Oh I didn’t see the stage info in the email! I don’t know what “the choker” is, maybe they’ve plugged the fireroad section between Ho chi minh and zorb? Otherwise it looks the same as last year’s last stage. which was mint.
So, bit weather dependant- Ho Chi Minh can be very boggy, in the dry it’s fast as **** though. Zoom or Bust is nearly-trailcentre stuff, it’s not on the maps but is an official GT trail and pretty solidly built. Lovely- wiggles and some roots and such. Then there’s a couple of ways they could link us to the fort, last year it was up and down a walker’s path- steep up, fast down. Fort descent is sort of natural-plus stuff, starts out sheeptracky then gets into woods and gets twistier with some line choices, mostly dirt with some roots and small rocks. Again changes a lot in different conditions, was gorgeous last year in the dust but can be very slippy in the wet.
Boundary trail is a big old thing when you do it in one go, that’s pretty cool.