who: team mccain adventure addicts (Hanno “alien” smit, tatum “hobbit” prins, graham “tweet” bird and pax “chowles” mosterd) back up crew (nikki “noodle” smit, kate “meisie meisie” southey. mark “lofty” loftus)
when: 30 april – 5 may
what: royal swazi extreme
where: sidvokodvo, swaziland
the team: hobbit, tweet and pax, the monkey in the front is alien!
picture taken at the start of day 3, so they can be forgiven for looking a little less than sharp!
I guess that who you are will depict the thoughts that spring to mind when the name swazi is mentioned. for adventure junkies, it means only one thing, SWAZI EXTREME, which this year promised to be extra large!
adrenaline pumping action was not going to be in short supply over the few days of racing and it certainly got off to a good kick start on our flight up to jo-burg!
due to one of the local airlines closing down just days before our departure, the other airlines were bursting at the seems trying to accommodate the increase in passengers. for this reason a few extra airplanes were on hire from other airlines….. not all of them too kosher!
at around 4:30pm we boarded a rather colourful airplane sporting not only a foreign name and logo, but staff as well. all went well until it was time to put the big bird on the ground, at which stage the trip took on a rather dodgy, bouncy and swerving nature! a few more nervous glances as it seemed like we weren’t going to stop at the end of the runway followed by a very heartfelt “shew!” from the pilot and some nervous giggles.
thank goodness….. back on terra firma!
eventually the others arrived after their flight had been delayed by 2hrs and we were collected by tweet, team captain and logistics king.
once at his place on the banks of emmarentia dam, everyone dived into the yummy grub made by “bubbles” and the racers sorted out kit, I got a chance to catch with my partner in crime and buddy kate who would also be helping with the back up for the race, then it was off to bed for what would no doubt be last night of good sleep in a bed for a few days!
early up the following morning and we were off to the Royal Kingdom of Swaziland! traveling throughout SA especially once out of the bigger cities is always colourful. the scenery is beautiful and although whilst driving through some of the towns one must not blink too long for fear of missing the place, one really gets that feeling of being in beautiful Africa!
landscape typical of swaziland, endless rolling green vista's!
we arrived mid-afternoon at the start venue. the weather very quickly turned bad and the rest of the evening saw the heavens open and remain that way until the early hours of the morning. we had made the decision of camping beneath a street lamp pole hoping to make good use of the extra light only to have to listen to some rather alarming shorting and electrical crackling noises as the rain drenched what we figured to be exposed live wires…. not condusive to a good nights sleep!
the teams were up at sparrows, and started on foot amidst a very festive vibe. backup teams had to move sharp to drop their bikes off at the first transition point in a nearby golfing estate, and this is where we bid farewell to civilization for at least the next 50hrs!
transition point 2, an open and very stony soccer field amidst the rolling hills near sidvokodvo saw seconds (as the back up crews are known) taking part in a stone and rock collecting competition as payment to the locals for use of their field. this became a highly contested affair with some dubious goings on, some even went so far as to steal others teams rocks!
then it was up the steep hill to T3, the view was breathtaking, but the air was oh so cold, a far cry from last years event where we could not remove enough clothing in order to cool down. our team was moving fast. their transitions were quick and they were looking good.
due to the overnight rains, the road, which was bad to almost non-existant at the best of times, had now been reduced to a skating rink, and towing a trailer did not make negotiating the mucous like surface any easier. at one point, only a few meters short of the actual transition area, we came to a sucking halt. the bakkie seem to get dragged back into a rather nasty looking pothole which seemed rather intent on not letting go, and there we stayed. kate and I, shoes off, pants rolled up, hopped out to see if we could put some weight on the trailer whilst lofty did the honours at driving, but the mud was relentless, it seemed to enjoy having us as visitors and in no time, we starting to resemble orange mud monsters. but like in most rural areas, it was not long before we were surrounded by an throng of locals. a couple of hand signals and they all clambered down the embankment and positioned themselves to help push, pull and well, convince the slime to release us. eventually the trailer popped out of the hole and the little valley was filled with the sound of cheering! a few meters on and we stopped at the transition point. any concerns of what lay ahead as far as the road condition was concerned were soon dispelled by the appearance of what I think was a bakkie, so laden was it with goats, chickens, food bags and people. we then consoled ourselves with the knowledge that if they could negotiate the winding road to the summit, so could we…. and we did!
the night would see us camping out at another school. being on top of the hill although beautiful was also very exposed resulting in gale force winds and icy conditions. after seeing the team off for the night leg with full tummies and warm clothing, we snuggled into the back of the bakkie, donning every item of clothing we owned, for the hope of a few hours shuteye. sleep was elusive and when it came, cold, uncomfortable and fitful. the team arrived back in the wee hours of the morning, and after dispensing warm drinks and some more food, it was back to the sleeping bag for an hour or two.
the day started with a picturesque drive through a valley which probably does not even appear on any map, and as the mist lifted and the sunshine spilled through, locals slowly started to pop their heads out, awed at the sight of cars and white people! the day took us through farmlands, wilderness areas and more farmlands. toward the end of day two, we found ourselves camped next to a river on yet another soccer field. for the first time since leaving jo-burg we were able to have a bit of a wash as this section of the river was free of crocs. kate and I certainly supplied entertainment for the locals as we stripped off and bathed. the children especially were totally amazed at our white naked bodies and laughed and giggled shyly until we were done!
we returned to the camp to find lofty negotiating with the local village head for the white girls! I was worth a hefty 37 cows and lofty was prepared to through kate in for free if the chief would part with a couple of chickens….. needless to say, I did not leave with the chief and kate and I decided that we had to devise some payback for the loft monster! I guess things are different there!
the remoteness and I guess simplicity of the local life there only really became apparent upon the arrival of the race organizer in a chopper. the little local kids scattered in terror and the chopped came in to land. crying they scuttled under bushes and into trees, most I guessed had never experienced such an iron mosquito like machine!
from there, we headed up a steep hill to yet another very exposed soccer field where we would leave their bikes for an unsupported transition. the wind was icy as we made our way further along the ridge and up the hill to the overnight stop. the temperature plummeted and our hearts went out to the teams out in the dark in making their way through the bush to us. the team arrived frozen and hungry. after some hot food and drink they huddled for some sleep. the next morning dawned just as cold, but at least the wind had died. they had decided against doing the water section and left on their bikes, this proved to be a good decision as the water turned out to be hairy and was cancelled after one team nearly had an accident.
we moved on the finish, back in the same place as the start. we decided to make use of the sun and packed out all the wet gear and bravely opened the teams race bins…. which after storing 3 days of sweaty, muddy wet clothing, really smelt like something had died inside. the cut off loomed at the teams slowly started to trickle in, our team managing to hold on their 3rd spot.
after prize-giving, it was with heavy hearts that we packed the car and headed back to the border and south Africa.
Swaziland is beautiful, its people are beautiful and it abounds with that beat that makes our land so special!
Eden decaf, a novice’s point of view…
Ok, so Transbaviaans was one of those races where before hand it seemed like a really good idea and the closer it got, the more I began to doubt my decision and my sanity (it was an amazing race and Eden… was no different!) I had committed to racing with a team of three guys from Cape Town sometime in the beginning of the year, and as the year progressed I started to wonder whether it had been such a great idea.
Once Baviaans was over, I felt a little more confident about taking on a race that had no set route, no set time and well, no set anything. Teams basically have to do whatever the organizer throws at them during a 200 odd km that makes up the route.
Having always acted as backup for Hanno and his team mates, I had a basic idea of what I was in for. Anything from 30-50hrs of nonstop racing, bundu bashing, abseiling, rafting, canoeing, hiking/running, mountain biking, kloofing…. the list carries on, and I guess it was with this in the back of my mind that as time marched, I started feeling increasingly petrified!
Training after Baviaans was pretty much non-existant. A very confused body resulted in me going into hospital for a little surgical procedure and then falling through our top step at home, wasn’t exactly the kind of build up training I had planned before Eden, and I started to get even more doubtful about my ability to finish the 180-200km race. But the unending confidence in me by my team mate John, certainly helped in my staying at least a little positive. The aim, was to (try and) have fun, and just get to the finish in one piece.
As per normal, the last couple of days before the race were hectic. All I can say is, if Hanno and I had to race together, we would be divorced before we even got to the start line. He has been spoilt by me in the past as his second as I organize everything. This time, I had my own team and logistics to sort out, plus my day to day work and chores….. something which I don’t think my dear husband fully appreciated! I did not have the time or energy to sort out his race and ream stuff as well…. but in the end….I did!
Challenge number one started even before we had left home, fitting all my and Hanno’s gear, ourselves and our second and his stuff, two bikes and two boats into our Land Rover! we got it in and later, on the way to the finish, Hanno and his team managed, with a little tweaking, to get 4 bikes, 2 boats, race gear for 4 people, plus 6 people and a fridge and all the bags of clothing and sleeping stuff into the land rover, it was a little tight I will admit, but somehow, it they got it right and arrived at the finish without losing anything or anybody!
The drive to the registration venue at Assegaaybosch Game Ranch was a hot one. The scenery was stunning as we opted to go through Oudsthoorn and on through Calitzdorp. If you have not been here, plan a trip, as it is a delightful little town surrounded by wine farms, a spa and many hills in which to go bicycling or hiking. The nerves however, were not helped by the ever more frequent sightings of cobras along the road. This was going to be an interesting race and we were going to have to be on extra alert on the bundu bashing sections.
Challenge number two started once we arrived at the registration venue. Having done all I could to ensure that our accommodation was sorted out – not one of the strong points of the organizer- we arrived to total and utter chaos. Each team member had been put in a different place. The manager of the lodge did not seem to grasp the importance of team members being together. But after about an hour, we managed to get it more or less sorted. She could not understand that I would rather sleep in a room (designed for two) with three guys than share one with my husband or share one with other girls….
Once the rest of my team arrived (and I eventually got to meet the 4th member of my team!) we set out sorting out all our gear and packing our race boxes and the vehicles.
After the briefing we received our race maps and instructions. Each team was issued with four different 1:50 000 topographical maps with checkpoints and transition points marked on them. It is up to the teams to pick and mark their route so as to visit each check point in numerical order and depending on the terrain, there are set disciplines for each leg. Our team was entered into the shorter 180km route and we had to design our own course using only some of the checkpoints and transition points of the longer 250km course and hand it in to the organizer. The first check point was compulsory and from then on, we could do what we liked so long as we stayed off the main road and covered 180km or more. This meant that we would not get to do the paddle, unless we did what some of the other teams did and drove there… but that kind of defeated the object, so we opted to stick to the bike and hiking/running and make our way through the mountains and to the finish.
At about the halfway mark was an abseil, with a kloofing section and a special event. Our plan was to see how we were feeling and decide when we got there if we would do this section or not, bearing in mind that the abseil was in excess of a 100m! (I AM PETRIFIED OF HEIGHTS!)
The race started at 6am on Friday morning. The air was nippy as we made our way by bakkie up to the start which was at the top of the Rooiberg Pass. Our first PC point was on at the highest point on the Rooiberg mountains, and the first leg would cover just over 35km. Running is not one of my strong points, I sort of lollip along. We jogged and walked most of the way to the first PC, it was relatively easy terrain until the last very steep push up to the top. The views were breathtaking and the wind pumping. There were a couple of very nervous moments as we made our way along the edge of the peak and looked for the safest fastest route to the bottom. The mountain had burnt a little while before making our descent easier by comparison to if it had not burnt. At one stage, out of the burnt area, the fynbos was higher than my head making navigation, looking out for snakes and scorpions nearly and keeping an eye on the whereabouts of my team-mates, nearly impossible. By this stage, we had moved from being last, to second last! The other teams had all taken off at a run, something which was later to prove a very bad move. The team we caught were a bunch of paddlers from East London, so it was great to catch up on all the paddling gossip!
 At the bottom of the mountain we came to the lodge where we had stayed the night before. Our seconds had everything laid out and the swimming pool, which has teased us from the top, soon changed from beautiful clear turquoise, to a rather milky turquoise! The hike took us around 6 ½ hrs and most of us ran out of water about an hour from the finish. It was terribly hot.
We then hopped onto our bikes and set off in a general westerly direction. By now the heat had set in good and proper and I felt like I had been locked in a car in the sun with all the windows closed. Jaques, our one team member, was looking very wilted. He was starting to show signs of heat exhaustion and severe dehydration. Every little river or excuse for a river we stopped and made him climb in. We started catching other teams who lay on the side of the road with members completely cooked and blown. Paul, by far the strongest member of team with a strong mountain biking background, hooked Jaques up on a bungee (tow line) and this is how we continued. I was concerned that this move would burn Paul out, but he just carried on. The course was not easy, but I was grateful for my time on the bike this year in preparation for Baviaans, the hills were not too bad and I felt really good and strong, just incredibly over heated. A dam at a farm house about a third of the way saw just about every team competing with resident geese for swimming space. We all jumped in, cycle shoes and all, but the cool of the water was soon gone once on the bike again and in the sun.
Jan is well know for his “spes” events and this race was no different. He is also notoriously well known for misplace PC points and incorrect distances. One of the PC’s was a soccer field, and I think it was just pure luck that we found it so quickly. Hanno and co along with many other Teams, got rather lost looking for this field. anyway, once there, one member was required to kick a ruby ball through the posts (in true post world cup support), Paul did this with ease, and after a rather refreshing dunk of our heads in some ice cold water, and a cycle out through some mist sprayers, we were off, once again on the hot dusty roads of the Karoo.
 I must just ad at this point that I am a self admitted control freak when it comes to the map, I have to be the one holding the map so it was very hard for me to relinquish the map to Paul –who actually has far more experience than I! So it was with great glee that about half way through the bike after a particularly punishing climb and over intense heat, that my gut feel was right, and had we followed it, probably would have saved a lot of time and energy…. but that is a thing of the past. The fact that we rode maybe an extra 10km in the wrong direction following dead ends, really broke poor Jaques. This was not helped by the fact that the distances on the maps were completely out. We eventually found the PC we were looking for. By now, some of the other teams that we had caught were still happily cycling in totally the wrong direction after we decided to turn back and take the road I had pointed out earlier. They later caught up and rode past with comments like “you skelms!” It was now getting dark, and theoretically we should have been at the next transition long before the sun set.
Jaques was really in a bad way and could now hardly stay on the bike. We were averaging about 6km/hr. The last 10km we practically walked and we had started to work on plans to contact our backup of Amanda and Andries to come and fetch Jaques. He was now vomiting with increasing regularity and could hardly stay upright on his feet. He was not the only one as we came across teams on the side of the track, also desperately trying to nurse broken team mates to the next transition. It was sometime during the very slow meander through the Karoo bossies in the dark, that John to his indignation was refered to as "the old man!" all we heard from behind was "who you calling an old man?" I take my hat off to John, as at 60 yrs, there are not many people I know of who would attempt or take on what we did.
In the distance we saw car lights and realized we were close to the road. The plan was to either try and phone Andries when we got to the road, or for one of us to stay with Jaques and the others to ride on the fetch the car. I am still absolutely amazed by how Andries knew where to go and the timing because as we rode over the crest of the hill to the road, Paul’s bakkie arrived at the gate and there was Andries. Paul was walking with Jaques propped up, John had his bike and I had his backpack. We loaded him into the bakkie and we then continued on to the transition.
The track from there on…… what track, it was Karoo bossies and holes and it was quite an amusing ride especially when Paul, who did not have a headlamp on, went flying over the handlebars into what I presume is a spike hole! Uninjured, except maybe a dent in his pride his climbed back on the bike and we continued. On this section is the only time that I think tempers were really a little frayed. We were all very low on juice or had run out, tired and very dusty, we had been on the go for just over 14hrs. At the underpass in the road which we had to go through, the climb up the other side resulted in a very heartfelt curse from John, but then everything was ok again. The transition was a very welcome site and once we had filled up the juice, had a nibble of some lovely macaroni complements of Heather, John’s wife we were off. The guys from East London, who had gotten in before us, left about 15min before us on the hike, calling that we would meet up en-route. We had planned to go off together, but I think they got frustrated waiting for us and thought we would meet up en-route.
 The next leg was a 15km hike, over a little “koppie” and towards a dam. The full moon was beautiful as we made our way through the little Kloof. Near the end of the valley before we started to climb up to the top, we came across a pair of eyes….. we all froze, not too sure about what it could be, and as the area is lined with game fencing, well it could quite literally be anything. We figured it was either a buck of some sort, or a cat of some sort. Somebody, either John or Paul muttered, “nix you go in front” jeepers, I thought, you guys are supposed to be there to protect me, not send me into the mouth of danger. Anyway, we slowly crept forward, making a bit of an ark around the “eyes” only to discover it was a sheep! We then followed a trail up to the top where we met up with the cape town team of Mark “lofty” Loftus and co. We had a brilliant hike over the felt, clambering over very high game fences en-route and eventually came out at the dam. From here we did some pretty hectic bundu bashing through super thick bush. Checking out for snakes was not easy as most of the time I couldn’t even see my feet, let alone anything slithering around them!
We later heard from one of the other teams that they had sighted not only a lot of snakes on that section, but had also been ambushed by a rather lost ostrich! Just before descending down into the transition area, we did hear a rather loud rustling which was caused by something rather large, next to us, but by then, I think one is beyond caring, you just want to get to the transition!
Our seconds, bless them, were having a bit of shut eye when we got there. Bearing in mind it was now just after 1am! Taking into to consideration the length of time the other teams took to do this particular leg, they calculated that we would take over 4hrs to get there, and set their alarms for that. Boy were they surprised when we woke them up just over 3hrs after we had left them! They sprang into action, making milo etc and tucking us up in our sleeping bags as we had decided to get an hour or two’s sleep. Amanda told me that Hanno and his team had come in, their one team member very dehydrated and very sick, but she had not seen them leave and presumed that they had gone when they were asleep. When we woke up, it was very chilly. It was hard to get out of the sleeping bag and into our cycling kit….. and making it even harder was the knowledge that the next leg involved cycling over the mountain range which would come out just behind Heidelberg, and covering a distance of around 90km!
I looked over and saw our land rover, presuming it was Hanno’s second who had not left yet, I wondered over and nearly fell over Hanno in his sleeping bag. You can imagine the look on his face to see his wife leaning over him saying good morning….he who did not think I would even finish the race! ha ha! that was probably the best moment of the entire race! Evert, their one member, was still looking a little worse for wear. But they patched him up and left on the bikes about 15min before us.
The muscles complained as the legs were cold again. I had been dreading this “re-start” as I take a very long time to warm up. The climb, visible for quite some way, was long and steep and relentless. The surface was fine sandy gravel making it even harder. Paul was like a mountain goat, flying up with relative ease.
Once at the top, a quick chat to our back up and then long descent, but the thrill of going down was short lived as we were greeted by a very nasty little climb which never ended although the gradient did improve for a km or two, it continued to go up until just above Heidelberg and it seemed to go for hours!. Once at the top, John and I had a little refuel session under some trees whilst Paul trotted off across a field to collect to punch at a trig beacon. The descent was exhilarating, made even more so because it was the last really high climb of the day! We cycled into Heidelberg at around 11:30 am and the smell of wimpy was just too much. After a little fill up session of chicken burger and milk, we continued on down towards to the finish at Vermaaklikheid. The wind was now blowing hard into our faces, and the air was dry and full of harvesting dust from the wheat lands being cut. It is amazing how, no matter which way you go, the wind just seems to get stronger, in your face. It was blisteringly hot and we arranged with our back up to meet us every 20km or so to fill up our water. The last 40km was the hardest, the climbs short and sharp, the wind relentless and the heat, well, it just never went away! The finish at the Duiwenhoks restaurant was a sight for sore and dust packed eyes. Being the first team to actually cross the finish line, we were greeted with much pomp and ceremony and a bottle of Bubbley which went straight to my head.
 the team: jaques, john, andries, paul, nikki and amanda!
Never have I enjoyed a shower as on Saturday afternoon. The shower turned a lighter shade of brown, but at least I was clean!
My team were amazing, the dynamics were awesome, and although it was blisteringly hot, it was an incredible race! I am sorry to say that the adventure racing bug has bitten and there is no known cure!
What is it about a mountain that man just finds so unbelievably irresistible? Is it the hardship endured in reaching the top, the breathtaking views from above, or just the shear size of these natural beasts?
We have no shortage of mountains here in the garden route, and they just beg for someone to take them on, to explore every nook and cranny of their wondrous beauty.
Hanno and I try at least once a year to climb George Mountain. It’s a pretty straightforward climb to the top as there is a neat path, but make no mistake, it is steep and hard work, but all the sweat and pain is rewarded when one is treated to one of the most amazing vista’s in the garden route. A round view of the Karoo, Langkloof, the coastline from Plettenberg Bay all the way to Mosselbay, and on clear days, sometimes even further.
This trip has also become a bit of a tradition for us and two other like-minded souls, and this year January presented us with a really good excuse to pack our things and head for the Mountain. Garth, an ex-local and one of our group was out visiting from Canada, where he now lives with his family, and of course, a visit to SA was not complete without a amble up the mountain. It was decided that it would be a great adventure to do it at night, so with Guy (our fourth like minded, good natured fellow) in tow, we headed for the start of the hike at Witfontein Station in the late afternoon.
Some sweet talking by myself managed to convince the ranger in charge that we were not totally nuts and were in fact quite experienced in hiking in the mountains at night having done it numerous times during adventure races.
Garth, Guy and myself set off at around 4pm, with Hanno coming up later once he had finished work. The start of the hike takes one through relatively young pine plantation, and we were lucky to sea a beautiful brilliant green – almost lime coloured- Boomslang (tree snake) slithering off the road into the bush. It had been a hot day so the snakes would certainly be out and about and as we got higher up the mountain, we would have definitely have to keep our eyes peeled. The path then veered off the forestry road and took us down to a little bubbling stream, water bottles were filled and we started the long climb up the fynbos line path up the mountain. The path takes one over several ridges and the views at each of these ridges just gets better as one gets higher and higher. It was quite a surreal feeling as at the start of our hike, the front peak, the one we were headed for, was shrouded in cloud and as we got higher, the cloud seemed to drop lower to meet us, slowly bathing the peak in the most glorious golden sunshine.
Once we broke through the cloud near the saddle at the top, the view was incredible. Although we could not see the land below, just the tips of the peaks around us were visible through the cloud and with the sun setting, it made us all just stop and stare. The clouds went from a soft pink, to a mottled orange and yellow, back to a soft pink and then as the sun dipped even further, a pale grey blue.
It was at the saddle between the two peaks at the top that Hanno came into view, running up the winding path up the front of the face of the mountain, what had taken up nearly 3 ½ hrs, had taken him about 1 ½ ! Yip, one of those irritatingly fit people!
We turned to carry along the last section to the front peak, known as George Peak, about half way along this section, Hanno caught us, looking like he had had just as leisurely stroll up as us! Sickening!
Once we got to the beacon at the top of the peak, we set about finding comfortable places to sleep, out of the very chilly wind that was blowing. Guy made us a brew, and the rest of us packed out our dinner, a colourful assortment of smelly cheeses, preserves, cold meats, fresh baguettes and some nice sticky buns for desert.
Dinner could not have been better, even in a five star restaurant. We were on top of the world, drinking fabulous wine, and enjoying great company. The town, or city as it is now known, of George was in partial darkness, due to a load shedding power cut, giving one a very natural feel from above. At 8:30, the lights came back on, and it was business as usual in this fast growing metropolis!
The night was cold, but with every item of clothing on that I had taken with, I was snug, except for the dew which made us a bit wet. It was a breathtaking sunrise that we woke to at around 4:30 am. Guy made some coffee, and we all sat on the edge admiring the 360 degree vista. The cold was very quickly replaced by the promised heat of the day.
After some breakfast, a mixture of dinner left overs and some pronutro, we packed up and headed back down the mountain. Hanno leaving us early on at trot to get back to work, leaving Garth, Guy and myself to enjoy a slow amble back to the bottom. A surprise encounter with a little Berg Adder kept us on our toes for a while, as the heat of day started to settle in properly. The river at the bottom gave welcome relief to our hot sweaty bodies and then the short trek through the plantation and back to the car.
Adventures such as these remind us that life is there to be lived. Last year, a friend, who lived life to the fullest, tragically died in a helicopter crash. His slogan for life was:
Dream like you will live forever, and live like you will die tomorrow.
One never knows what tomorrow may bring, so live each day to the fullest, there is a whole world to experience out there!
ingredients:
2 x fit ladies
2 x bicycles
230km of breathtaking karoo landscape
a handful of mountains
24hrs
2 very supportive partners as seconds
1 x land rover
lots of luggage – most never used!
sunshine
sense of humour
I have realised that what sometimes seems like a great idea, a challenge etc etc etc, a couple of months before a race/adventure like Transbaviaans, suddenly feels like a very bad idea in the few days leading up to the race/adventure. Sleep was elusive, nasty dreams were all too prevalent, and well, the stomach had so many butterflies I felt I couldn't fit any food in. I was petrified it was going to rain and that the going would be like last year. I even dreamt that the mud turned into superglue and that Hanno had to pull us out of it with the landrover..... how pathetic! But my biggest concern was the cold, especially my feet as they just seem to freeze really quickly, and that my legs would desert me on those loooong uphills. Had the 2200 odd km in training since April be enough?
Nuwekloof pass, at around the 40km mark
After the initial rush of Thursday and Friday morning to get all the pasta cooked, dinner for Friday night cooked and everything packed, we left at about 4pm, dropped off the dogs and collected my partner, Amanda. I think both of us were a slightly grayer shade of pale, as although Amanda has done two already, this year was going to be largely unsupported, with us only meeting up with our seconds at the 5th checkpoint.
The drive through was scenic as we chose to take the gravel pass road to Uniondale. The enjoyment of the scenery was however lost on both me and Amanda after about the halfway mark as we started to feel very car sick. We stopped and got out for some fresh air, and we froze........ suddenly, I was even more concerned about the chill factor when we were riding and the sun had gone down.
Once we arrived at Willomore, we registered and then went to the local school hostel where we would be staying. It was great to see old friends that we normally only get to see at races, all kinds of unexpected people were there, Hedley and Melissa Whitehead (horse-riding acquaintences) being just two of them, as Hedley was racing with a corporate team from PE.
It was really amusing to to see how people reacted to us, most obviously presumed that the two men, Andries (Amanda's other half) and Hanno were riding and that the two girls were doing backup. Everyone kept asking Hanno how he was going to manage riding with his neck brace (having had a neck operation just 4 weeks prior).... of course he just enjoyed winding them up and said that the doctor said he only had to wear it for the downhill sections... and they believed him.
Later, Amanda and I were in her room sorting out our race food and kit and a whole group of guys walked past and stopped to chat, initially commenting on how organised we were - seconds - then we were debating on which race tops to wear and they suddenly realised, to their amazement and our humour, that we were the riders and the guys were OUR backup!
Sleep was pathetic, nerves are such silly things, but then I guess if I wasn't nervous, I wouldn't be normal. I woke up and lay in bed too scared to open the curtain as it sounded like the wind was howling. Eventually I plucked up the courage, and was greeted by a perfect wind-still day… it was the fan from the kitchen making the noise!
We got dressed and had some breakfast, which did not go down easily. It took me about 30min to eat a slice of toast, with Hanno practically forcing it down my throat. Once we got to the start, there was a bit of a wait, there we met up with the rest of the Knysna crew, saw Tweet and Stu (friends from upcountry) and some of the out of time guys and gals. Nerves were now not so bad. In the start chute, the air was alive with that nervous pre-race excitement.
Blesbok at the top of Berplaas.
The start was very slow, people were hardly moving. I must just add at this stage that is still amazes me that people do not have sludge in their tyres let alone tubeless. Not even 3km after the start, there were people on the side with punctures, not to mention any of the other mechanical failures that occurred within the first 10km. What was even more amazing where the amount of people pushing their bikes up what can't even be classified as a hill, they didn't even appear on the route profile, a bit worrying when one considers what was to come! We went at a nice steady pace, in fact for the first 10km we were about the 10th team from the back, but that was short-lived as riders started to blow. They had simply gone too hard. We made a point of greeting everyone that came past or we past, and I think some of the mens' teams took a bit of a knock as we were chirpy and full of beans.
The first 40 odd km is a gentle climb, then once you get into the Baviaans reserve area, you are essentially descending, although there are a few rolling ups. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. I cannot explain how beautiful the Baviaanskloof is. Incredible rock formations are abundant, interspersed with long open karoo scapes.
The first real climb of the day, Baviaans back, is situated at about the 122km mark. At 115km I looked at my watch, just on 6hrs, and to think that the second half was going to take us almost double that time, my butt ached at the thought!
This climb was quick enough and we continued to pass teams who were not impressed by these chirpy girls zooming past them, even though we were riding easy. Next came the Fangs, steep climbs of about 1.5km each. The second one is much harder and quite a number of people ended their race right there due to descending too fast and not making the sharp corners, or simply just blowing!
At the bottom of the 2nd fang, we got to Doornkraal, which was the fourth check point. Here we collected our warm clothes and stocked up for the big one, Bergplaas, aptly named the M.A.C - mother of all climbs, and they are not kidding either. The road.... what road? It is extremely rutted, with huge plates of rock sticking out which you have to try and ride over. We passed over 20 teams on the way up, not climbing off our bikes once, but trudging along steadily in granny gear. Only one rider went past us the whole way. We started the climb with only a little sun on the horizon and reached the check point at the top at around 7pm.
The day so far has been very amusing as we had played cat and mouse with many of the teams until then, they would fly past us only to have us catch them a few km up the road after they blew and were sitting on the side resting, on the way up Bergplaas, there were a few very unappreciative grunts from these teams (all male) as we went past all smiley! The sweetest moment was just before we were about to leave the check point at Bergplaas.
One particularly arrogant guy, who had made some rather derogatory comments to me at the start, and whom we had passed a couple of times en-route to Bergplaas, normally on an uphill, plonked himself down next to me. As it was dark, he had no idea who he was sitting next to. I had a good chuckle when I overheard his telephone conversation with his wife, translated into English it went along the lines of “ag my lovie, I’m broken. My butt hurts, it’s raw and my legs just can’t go anymore!”
By this stage, the wife, starting to get more hysterical on the phone was shouting so loud at her husband that even I could hear her, and it went something like this: “get back on that bicycle, I have not driven the whole way from Jo’burg for you to tell me half way that you are pulling out?” At about this point, I chose to greet him with a big smile, which then caused him to go into another fit of wails to his wife about these damn girls that were just so perky and how it wasn’t fair…. well, it’s called pacing oneself!
 Approaching Doodsklip, just after halfway.
We had been lucky with the warm weather and at least at the top of Bergplaas it was not too cold. We stocked up, and were on our way quickly. Next was Kondoma, where we would meet the boys for the first time.
Looking back down towards Doodsklip from near the top of Bergplaas.
The ride to Kondoma was probably the hardest as it was longer than we expected. We were hungry and my feet were frozen. But there has never been a more sweet sight or aroma as we rounded one of the bends and smelled braai, and coffee. The boys had hot pasta and milo on the go, as we arrived at just past 9pm. We still had another 50km to go. Warmed and although I struggled to eat anything, at least I managed a bit, we were off. We would see the boys again in about another 30km, but first we had to tackle the ever looming and ever daunting never endimg climb. It's not that steep, but it never ends. Just when you think you are at the top, you get over the rise only to see another dip and a climb.
Then came the sense of humour failure.
We got to a y-junction, and did not know which road to take (stupidly, I had not personally looked in our goodie bag given to us at registration... in there was a route book which we were supposed to take with us!), we opted for right as it was the main road. After about 4km, two of which was climbing up a relatively steep hill, we realised we had gone wrong! That is the only time the whole race that I was thoroughly gatvol (I used much stronger words!). We turned around and then were on the right road. That little error cost us over 45min and our chances now of catching the ladies in front as well as Peter Cole and the other Knysna team were now gone. So we trudged along. We arrived at Suurbron, the 210km mark, where the boys were once again patiently waiting for us with milo and food.
We were feeling frustrated and tired. But with only a few km to go, we climbed back on the bikes and were off.
Just one more check point followed by a nasty little climb of about a 1km and then the rather slippery lose stone descent down into Jeffreys. We had another good chuckle when a guy who was riding in front of us, fell asleep on his bike and made a rather in depth study of mother earth! When we rode up to him, he was leaning a bit, and as we continued, he started to lean even more and more until eventually he fell off! He was extremely embarrassed, but as it was around 02:20am, I could understand the strong pull of the sleep monster!
We continued to pass teams, which made some of them really mad, but its all about pacing, and we got it just right. I must say that although I was very pleased to see the finish, I was very sad that it was over after all the build up.
We rode through the finish at 02:50am, completing the 230km course in 16hrs47min, and were 3rd ladies team. As we had aimed at 18hrs, we were very chuffed, and had we not gone wrong, well, it would have been even better!
The next day I felt fine. My forearms were very swollen and my fingers sore from all the braking on the downhills. I had some chaffe on the sides of my butt, and my neck was a little stiff, but otherwise I felt amazingly good!
Amanda was great! We had a great time and riding with her made all the difference. There were many teams that were bickering but we stayed together all the time. Those teams should learn: if one person rides off ahead all the time, it just demoralises the person who is taking strain!
Stick together, be a team!
Now whilst most of our friends were originally of the opinion that my husband's Christmas present to me this year, a fishing ski, was a totally selfish and beneficial only to him and his interests gift, they have had to seriously reconsider..... there are few things in this world better than fresh fish, especially when prepared over a braai on a warm summers evening with the sun setting over the water!
Sunday morning, my maiden trip out to sea on my new toy, dawned overcast, the sky, a stormy blue made me feel a little apprehensive, but at least it was warm and the wind was almost non-existent. Once I had successfully made it through the surf, I had a chance to sit back and enjoy what was to be one of the most beautiful sunrises I have experienced in a long while. The water was like oil, the dark sky making it almost eerie as the giant red ball that was the sun lazily rose up over the horizon, suddenly making the chilly waves which I had just punched through on my way out, seem irrelevant.
The paddle out to the fishing spot, some 2,5km from the beach was a pleasant one and I really enjoyed being on the sea again. My eyes scanned the water for dolphins, who on this day, proved to be ellusive. Once on our mark, using the fish finder we found a nice active spot and Hanno (my better half only when it comes to fishing), threw out the anchor. I hitched onto the back of his ski with a line and set about getting my rod out and baiting up. Fishing from a ski is a challenge in itself as space on one of these things, is in seriously short supply. The boat only, 4m long and 60cm wide, means that everything happens pretty much on your lap, something which took a bit of getting used to.
Needless to say, the next few minutes had not only my husband, but also his normal fishing buddy turning a rather violent shade of green. After baiting up, I lowered my line over the edge, took a deep breath and let the line go, watching my bait sink out of sight. Not even a minute later, before my little piece of chokka (calamari) had even had a chance to hit the bottom, I had a hit, the ratchet of my reel screamed and the tip of my rod looked as if it would touch the water. A fight of a few minutes had me being rewarded with a lovely sized Kob, and comments from the other two of, "no man" and "hey, that's not right, girls shouldn't catch such big fish"..... jealousy, that's what I say! Time seemed to stand still, but it was not long before we all had filled our daily limit and it was time to pack up and go home. Now came the real challenge of the day, getting back in through the surf with a boat that was now a good few kg heavier than on the way out. The fish that was caught was now safely stored in a hatch between my legs, which was tied down, which was a good thing as a slight miscalculation on my behalf saw me having a rather exciting swim in the waves, and a rather too personal encounter with some blue bottles!
Back on the beach, the trek up the dune and to the bakkie resembled a mountain, but with some help from the boys we loaded up the boats in no time and headed for the slipway to scale and gut our fish, which was to supply entertainment session number two for the day.
On the slipway were a group of local fishermen, whose eyes nearly popped out when they saw this 'girl' carrying some enormous fish to the waters edge, "jusslike mevrou, waart mevrou sukke visse gevang?" (jeepers miss, where did miss catch such big fish?), "on the sea" came my reply. "vannie kant of van 'n boot?" (from the side or off a boat?) was the next question, "off a boat" I replied and pointed to the roof of the bakkie, whereapon the one fisherman nearly sufferend a heartattack when seeing my tiny fishing ski!
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PERSONAL PROFILE
ok, so i grew up in a slightly un-ordinary family.... and maybe my dad's idea of sunday relaxation exploring places where there were no roads or paths, or anything semi civilised for that matter, has had something to do with my current lifestyle, for which there is no real description other than enjoyment of life and what it has to offer.
i was never really someone that conformed with what society or school considered normal or acceptable, and maybe this is why i have found myself on numerous occasions in places which i think even our dear creator has forgotten existed! life, since meeting my fabulous husband, has certainly not been dull, in fact sometimes, there is a little more adrenaline pumping action than i would actually care for, especially when i found myself hanging off the edge of a cliff , which i have willingly stepped off the edge of (by what i can only describe as a way too thin piece of rope), only to have my dear husband telling me to look at the sunset over the sea to my right .... and would i do it again.... definitely!
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