Black Mountain Ultra takes runners through some of the Klein Karoo’s most rugged terrain, with routes crossing remote mountain landscapes around Calitzdorp and Gamkaskloof.
The event’s race village is based at The Retreat at Groenfontein, roughly four hours from Cape Town. The 73km route includes 2,838m of elevation gain and carries three International Trail Running Association (ITRA) points. The 43km route climbs 1,916m and carries two ITRA points, while the 19km distance carries one. The event is listed as an ITRA-accredited and UTMB Index race.
Early-bird entries open on 15 October 2026, with 20 discounted places available per distance until 15 November, when general entries open.
The longest route is made up of multiple climbs and descents, with fatigue building as runners move through the mountain terrain. One of the toughest sections comes after the descent of The Ladder and a crossing of the valley, when runners climb from Fonteinplaas out of Gamkaskloof towards Donkey Camp and the route’s high point.
The exposed ascent can test tired legs and mental focus, with conditions shifting from heat in the valley to cold and wind at higher elevations. Even after reaching the top, runners face a long, technical descent over loose and uneven ground.
“Black Mountain Ultra is for anyone willing to prepare, respect the mountain and take on a challenge,” says Elize van Staden, founder and director of Traverse The Earth, the company behind the event.
The 43km race starts in Gamkaskloof, with a coordinated shuttle system transporting runners into the remote valley. The 19km route offers another demanding mountain experience, while the 6km option provides a shorter alternative for families and less experienced trail runners.
The idea for Black Mountain Ultra began long before the inaugural race in 2026, which attracted 136 participants across four distances.
Van Staden traces the inspiration back to a five-day bikepacking trip from Prince Albert to Van Wyksdorp in 2010.
“We were cycling the Groenfontein Road just outside Calitzdorp, and I remember looking across this almost hidden valley with the Swartberg rising behind it,” she says. “I wasn’t thinking there had to be a race here. But the place stayed with me.”
After years of returning to explore the area’s roads, trails and mountain passes, she developed the event through Traverse The Earth, a female-founded adventure and eco-tourism company established in 2025.
The company is now developing cycling and e-bike experiences that connect visitors with the region’s wine farms, food, art, local producers and surrounding landscapes.
The race relies on relationships with landowners, local businesses and volunteers to operate in the remote mountain environment.
Erika Calitz, who runs the Donkey Trail concession, was among the first people to support the idea, helping the organisers understand the terrain and community and begin discussions with CapeNature and private landowners.
Local volunteers assist with registration, route marking, aid stations and runner support, while accommodation providers, restaurants, shops and farms welcome participants and their travelling companions.
The event also offers a way to attract visitors outside the region’s busiest holiday period. The Garden Route and Klein Karoo Tourism Strategy 2025–2030 identifies events as a tool for spreading tourism benefits across different seasons and locations.
Environmental and community initiatives were built into the inaugural event. Finishers received spekboom plants through Jobs for Carbon, a landscape-restoration programme in Vanwyksdorp.
Organisers also collaborated with Re.Bag.Re.Use and members of the Vroue Landbou Vereeniging to produce 190 handmade goodie bags from discarded T-shirts, curtain material and other fabric waste. Reusable soft cups replaced single-use plastic at aid stations.
Black Mountain Ultra supports the Klein Karoo Athletics Fund, which helps local athletes access coaching, development and competition opportunities. The event also works alongside initiatives focused on restoring degraded landscapes and protecting biodiversity.
For van Staden, the goal is to create an experience that leaves runners with a lasting connection to the place as well as a sense of achievement.
“The race is a mountain challenge, but it should end in connection: to the landscape, the people and a stronger sense of what you’re capable of,” she says.
Entries for Black Mountain Ultra 2027 open on 15 October 2026. Find out more or book a place at the official Black Mountain Ultra website.
