Glen Haw, a farmer in southern KwaZulu Natal, had a simple vision. A mountain bike enthusiast, he wanted to create a race between the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean, to run through a part of the province which, being off the beaten track, could benefit from eco-tourism development. His idea was to cycle off-road in as straight a line as possible between Sani Pass in the southern Berg and the seaside resort of Scottburgh, south of Durban.

That was the easy part. Over two years he and a group of other enthusiasts began putting together a route, eventually negotiating traverse rights with 50 farmers and corporate land-owners such as sugar cane and forestry operations.