The Fat Lady Sings

We started the last day at 04:30, wanting to be sure to get home before sunset. Awaiting us was the mother of all challenges, and a rather strange way to end a mountain bicycle race - we had to get over the Hottentots Holland mountains, but in the spirit of the Freedom Challenge, not via a tarred road. Not many options here.

So the route follows a rather remote and splendid valley called Stetteynskloof running between Rawsonville and Paarl. There is nothing there except the remains of a Shackleton that crashed there in 1963 (more....).

But also no tracks, not even a footpath to speak of. So it's pushing, draggging and carrying the bike, no riding at all. 8 hours of it. Fortunately a recent burn cleaned out the dense vegetation and many fellow Challengers have left some footsteps and the occasional cairn to guide you along the way. It remains an ordeal of note. Dragging the bike, cursing, crossing rivers and many ks of rocky spurs ending with a mountain-goat type scramble up a near vertical face to emerge close to the start of the Hugenots Tunnel on the N1.

From there it's a hop&skip to the top, down through the Hawekwas forest and onto the finish at Diemersfontein where friends and family waited for us. And what a finish, definitely not an anti-climax. Champagne, the traditional pizza, and of course receiving the much treasured finishers blanket, a victorian english style 100% woolen blanket much treasured in the Sotho culture and traditionally given to young men upon completion of their initiation rites.

Our hosts at Diemersfontein also treated us royally: luxury accommodation, 5* meals and a very festive event to wrap up a long and hard day and journey to get there. Wine maker Brett Rightford, Pinotage supremo, also rode this year.

While it must have sounded like one non-stop punishing ordeal, and at times we did wonder if we will ever see the other side again, it's the beautiful places and people, the cameraderie, and most of all, stunning mountain biking on trails very few people have the privilege of riding that we will remember. It's been a very personal journey for each one of us, one that will live with us and enrich the rest our lives.

Technical details:

Deon - Intense Spider 2 (issues: 2 derraileur cables, one back hub rebuild, one set of brake pads, two tubeless conversion valve failures, rear derailleur badly bent by a flying rock).

Di - Scott Spark Carbon 30 (issues: 2 derraileur cables, one freewheel hub kaput requiring a replacement wheel loaned from Stephanie in Molteno, one set of brakepads, headset not lekka anymore and some disturbing play on the the read linkage or wheel towards the end).

Ricky - Avalanche GT (issues: 1 derailleur cable, seriously complaining brakes towards the end and freewheel hub(Mavic) acting up most of the way).

Some tummy troubles, dinged shins, lots of scratches, a badly sprained thumb, seriously sore mouths, and frozen toes and fingers.

All things considered not bad going.

Thank you all for your messages of support and encouragement, our families for their sacrifices, David and Meryl for making it happen and the magnificent riding machines that carried us all the way.

Many thanks to our hosts at the support stations along the way, who fed us, washed clothes and put up with our weird hours and needs.

Deon, Di & Ricky (aka. DDR)

Cape Town 8 July 2011

Home james, don't spare the horses

Another beautiful day in all aspects, short-sleeves sunny, beautiful vistas over the green fields to the snow-capped cape mountains, generally easy iding ang a manageable 70 odd ks.

We were still marvelling at the good food at McGregor and Kasra. Fresh crisp salad, well-cooked veggies, stuff we'd been dreaming of for weeks.

At Kasra, well-known for it's good fare, Di & Ricky settled for perfect eggs bacon " toast, I opted for last night's left-over lamb curry on toast - at 09:30am. Not who enjoyed it the most, me or the hostess watching me skoff It all.

We arrived at Trouthaven at sunset, our last support station. We were joined by the three extreme triatholon challengers who left at 03;00am. We should be off by 4:30, chomping at the bit like farm horses turning home.

See you soon!

Riding,Eating,Sleeping - Di

Di's sms's - Wed 6th




N01 -
Safe and sound,clean and comfy in McGregor,though I did need to tow Rick the last 20km.He just has not been able to fully recover,what with the relentless pace we need to maintain to get in each day.If I cycle alongside him we are doing 7km per hour,if I tow, about 12 - 15,so it's a no brainer.Thank God I'm feeling strong!If all goes according to plan we should be home by Friday - hope the bikes hold out.They are also rather worse for wear.

No2-(20mins later)
Chomp,munch,crunch,chew,snarf,gulp,chow,gobble,suck,slurp,gulp,swallow - MAN the human mouth was not designed for this kind of abuse! Now I know why Gran said don't eat between meals - the organs of mastication need to rest and recover after working hard toprocess food, but this Freedom Challenge is hard on everything,including the lips,tongue,teeth,gums and jaws. We just eat NON STOP and are all suffering some form of oral discomfort from ulcers to sand-papered tongues to aching jaws and teeth. I think I am going to adopt a diet of vege soup and fruit puree when I get back (sounds like the kind of fare you'd get in an old aged home. I may well be checking in sooner than planned,judging by the haggard face that stares back at me from the mirror)

No3- (1hr50mins later !!! )
Oh my am I really on the Freedom Challenge? Already I can feel the hardship slipping away. I have just had the most delicious meal of the last 3 weeks - good red wine, fresh garden salad, home made tomato soup with fresh basil,crispy herb chicken,home made chips, beetroot, butternut + broccoli cooked lightly as veggies should be and all topped off with moist chocolate cake and ice cream.i am so content I could just expire and I am going to do just that.
GOOD NIGHT:)

The cape

Anysberg is a very special and very remote reserve. Make a plan and get there.

Leaving Anysberg this morning, we bombed down the Ouberg pass after crossing a vast plain apparently known for its unique succulents,indeed succulent forests nogal. The weather continued to treat us well, cold and crisp, but clear. Best sunrise of the trip.

We hit Montague for lunch, it felt like NY City. Civilization! Noisy, busy disconcerting. Got the hell outta there soonest. A blissfull meander through the winelands around Robertson and the Vrolikheid nature reserve and we're safely tucked up in McGregor. Two more days if all goes well. Should be home Fri (touch wood etc).

We're unanimous in looking forward to sleeping late for the 1st time in 3 weeks.

Die Hel

After a stylish breakfast at Dennehof we set off with our gourmet padkos (cheese and rocket on ciabatta rolls). We had to keep our options open as to our destination as Ricky was still not well. We would have liked to run 2 support stations - Gamkaskloof and on to Rouxpos. One too soon the other too far.

So we soldiered out and up the Swartberg Pass, at its most magnificent in the early morning light. At the top of the 1st long climb approx 15ks at Teeberg, Johan Rissik was again waiting with coffee (filter!) and rusks. Memorable.

From there the 50 odd ks into gamkaskloof aka Die Hell started with yesterday's snow still sprinkeled all over. Long grinding uphills and swooping cutbacks made for some fine riding. A quick lunch at Hell's Kitchen and the big climb out the other side, including the hour long climb up "The Ladder" or "Die LEER" (an ancient footpath to and from die hell basically straight up a near-vertical mountain side) , quite a mission with a bike slung around your back.

It had started drizzling and the temps dropped. We decided not to push for Rouxpos, our next support station, but seeked shelter from the bitter cold on a farm. The Hunluns put us up in a little cottage they rent out at the top of Seweweekspoort- turned out to be a good move as it rained all evening.

We carried on cycling in the rain the next morning, with snow falls of the prev evening visible. It cleared by mid-morning and after a farm breakfast at Rouxpos, we had a magnificent ride into Anysberg.

Back to the karoo

The gamble paid off, we left Willowmore in a freezing early start for the long haul(185km) to Prince Albert. The dreaded headwinds had died down, so the long flat Karoo road was a breeze allowing us to maintain avg speeds approaching 16ks/hour and make good time.

Only problem was a bit of stomach bug troubles going around. Ricky was worst hit and left with no strength. Two bike tubes made a bungee hitch and Di was helping him maintain a bit of speed.

The road is also very sandy and badly corrugated in places, but the absence of the dreaded prevailing headwind made up and more for all this. As is traditional, local supporter Johan Rissik was waiting 30kms outside Prince Albert with flasks of coffee and rusks.

Tonight is one of the highlights of the race from an accommodation point of view. Ria from Dennehof is putting us up in 5* Karoo style incl gourmet food and luxury facilities. The same Johan is also a capable bike mechanic and our bikes got a good clean, technical once over and minor niggles sorted. What a treat!

Johann had gleefully pointed out the fresh sprinkling of snow covering the tops of the Swartberg in the distance on our approach and tomorrow we tackle the famously beautiful Swartberg pass en route to Gamkaskloof and Die Hell, with the notorious scramble up the Ladder to get out the other side. Johan has promised to drive up the pass to bring more coffee & rusks. Sigh, this adventure racing is tough stuff.

Beginning of the end

Foolish to even think Iike that. This has been a theme of this race - the moment you start patting yourself on the back you get floored by some unforseen event. Twice in the last couple of days we thought we were home and errr.. dry, only to face another raging river to cross. Before Cambria we had to strip and go head under water to get through - that now with a bicycle in your arms - no fun.

The Baviaanskloof is a mess. Debris and trees have covered the tracks and river crossings and the water is still flowing strong. Endless crossings, we lost count but it's many dozens. At least the water is not quite as freezing as the stuff we had to deal with in the Karoo. Still it was a magnificent ride. Views from the top all the way down to the sea, 15k descent into the floodplains down the original oxwagon trail, now almost non-existent. Endless wilderness, huge folded mountains, not a human is sight.

Today we left the Bkloof and back into the Karoo en route to Willlowmore & Prince Albert. Hah! Freezing blustery headwinds made the going slow and decidedly unpleasant. When we got to Willowmore, 80 of the 160ks planned for the day, we had enough. Big plates of food and pudding, *real* coffee and watching rugby/tour de france/wimbledon by the fire and our stoic commitment crumbled. According to yr.no the wind will abate tomorrow, so we'll leave at 04:00 to make up loast time - it's going to be a loooong day. 180ks but reasonably flat and uncomplicated, so just the weather wild-card.

We can smell the cape, and can count the days. The compass has moved from south-west to due west and there is renewed determination to give a big push. The bikes are starting to show strain, hubs and suspension linkages are creaking, brakes are patchy and tyres need regular topping up.

The little Griqua kids stand by the side of the road chanting "Hou bene hou".

Getting there, one k at a time