King Price Trailseeker #3 Van Gaalen MTB

[Mountain Bru]

Anyone else doing this? Any suggestions/insights on the route? Is Van Gaalens one of the more technical routes? The profile looks quite intense with some nastiness late in the race.....

As always, anyone have a GPX file of the route? (Don't hate me if you don't care about such things, just let it go)

I'm doing the 67km, how many liters of water do I need in my camelbak? (This is a joke)

[Red Bird]

This is definitely one of the toughest, yet enjoyable. It has quite a few rocky climbs and one called the snakebite in the middle, which also has a very technical downhill. Big rocks... I rode with 2 litres of fluids. Prepare for a hot, dry day out.

 

Here is the gpx file from 2020.

Trailseeker_Van_Gaalen.gpx

Edited September 9, 2021 by Foxy_Roxy
Climb name

[Mountain Bru]

2 minutes ago, Foxy_Roxy said:

This is definitely one of the toughest, yet enjoyable. It has quite a few rocky climbs and one called the cobra in the middle, which also has a very technical downhill. Big rocks... I rode with 2 litres of fluids. Prepare for a hot, dry day out.

Trailseeker_Van_Gaalen.gpx 3.55 MB · 0 downloads

Awesome! Thank you!????

[_David_]

pussies ride with Camelbaks only take one 500ml bidon.

Hahaha... this is one race that will make you appreciate your camelback, especially if it is a hot, dry day.

Edited September 7, 2021 by _David_

[DuncanDoughnuts]

Van_Gaalens is a fun day out, can be rather demanding depending on the route but nothing too technical. great venue and trails

[DIPSLICK]

FUN GAALENS, IF you fit, more technical than most "family type" Routes but def Do-able, its always HOT in the past the water points were adequate similar terrain than the Monster depending where they sending you similar climbing can be achieved

[Pieterlab1]

This is a great race.

Save something in the tank for that last climb.

They have ice cold Blackhorse Draughts for sale after the race...

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

Van Gaalens Trail seeker is basically the mini Magalies Monster. 

If it's your first one, and you arent a Van Gaalens regular. Then all I can say is, forget what expectstion any previous Trailseeker event has created. This will be a lot harder. If you doing marathon distance, I suggest you ride with a camelback (I know you perceive this as akin to devil worship, but seriously, take my word for it)

Its going to be hot, it's going to be tough. Even the jeep track type climbs get technical. 

Depending on your pace, expect some some congestion/traffic on the last few km, especially in the bamboo forests along the river. All the distance groups converge and share the last few km of Trail. 

If your flying through the marathon, like with the top finishers, you should miss the traffic. If you mid pack, your going to get held up in the last few km by the kids and the grandpa's doing the half marathon slowly....

 

If your a leisurely (4hour plus) marathon rider, you should again miss the worst of the traffic.

Final note, the magalies area is full of almost perfectly round sandstone/quartzite stones about the size of a monkeys head.... they make climbing hard, and going Downhill super sketchy

Edited September 7, 2021 by DonatelloOnPinarello
Typos

[Danger Dassie]

The DonPin has spoken much truth. Heed it well dirt padowans.... 

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

21 minutes ago, Danger Dassie said:

The DonPin has spoken much truth. Heed it well dirt padowans.... 

Thanks. I know I often talk a lot of rubbish and I'm in the running for longest post awards, but I tried hard to stay on point here, and just get my past experience across 

 

And seriously, those monkey head sizes marbles.... watch out for them. I have the X-Rays to back this claim up 

Edited September 7, 2021 by DonatelloOnPinarello

[Rolf Hansen]

This weekend will be my first race. I am doing the half-marathon though and I will be taking a 2L hydration bladder. I have a tendency to lose water bottles along the trail on a normal day.

How technical is technical? Are we talking Iron Throne or Hennops?

 

I don't even know what a GPX file is. I thought we were talking about the Shimano cranks again...

[DonatelloOnPinarello]

9 minutes ago, Rolf Hansen said:

This weekend will be my first race. I am doing the half-marathon though and I will be taking a 2L hydration bladder. I have a tendency to lose water bottles along the trail on a normal day.

How technical is technical? Are we talking Iron Throne or Hennops?

 

I don't even know what a GPX file is. I thought we were talking about the Shimano cranks again...

Just go and have fun. Without ridiculous expectations of top 20 (or 50) finishes, the half will be a fun morning out. 

With a 2l camelback you will be sorted.

The Super technical climbs scattered with the monkey head stones are only on the full marathon route (to the best of my knowledge, 2019 was my last race). 

For the techy stuff, consider it somewhere half way between hennops and iron throne, leaning more towards hennops. Especially on the half marathon route, which turns back before the really techy climbs.

[Rolf Hansen]

14 minutes ago, DonatelloOnPinarello said:

Just go and have fun. Without ridiculous expectations of top 20 (or 50) finishes, the half will be a fun morning out. 

With a 2l camelback you will be sorted.

The Super technical climbs scattered with the monkey head stones are only on the full marathon route (to the best of my knowledge, 2019 was my last race). 

For the techy stuff, consider it somewhere half way between hennops and iron throne, leaning more towards hennops. Especially on the half marathon route, which turns back before the really techy climbs.

Thanks. 

100% just for fun for myself. I have no intention of racing competitively. 

[eala]

6 hours ago, DonatelloOnPinarello said:

Van Gaalens Trail seeker is basically the mini Magalies Monster. 

If it's your first one, and you arent a Van Gaalens regular. Then all I can say is, forget what expectstion any previous Trailseeker event has created. This will be a lot harder. If you doing marathon distance, I suggest you ride with a camelback (I know you perceive this as akin to devil worship, but seriously, take my word for it)

Its going to be hot, it's going to be tough. Even the jeep track type climbs get technical. 

Depending on your pace, expect some some congestion/traffic on the last few km, especially in the bamboo forests along the river. All the distance groups converge and share the last few km of Trail. 

If your flying through the marathon, like with the top finishers, you should miss the traffic. If you mid pack, your going to get held up in the last few km by the kids and the grandpa's doing the half marathon slowly....

 

If your a leisurely (4hour plus) marathon rider, you should again miss the worst of the traffic.

Final note, the magalies area is full of almost perfectly round sandstone/quartzite stones about the size of a monkeys head.... they make climbing hard, and going Downhill super sketchy

What he said .Prepare to handle cramping also .Walk the difficult parts if you burn too many matches riding them .You will need the energy later on .A camelback is a good idea because the trail keeps your hands really busy.Ride with lower tire pressures . Similar to Magalies monster .It will be hot ,it will be technical.The surface will be sandy,rocky,marbles,graspolle and combinations thereof 

[Rolf Hansen]

Well she is prepped and ready for race day. 

[JCA12]

I'm in for the Marathon. 3rd marathon after Buffelsdrift and Legends this year. 

Did the 40k last year. 

There was one quite steep climb (to top of Tant Miems (can't remember spelling)

Otherwise quite a fun route.

Quite nervous for the Marathon, as I know it will be tougher than Buffelsdrift and Legends. 

All the best to those riding