The new Race Across South Africa bikepacking event follows the historic touring route of the Freedom Trail, offering riders a long and gruelling journey across the country’s most diverse and demanding landscapes. While the course avoids the infamous portages and highly technical sections that define the Freedom Challenge, it is by no means an easy ride—spanning vast distances, high mountains, rugged valleys, thornveld, and remote farmlands that test endurance and resilience at every turn. What is more, this is an unsupported ride, meaning each rider must carefully plan where to sleep, when to rest, and how to refuel along the way, adding a strategic layer of complexity that can determine success or failure. Yet, within this raw and uncompromising challenge lies its true reward: the opportunity to connect deeply with the land and its people. The closeness to rural Africa; the hospitality of its communities, the rhythm of life off the beaten track, and the vast, untamed beauty of the countryside—creates an experience that is not only profoundly rewarding, but life-changing.