In September, 30 trail, mountain and conservation enthusiasts made their way to the Drak Gooderson Hotel in the Underberg in cold, wet and windy weather, all a little unsure of what the weekend would hold.

As was the case last year,  we were again unable to reach the Rhino Peak because of dangerous weather and climbing conditions.

On 18 September we received a pre-race safety briefing from Rhino Peak Challenge Founder and Race Director, Spurgeon Flemington from Running Man Adventures, the driving force behind the event since its inception 11 years ago. As is tradition, Spurgeon headed out early on the morning of the challenge to mark the route and find an alternative, if it proved too dangerous.

When we gathered on Saturday morning, the weather was clearing.  Despite that, Chris Kelly from Wildlife ACT, co-beneficiaries of the event, confirmed at the start line that the river was far too dangerous to cross and that we would be doing an alternative route – one involving a lot of climbing to an alternate peak in the ‘Berg.

The different route gave us a full view of the magnificent Drakensberg and the iconic Rhino Peak covered in snow. It was truly beautiful. After a very challenging and often hairy steep climb, I eventually arrived at our peak. After waiting for other ambassadors to arrive and sharing some laughs, fuel for the body and many photos, we started the long journey back down.

The finish line at RPC is always festive, as supporters welcome and cheer participants in and everyone enjoys some well-deserved refreshments.

At prize giving we were all reminded why we are there. This is not a competitive race. It is much more than that. This is for conservation.

All ambassadors had worked hard to reach their minimum target of R20,000 each, with some far surpassing that. While 2026 was not our biggest year in terms of ambassador numbers, we nonetheless raised R1.2 million for the conservation work of the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme, Wildlife ACT and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Thank you to every ambassador, donor, supporter and to Spurgeon, Wildife ACT, Ford Wildlife Foundation, Kula bars (for providing fuel for our ambassadors) for another unforgettable weekend.

The 2027 date has been set for 18 September. If you would like to join this incredible and meaningful, life-changing weekend, contact TammyB@ewt.org.za.