Rat Race | Race to the Wreck

Fitness level

You can do this. This adventure is for hikers looking for a new challenge.

Pace

This challenge has been designed so that you may travel at your own pace. There will also be some cut-offs, but these will be generous and the team will always look to help you to achieve your goals in finishing this challenge, vs having to pull out. You are given very early starts to allow the very best possible window for route completion. But, if you need to stop for whatever reason, the team is there for you.

Bikes

You can bring your own bike but you do not need to as fat bikes are provided. If you do decide you use your own, it is important to note that day 1 does not require a fatbike and can be done on a regular mountain bike but day 2 definitely does need a fatbike. You wouldn't use two different bikes as it would be impractical so a fatbike is the weapon of choice here.

Day 1 is on gravel trails and roads. Day 2 it's into the soft sand of the Kuiseb Riverbed system and here, a fatbike is 100% required, owing to that soft sandy terrain. A normal mountain bike would just sink into the sand and be difficult to ride. A fat bike floats over it. It’s a fantastic ride. You’ll love it. 

Accommodation

Desert camps:
Upon arrival and transfer from the airport at Windhoek or Walvis Bay, you will spend your first 2 nights at a luxury desert camp. Accommodation will be based on 2 sharing (doubles and twins available). Limited singles are available as an optional extra.

This is the essence of the Namib experience and you can be assured of the quality and ambience of the campsites. Ride or run into camp and enjoy a night under a desert sky filled with stars, a good hot plate of food, a roaring fire and at some, a hot shower too. The latter certainly is a real luxury that no other such event provides. Tents, roll mats, toilets, showers and full catering service are all included. There's also the “Wrecked” on-site bar, limited WiFi facility and satcomms for those who wish to call home. Medical facilities, bike mechanics and other event services will also feature.

Hotel:
On the final night of your adventure the team will lay on 4-star hotel accommodation in Walvis Bay, full slap-up buffet, drinks, presentation of medals, mementos and awards.

Meals

All meals are included as standard cooked up by the expert catering crew.

Kit list

A comprehensive kit list with mandatory and recommended kit is available.

Season

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• Jul
• Aug
• Sep
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

Meeting point

Hosea Kutako International Airport
Windhoek
Namibia

Itinerary

• Day 1 | Travel

  Arrive in Windhoek airport. Transfer from the airport to the luxury desert camp accommodation.

• Day 2 | Briefing, kit check, bike fit

  Enjoy the surroundings of your stunning desert camp setting. Today’s schedule will include briefings, a kit check plus fat bike fit. Another night in the camp and then it’s off into the desert.

• Day 3 | Race to the Wreck begins!

  MULTISPORT: Cover 90km on fat bikes over gravel roads through the Khomas Hochland region, roughly paralleling the course of the Kuiseb River through rough, mountainous desert country to the overnight tented camp. Enjoy hot showers, braai, beers and vast starry skies.

  RUN/HIKE: Cover 50km on foot over gravel plains, rusty red dunes and rolling sand until you near the Kuiseb River and the overnight tented camp. Enjoy hot showers, braai, beers and vast starry skies.

  

• Day 4 | Adventure day

  MULTISPORT: An early start to cover a massive 110km on the fat bikes, now descending into the sandy dry river bed of the Kuiseb itself and its towering gorges and really feeling the rhythm of that fat bike in the sand. Today the group will reach the home of the Top’naa people at Homeb. From here you can literally touch the massive dunes of the Namib Naukluft, which tower above your overnight camp in the cool river bed.

  RUN/HIKE: As the dunes get bigger you’ll rack up another 50km as you run towards the jaw-dropping canyon of the Kuiseb River before descending into it via an adrenaline-filled dune drop-off. Surrounded by towering gorges you’ll work your way to the canyon camp which is shouldered by the massive dunes of the Namib Naukluft which will tower above you.

  

• Day 5 | Adventure day

  The transition to foot for the multisport participants as the courses merge for a massive 40km day as you get a taste of the dunes this area is so famous for before reaching the stunning overnight desert camp.

  

• Day 6 | Adventure day

  Be ready for a day with over 9000ft of ascent packed into this 43km section it’s an exhilarating and exhaustingly long day on foot over another marathon’s worth of sandy terrain. Taking on over 21 dune formations will test you to the limit but the views are well worth it. The camp will sit amongst the sand mountains in a truly spectacular setting.

  

• Day 7 | Reach the Wreck

  The final 20km and the exit from the dune awaits you on Saturday morning, as you hit the coast you will also take in some of the abandoned mining settlements around Conception Bay. By lunch time the team will reach their incredible destination – the Eduard Bohlen where a celebratory lunch and a cold beer will be waiting in its shadow. Once everyone is in there's a brilliant 4×4 excursion down the coast and over the dunes back to the afterparty in Walvis Bay.

  

• Day 8 | Travel

  Transfer for those who want it back to Windhoek or to Walvis Bay Airport or hang around and enjoy Walvis Bay.

Included

• Accommodation

  7 nights hotel and camping.

• Meals

  All meals included.

• Transfers

  Includes airport transfers on arrival.

• Guides and support

  Professional 4x4 support vehicles, bike mechanics, safety staff, water safety, medical and welfare.

• Safety

  Professional local and UK safety staff, medics, drivers, route safety staff and experts on hand throughout. Audited and accredited to BS8848 expedition safety standard.

• Equipment

  Fat bike hire and associated equipment included.

• Transfer policy

  Flexible event transfer policy up to 12 weeks before your departure.

• Extras

  High quality medal, rat rag and premium t-shirt for all participants.

Trip leader

Jim is your leader for this adventure. With over 20 years experience and 500+ events under his belt you are in safe hands.

Environmental pledge

This adventure has made a firm commitment to really elevate its approach to a sustainable and environmentally aware way of working. Each activity has been assessed to improve its environmental impact, including:

• race t-shirts to be collected at the event and not shipped across the world
• wooden medals instead of metal
• phasing out single-use plastics
• local event catering
• tighter recycling activities

This event is on track to achieve carbon-neutral in its day-to-day business activities and is making progress with carbon off-setting for worldwide travel, including ground-breaking ways to make a difference in some of the host locations.

Age

16 and 17 year olds will be considered on an individual basis, if taking part with a responsible adult.

Instalment plan

eg. Pay £390 in 10 instalments.

Choose how many months you want to spread the cost over, totally interest free. There is no credit check required to use this facility. When you sign up to the instalment plan a recurring payment will be set up and your card will be debited on the same date each month.

Refund protect

Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance.

Costs

I think this is the kind of challenge everyone should try. It's not something you're going to experience anywhere else in the world. It's not something to be taken lightly, it's definitely something to train for, but something that is achievable by anyone. Cath, 2019

The most epic and incredible adventure. This is probably not for you if you don’t like extreme heat and sand - but your reward for tackling these annoyances will be crossing and experiencing one of the remotest, stunning places on the planet! The organisation was top rate, from arrival to briefings and course safety and support. The team both UK and local Namibian were first rate - food, camps, medical support, pit stop support, motivation, snacks - all fantastic.. definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me more than I have ever been challenged before. But the support from the crew, fellow participants, the highs and lows made it an experience I will never ever forget. Jo, 2022