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Cederberg Fastpack 2024
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Cederberg Fastpack 2024
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Cederberg Fastpack 2024

Last edited time
Last updated March 21, 2024
Tags
Running
Planning
Hello!
 
So you’re coming fastpacking in the Cederberg - how ridiculously exciting.
 
What is fastpacking? It’s basically overnight hiking, without the tents and general comforts. Those are traded for increasing the distance that can be covered each day. Smaller and lighter bags allow the flats and declines to be jogged and the uphills to be hiked quicker than on a hike. These increases in speed allow for more coffee breaks, stops and general nonsense.
 
This page should give you an overview of what to expect, pack and prepare for.
 

Logistics

  • We are going to camp in Algeria on the evening of Wednesday 20th March. Ensure that you’ve organised lifts and bring a tent.
  • We are going to leave cars:
    • At Algeria (keep your Saturday/Sunday food in here)
    • At Cederberg wines (near Sanddrif) which is where we start
    • Uitkyk pass - with Friday night food in it

Route

The page below contains the basic route information. Please note that the route should be taken as a guideline: mountains are mountains, paths are paths - we should always trust what is happening in-front of us over what a pre-set GPX file is telling us.
 
We will inevitably stray from the prescribed route for any number of reasons: fun or less fun. The route is set to provide a baseline that we can organise logistics around, when we are out in the mountains we will be dynamic, smart and safe.
 
This route is broken up by running past Algeria on Saturday morning. This allows for an exit point in the case of injury.
 
🗺️
Cederberg Fastpack 2024: Route
 
If you have a GPS watch, please load the GPX files for each day.

Packing

Packing for fastpacking can become stressful if you allow it to be. I wrote a long piece a few years ago when preparing for a fastpacking trip through the Transkei with Fred and Damo:
Bovineiterology preparation
Bovineiterology preparation
It is a fairly long article, to summarise the main takeaway points with regard to packing:
 
Weight is something to minimise
Running is less enjoyable the heavier you are. We’re going there to do a lot of running - try and maximise the enjoyment of it.
 
Pack what you have
It’s so easy to want all the high tech, ultralight, ultra-small and vastly overpriced gear out there. You’ll never get it all, there will always be something else. Borrow gear where possible, and then use what you have without regret.
 
Pack things that can prevent your trip being ruined
The adventure of fastpacking is incredible as it is - you don’t need many extra things. These are simple things that you will kick yourself if you don’t have. Some of them are obvious, others less so:
  • Medical kit - a comprehensive one; we can share these.
  • Vaseline - just ask Damo about his chafe in the Transkei.
  • Good sleeping equipment - running on poor night’s sleep is like adding 5kg to your bag. Try maximise the quality of sleep you’re going to get.
 
Pack for running, not for camp
This is something that I changed my mind on. I brought many nice things for the camp up the mountain with me, but in the effort of dragging them up 2000m of Drakensberg mountains we weren’t able to play more than two games of backgammon, truly enjoy a slab of Lint and really appreciate how nice the cave was with top down lighting.
 
I will probably bring the backgammon set to the Transkei because I love the game, but the extra light and Lint will have to stay home.
 
Bring suncream lip balm
Almost four days after coming back from the mountains my lips still resemble a dry river bed.
 
Water is heavy, take that into account
On top of that - we are going to be running through the Cederberg at the end of the dry season. This means that we’re going to be refilling all our water as often as possible. Personally I will aim to carry about 2.5L of water on me as often as possible. Factor in the extra weight.

Food

Food is quite subjective. I’m going to do something along these lines:
  • Breakfastnut butter and a banana if I can pack it safely. And coffee.
  • Snacks: nuts, biltong, a bar or two
  • Lunch: maybe some tuna, I haven’t thought too much about this yet
 
Bring what you’re comfortable with. My body does great on solid foods (barring the exception of nut butter).
 
I would suggest packing food in bags with the following labels as you need to leave food all over the place to reduce the weight:
  1. To carry on Day 1 and Day 2 (bring to the start):
    1. Thursday
      1. lunch
      2. snacks
      3. dinner
    2. Friday
      1. breakfast
      2. lunch
      3. snacks
  1. Leave in the car at Uitkuk pass:
    1. Friday
      1. dinner
    2. Saturday
      1. Breakfast
      2. lunch
      3. snacks
      4. dinner
    3. Sunday
      1. breakfast
      2. snacks

Gear

I have created a packing list for fastpacking here:
💨
Fastpacking gear
It’s definitely quite verbose - but it should give you a feeling for how you could approach this.
 
I have a 40L fastpack, I will fill it with:
  1. Small sleeping bag - try borrow a light one; this makes a difference
  1. One running outfit
  1. One warm outfit for the evenings/sleeping
  1. An inflatable mattress
  1. Food
  1. Cooking
  1. Medical kit
  1. Other smaller items (such as head torch)
 
Please note - it’s not vital to have a pack designed specifically for fastpacking. They are definitely incredible in terms of comfort while running, but any pack between 30L → 40L should be fine if it won’t bounce around too much.

Safety

We’re heading off into a remote part of the world. We are going to be self-propelled and self-sufficient. While we will do everything possible to ensure that this goes smoothly, it’s possible that things can go wrong.

Water

The largest risk will be water. From what I’ve seen the Cederberg isn’t as dry as it could be after summer - so that is on our side. Yet running out of water while fastpacking is always something to be aware of. Ultimately, your water management will be up to you; you know the impertinence of hydration when it comes to running long distances.
 
I would suggest doing the following:
  1. Running with >2.5L of water capacity
  1. Filling up your water capacity whenever possible
 
Dehydration can hit quickly and end the trip quite abruptly.

Emergency

I am going to borrow a satellite communicator from a friend to ensure that we can contact help if we need.
 
In the case of an emergency, we will contact the Cederberg rangers as well as a friend back in Cape Town who will be able to coordinate things on the phone.
 
In the case of an injury, it will depend on where we are on the route. It’s likely that two people will accompany the injured person out if the rest of the group can continue.
 
We will have a comprehensive medical kit with us. If you are allergic to anything or require any special medication - please bring it.
 

Enough words - let’s go already

I can assure you this is going to be a healthy dose of type 1 fun (and likely a sprinkle of type 2 fun). We are going to go slow and steady. Believe in your body - it can go much further than you may think. Enjoy the process and take in the views, it’s one of the more spectacular places on earth.
 
💡
Type 1 fun: Fun During, Fun After Type 2 fun: Not Fun During, Fun After Type 3 fun: Not Fun During, Not Fun After (Type 4 fun: Fun During, Not Fun After)
 
If you’re interested - here are some of the other routes that we considered:
🗑️
Route archive
 

Lessons learned

Planning phase

  • Get medical aid numbers and emergency contacts before going.
  • Make a planning group. Invite others once the route is set.