank you so much!
I came to do the Little Bafer, not quite sure of what to expect, and a little apprehensive. The route and terrain were tough, but the scenery was superb and it was indeed a privilege to partake in an event such as this. The “hole in the fence” at the end was classic and the bottle of wine has pride of place in the wine cabinet as a treasured medal. Thank you to you and your team for putting on this superb event. I sincerely hope to be back again next year.
Kind regards
Ann McKenzie
Christine Harris
Hi Dave and Team,
I would just like to say a big "thank you" for another wonderful run. The effort you all put in is much appreciated. Thank you too, for the sending the report and results.
Once again thanks for everything.
Regards,
Christine Harris
Dion Millson
Hi David
Thank you for an awesome event. The organization and spirit of the event was fantastic & I feel privileged to have experienced it.
Kind regards,
Dion
Dave Taylor
Hi Dave
Thanks for the feedback...
An exceptional event - in 20 years of running, my absolute favourite
Thanks for all the hard work, so we can enjoy this magnificent countryside
Regards
Dave
Grant and Melanie Blair
Hi Dave,
To you and the team, thanks for an outstanding event. We hope to be back next year.
I hope you get home safely and take a good break, and thanks again for a wonderful experience. It was a privilege to see the trail this way. I wish the event many happy years ahead. And we hope to be at least a few more.
Keep well,
Grant and Melanie Blair
Jan Phelan and the Hilton Crew
Dear Dave,
Can't believe it is all over.
Thank you so much for a wonderful Amatola experience - one never to be forgotten! Like we were warned it was tough, but just amazing and I loved it and would not have missed it for anything. Those forests, the rivers, waterfalls, incredible views, watsonias in orange and pink hues, hearing Cape parrots, the lizards, seeing a Lammergeyer at the top of the hill as the sun was coming up on Sunday morning and one of my running mates was there waiting for me to run down the hill together- wow! At one stage five from our group of 11 were all running together and the banter and laughter, despite some spectacular trips was such fun. We stopped to take photos, look at the views and I was even able to have a quick swim in the Wolf River! We ran with several different people during the run, and then I had the good fortune of having the sweep near the end - what a pleasure. I have photos to send to several of the runners we met. Still cannot believe it took me 4 hrs to do those last 11 km - I have run a marathon in less time than that! BUT, this was the Hog! Ian was very patient, and very professional in his job, sometimes letting me take the lead and sometimes going ahead where he thought it best.
hank you for all your organising , trouble and care, and to the doc, Chel, Dave and all the others - it was just the best. The hospitality was wonderful. That cold coke from the doc at check point 7 was the best ever - and I do not normally drink Coke at all but we had been talking about Coke from kms away not knowing we were going to get it there!! And the happiness of jogging down the grass at the end cannot be described. We all arrived back safely in the Kombi ( 7 of us) - there were 2 other cars, and will be meeting tomorrow evening at our weekly Jog and Grog social run through the plantations and past dams and vleis now that it is lighter and into summer again.
If it is possible to get some of those photographs taken at the beginning and at the end I would love to get a few? One re-lives and experience like that over and over - goodness we talked about it for nearly 10 hours on the way back in the vehicle! When we got out at a Wimpy Steve remarked that it looked as it the Bus from the Frail Care at the retirement centre had just arrived there was so much hobbling!
Kind regards,
Jan
Grant Kobus
Thanks very much to you Dave and your merry band of helpers that keep
this run alive and for a fantastic weekend in the mountains, who cares
if it was the World cup final there is always another year. Thanks for
all the organisation and support you guys give to us runners we really
do appreciate, and on behalf of the Hilton Harriers that ran very well
done. We will definitely encourage some of the club members to come and
run next year.
Grant Kobus, Hilton Harriers, 2007
Paul Bender
Dave - thanks. Was a wonderful race.
Paul Bender,2007
Tallies Sadler
Hi
Thanx Dave and thanx again for a wonderful adventure.
Regards
Tallies Sadler
Extreme Wild Coast Ultra.
The Amatola has been such a success as far as a running experience is concerned that in Feb 2005 Des Meyer and I organised a run from Port St Johns to East London, 265k in 6 days with stop over at Nature Reserves and hired houses. A group of 16 off-road runners took part, 6 eventually completing the full distance and 4 stopping at Kei Mouth, which was the original plan. The terrain was difficult, either straight up or straight down and when this was not a problem there was the soft sand and river crossings, blistered and bleeding feet and sun burnt bodies. In Feb 2006 we repeated the run, this time over 285k with 24 runners, 19 completing the whole distance. What a wonderful run. What beautiful country, right here on our doorstep. 2009 we did it again, have a look at the Wild Coast page.
Contact.
Dave Gassner
cell - 0768179058
home - 0217855911
fax - 086 615 3145