{"id":16608,"date":"2017-06-21T14:25:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-21T13:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2017\/06\/21\/berg-amp-bushs-vibrant-village-r6677\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T06:40:53","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T06:40:53","slug":"berg-amp-bushs-vibrant-village-r6677","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/berg-amp-bushs-vibrant-village-r6677\/","title":{"rendered":"Berg & Bush\u2019s vibrant village"},"content":{"rendered":"

Entries are closing soon for the 2017 Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush. Both three-day events – the Descent and the Great Trek – and the original 2-Day are almost at capacity, proving that the popularity of this unique KwaZulu-Natal mountain bike experience endures. It\u2019s not just the sublime trails of Berg & Bush that appeals to riders around South Africa, but also the passion and attention to detail shown by event organiser Gary Green and his friendly crew.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-58780-0-09677900-1498055039.jpg\"<\/a>The Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush is fast developing a reputation as an event that puts rider satisfaction and comfort a top priority. Craft beers, the best local wines and excellent food already make this MTB stage race one of the best in the country, but the addition of upgraded tents and increased attention to detail of the amenities available in the race village have taken the Berg & Bush experience to a new level. In the next years, the event organisers promises to make even more changes to the race village creature comforts. Photo credit: Em Gatland<\/span><\/p>\n

Each year Green tweaks the route to ensure that riders have the best time possible, but one of the major areas of change for Berg & Bush has been their race village. Over the years, the village has seen numerous improvements to its layout and amenities, with the race organisers firmly believing that the off-bike experience is as important as the riding.<\/p>\n

Blessed with a beautiful setting on the banks of Tugela River at Em\u2019seni Camp near Winterton, the Berg & Bush race village is already one of the most spectacular in South Africa. But looks are nothing without substance, and that\u2019s exactly what Berg & Bush offers its overnight guests at the Em\u2019seni site. Apart from incredible meals and warm hospitality, Berg & Bush is going out of its way to provide rider comfort once the day\u2019s cycling is over.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-58780-0-11922800-1498055046.jpg\"<\/a>Photo credit: Em Gatland<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year riders enjoyed free-flowing chocolate milk while hundreds of bean bags and hammocks were dotted around Em\u2019seni, making afternoon naps and recovery as pleasing as it was essential.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus right now is on the riders\u2019 ultimate recharge \u2013 sleep,\u201d says Green. \u201cWe\u2019ve purchased large canvas tents and steel beds this year for our Kudu and Kingfisher camps to make sure that participants can sleep in comfort and style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Green and his team\u2019s vision is to phase out the smaller tents associated with mountain bike stage race villages, and provide tent upgrades for all.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to have everyone in large canvas tents in a few years\u2019 time, included in the entry fee. This is our main aim for the next few years and we believe it\u2019s a philosophy that sets us apart from other events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another goal for 2018 is to replace the dining marquee with a permanent venue, and to build permanent decks over the Tugela River (currently, a temporary deck is set up at the event for riders to enjoy their evening sundowners).<\/p>\n

\"ccs-58780-0-63768800-1498055052.jpg\"<\/a>Photo credit: Em Gatland<\/span><\/p>\n

While these are future ambitions, Berg & Bush still aims to please with their village \u201cgees\u201d at this year\u2019s ride. Green and Co ensure this by prioritising tent placement – almost all riders wake up to views of the river, providing a self-camping option for those experienced travellers who want for nothing in their own tents, and providing the best in local beverages. This year riders will be treated to Cape Brewing Company (CBC) draught on tap and wines from Fairview in the Centriq Chill Zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to create a tranquil, relaxing setting on the banks of the shady Tugela, creating an experience like no other chill zone in the country,\u201d says Green.
Entries for the 2017 Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush will close within the next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Entries are closing soon for the 2017 Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush. Both three-day events – the Descent and the Great Trek – and the original 2-Day are almost at capacity, proving that the popularity of this unique KwaZulu-Natal mountain bike experience endures. It\u2019s not just the sublime trails of Berg & Bush that appeals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":35130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[49,926],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-16608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-berg-bush","tag-grindrod-bank-berg-bush"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16608"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=16608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}