SkyRun Zimbabwe

Info About SkyRun Zim

A little History

Far and Wide Zimbabwe started in 1985 as an outdoor education and leadership-training centre in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. Over the years we have led thousands of young and old Zimbabweans to appreciate and gain a feeling for the mountains and all the wonder that comes with being in them. Since the beginning we as a company have stuck it out through some of the toughest periods in Zimbabwe’s history and continue to spread our dream of connecting people with the mountains and rivers. In 2008 we built as a gift to Zimbabwe the iconic Turaco trail. In 2015 we opened it up for the first time to our first ever sky-running event.

Funds from SkyRun zim go towards our efforts to help uplift the Nyanga National Park through various support projects, anti-poaching efforts and infrastructure development. We also have ongoing bee projects, reforestation projects and we are building a school in an extremely remote village.

What is Sky Running

“Sky running by definition is an extreme sport of mountain running above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) where the incline exceeds 30% and the climbing difficulty does not exceed II° gradient”. It’s like trail running but harder.

Why Sky Run?

 

You’ll love every single terrible, horrible, amazing, beautiful step of it.

SkyRun Zim

SkyRun Zim is extremely fortunate to have the unbelievable Turaco Trail open itself up to Trail runners once a year for this event. The trail runs 62 km from Far and Wide through the Nyanga National Park, over the highest mountain (Mt Nyangani) in Zimbabwe and ends at the beautiful Aberfoyle lodge, on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The trail takes runners on a journey through a vast mountain wilderness of wild rivers and waterfalls, forests, montane grasslands, valleys, gorges and mountain peaks. Go check out our gallery for a better idea of the scenery. Alternatively take a tour through the video library.

The Turaco Trail 

The Turaco Trail is an exclusive hiking trail using designated overnight campsites for one party walking in one direction only, so that no groups ever meet (similar to the Otter Trail in South Africa). We open the trail on one day once a year for the SkyRun, for which we receive a special permit from National Parks. 
As a result of all of this and our relationship with Parks it could have serious implications for Far and Wide’s Turaco Trail as well as the actually SkyRun if people were to use the trail for training or for hiking without booking through Far and Wide. 
If you do decide to use it by yourselves then it is jeopardising a lot more than just Far and Wide’s relationship with National Parks (something which is over 30 years old now), it is also jeopardising SkyRun.
If our clients were to bump into another group on the trail we would also get complaints as has happened in the past where unknown to us another group had decided to go onto the trail without booking it. Hikers pay for the exclusivity. 
With everything that we have poured into creating, maintaining and marketing the Turaco Trail over the last 7 years we hope that you can understand our position and please do not use the trail without booking on wildnyanga@gmail.com. 

Do I need special equipment?

As sky running takes people to some of the toughest parts of the world, you do need the correct equipment. Here is our list of required equipment on the SkyRun Zim.

Equipment

How fit do I need to be?

Pretty darn fit. You may think you are physically fit enough to run a long distance, but sky running is more than just physical. It is mental and emotion too. We only accept runners who we think can take on the challenge so before registering please make sure you are both physically and mentally tough enough.

Are there other Sky Run’s?

Yes – check out the K-Way Sky Run in South Africa!

K-Way Sky Run