This past weekend I decided to give Klipriviersberg another try, as last time was such a fantastic experience. I wouldn't want to do the same route as I ran last time, so decided to head up the west side. Joining me on this run was Philip who had reached out through contacting me - he is new to trail running and enthusiastic as ever.
At the gate, we headed right crossing the river and onto the path. The trail then went up the mountain, and this incline is really something. If you wish to do any hill training close to Joburg - this is the place. We did the same route I had done with the hiking crew on our debut Sunday hike, so knew the route to take.
After the initial intense climb the route is quite easy in comparison. There are great open spaces on the flat, and some fantastic downhill sections that you can really get some speed on. Be warned though, there are some very technical parts especially on the downhill. I almost twisted my ankle(s) twice, and Philip came out at the end of the run with two bloody knees. All for the love!
We headed down and crossed the pipe bridge, swinging round and keeping to the path along the river. This run was tough, the last flat section was incredibly difficult to keep up any good pace. One of the benefits of trail running is that initial heavy incline, which is almost always present. You wear your body down quickly, and the rest of the run is closer to your limit. Overall, another fantastic trip to Klipriviersberg.
