Wet, wild and frigid, the Isuzu Berg River Canoe Marathon is the 'Comrades' of extreme canoe racing in South Africa. The race gets underway from Paarl, following a time trial the previous day to settle the seeding of the top competitors, and ends at Velddrif on the West Coast. For four days and 240km, the field of paddlers speed through the spectacular winelands and Swartberg region, with festive overnight stops at Zonquasdrift near Gouda, Misverstand Dam, and Zoutkloof.