VIVO VITA SPORT NEWS
- Apr 21, 2026
Team Jabberwock Conquers Expedition Africa 2026 Drakensberg
- And We Were There Every Step of the Way
Five days. 500 kilometres. 14,000 metres of vertical ascent through one of the most formidable mountain ranges on earth. On 20 March 2026, at approximately 11:00 AM, Team Jabberwock crossed the finish line at Alpine Heath Resort in the Drakensberg — claiming victory at Expedition Africa 2026 "Back to the Berg" in a breathtaking, neck-and-neck battle against Russia's Wild Trials national team.
We are bursting with pride.
Expedition Africa 2026 "Back to the Berg": The Race That Demands Everything
Now in its 14th edition, Expedition Africa is widely regarded as one of the most challenging adventure races on the African continent. The 2026 race brought competitors back to the uKhahlamba Drakensberg — a name that translates from Zulu as "Barrier of Spears" — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is not hard to see why.
The course covered 500 kilometres of completely unmarked terrain, navigated by map and compass alone. There are no GPS guides, no trail markers — just the mountains, the weather, and the judgment of each team. With approximately 14,000 metres of cumulative vertical ascent, the race demanded mastery across four disciplines: mountain biking through rugged switchbacks, trekking across high-altitude plateaus, kayaking through remote waterways, and technical rope work — including a 400-metre Via Ferrata roped climb near the iconic Tugela Falls.
Roughly 140 racers from 15 nationalities toed the start line on 15 March 2026. Only one team could win.
The Team: Four Athletes. One Goal. Zero Quit.
Team Jabberwock is made up of Sara Archdeacon, Harry Wiltshire, Craig Metherell, and DeWaal Visser — four individuals who, together, are far greater than the sum of their parts.
What makes this victory particularly remarkable is the journey two of these athletes had to get here. Sara Archdeacon — the youngest participant in the entire 2026 race — and DeWaal Visser both stepped up from the 250 km Expedition Lite in 2025 to the full 500 km event in 2026. For both Sara and DeWaal, this was their first 500 km race. Let that sink in for a moment.
To compete at the highest level of adventure racing in South Africa, against international squads including a Russian national team, on your first attempt at the full distance — and to win — is not just impressive. It is extraordinary. Sara's performance as the youngest competitor in the field underscores exactly the kind of fearless, boundary-breaking spirit that defines the world's best endurance athletes.
Harry Wiltshire and Craig Metherell provided the experience and the tactical steadiness that balanced the team's youthful energy. Together, the four of them moved as a unit through five relentless days and nights in the Berg, navigating by starlight, pushing through the cold, and refusing to yield to Wild Trials even as the gap between first and second place narrowed to almost nothing at the finish.
Adventure racing South Africa has produced remarkable stories. This is one of the best.
Our Partnership with Team Jabberwock: Shared Values, Shared Victory
At Vivo Vita Sport, we exist for athletes like these. We were founded on the belief that performance gear should be built for the demands of real racing — not just the aesthetics of it. Our portfolio of premium performance brands, including USWE, reflects that ethos at every level.
Partnering with Team Jabberwock was an easy decision. Their values — relentless preparation, trust in performance equipment, and the willingness to push well beyond comfortable limits — are exactly what we stand for as a brand.
In a 500 km non-stop expedition, carrying the right gear can be the difference between winning and not finishing. Team Jabberwock trusted the USWE Hajker hydration pack through every discipline — mountain biking, trekking, rope work, and kayaking. The Hajker Ultra is built for exactly this kind of punishment: a secure, bounce-free fit that stays locked to your body whether you are sprinting a descent or scrambling up a Via Ferrata rope near Tugela Falls. Over five days and 14,000 metres of vertical ascent, that kind of reliability is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
This is what performance gear looks like when it meets real-world conditions. Not a photoshoot. Not a gym. The actual Drakensberg.
The Golden Ticket: Corsica Awaits
As race winners, Team Jabberwock have claimed an automatic entry into the Adventure Racing World Championship (ARWC) 2026 in Corsica, France.
This is the pinnacle of the sport on the world stage, and a South African team will be on that start line flying the flag. We will be right there with them.
The road from the Drakensberg to Corsica is one of those journeys that reminds us why we love this sport, why we build the partnerships we build, and why premium performance gear matters at every stage of the journey. We cannot wait.
Proud Partners, Prouder Supporters
To Sara, Harry, Craig, and DeWaal: what you achieved at Expedition Africa 2026 Drakensberg is something no one can ever take away from you. You raced against the world, in conditions that would break most athletes, and you won. You did it together. And we had the privilege of being part of that.
Team Jabberwock — welcome to the champions' circle. Now let's go win in Corsica.
Explore Our Range
Want to gear up with the brands that went the distance at Expedition Africa 2026? Visit vivovitasport.com to shop USWE hydration packs and the full range of premium performance brands we stock. Whether you're toeing the start line of your next adventure race or training for it, we have the gear that keeps up.
