As many of you will know, on 9 March 2015 a fire broke out in the Jonkershoek Valley and went onto destroy 80% of the Cape Pine plantations as well as the Fynbos slopes from Tweede Waterfall West through Assegaaiboschkloof, and over into the Banghoek Valley.
As a result, we have been receiving numerous messages from runners wanting to know if the 2015 Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge (JMC) will still take place on 3 May 2015. Understandably, both Cape Pine and Cape Nature are busy assessing and containing the damage. In Cape Pine’s case, plans are afoot to get on with harvesting what they can from the timber left that is still usable.
As of today, 18 March 2015, both Cape Nature and Cape Pine have given no indication that the 2015 JMC cannot take place. However, Wildrunner will, in the next 10 days, make its own assessment of the route and after final discussions with both parties make an informed decision over whether or not to proceed with the event as planned. Of primary concern is not to create more damage to the environment as a result of the event taking place, thus any decision made – or re-route planned – will have this principle at heart.
As it stands the 2015 JMC is still on and entries will remain open until further notice. Should the final decision be made not to run the event this year, a full refund shall be made to all participants who have entered.
A final decision will be announced on Friday 27 March.
