It was that time, that time to have a good time and that time for the #RebirthOfTrails up at Afriski Mountain Resort in Lesotho. The Rebirth took place over 4 days , from the 26th February till the 1st of March.
Afriski was and is alive once again! The stoke levels were probably higher than the altitude, and the enthusiasm was like nothing we’ve seen before. The T-Bar lift was in full swing and that alone was a sight to see after so many years.
Afriski welcomed 76 riders to their slopes over the weekend and it definitely left a mark, I’d say both physically and mentally, but in a good way obviously.
The weather seemed to favor us this time round, however, Saturday evening the clouds rolled in and the rain came down throughout the night declaring that we’ve had enough and we need to save some energy for the return in the near future.
It was great seeing new and old faces in the mix, some of us slightly older and slightly younger but still sharing the same good times out there. That’s the real beauty of mountain biking, that no matter the age or skill set, you will still feel that feeling and that’s important.
There was a special essence to riding up there, we’re always being watched, we’re sharing the land with the local villages. The shepherds are watching on as we decend on their grazing lands and often they appear out of nowhere and have this mystic presence about themselves . Communication is limited but facial expressions are not. Their smiles are somewhat contagious and you can only wonder what their story is. Their connection with the land and their animals is very present.
On Saturday we had a little fun strava segment down the river trail. The #FoxRiverRun was the attraction for the day with riders descending down 3.2km of incredible trail , boasting all the elements to a great trail and the odd goat or sheep crossing which can cause some carnage at times but that’s riding at its purest.
Rob Frost and Lillian Bruwer managed to claim the top times for the day. Nothing like a good old strava segment to add some “racing” in the mix. Huge thank you goes out to Fox Racing South Africa (https://www.foxracing.co.za/collections/mtb-new-arrivals) for your support at the #Rebirth.
Squirt Cycling Products joined the party with some great cleaning products and prizes which went out to the youngsters of the weekend. Great to see these young riders thriving on such big mountains.
The Squirt bike wash zone was a hit with clean bikes ready for their next session out there. Many thanks to Squirt for this support.
Lastly , a huge thank you to the riders for joining us out there and to Afriski and your staff for hosting us. To the trail builders and all involved in getting this rolling again, thank you. We will see you soon for more great times.
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All images courtesy of Dom Barnardt
