The Trail is Calling

The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping and names like Boshelweni, Lehanas and Mpharane start filling my mind. It’s that time of the year again when the Freedom Challenge series of races start appearing on the radar. For me its the Race to Rhodes (500km) and for others its Race Across South Africa (RASA), 2300km. The tradition of the trail requires participants to be competent with navigation, map reading and compass use. The first part of the trail to Rhodes has many scratchy navigation bits and requires one to become intimately familiar with the route and its many nuances. The only way is to either ride and learn the route or to study the maps, narratives and Google Earth for hours on end to reduce uncertainty and improve the odds for not getting lost. Whichever way, preparation for navigation takes hours and builds intimacy with the trail. It is this challenge that attracts riders back year after year and there is always unfinished business, whether to improve on navigation, to ride a better time or just to enjoy the surrounds, there is something for everyone and the weather conditions ensure that the challenge is different every year.

My start date is on 11 June, 3 weeks away. I love navigation, maps and a good challenge. I plot routes on my mapping tools, load them onto my GPS and go ride them. That’s my thing. The Freedom Trail fits me like a glove. I get to plan routes, visualize them for what they will look like when I arrive there in daylight and even some at night time. When I close my eyes I can see the scratchy bit leading into Centacow Mission. I turn right from the main road, the road makes loop back, goes around a hill and then makes a double switch back before a steep rise onto a ridge. I expect to find a crossing there and a few hundred meters down the road a turnoff to the left which will take me to another left and a quick right and then a long down hill to a tar road and sight of Centacow. I cannot wait to ride this section and see how well I remember it from my previous visit in 2014 and if my visualizations are realistic.

When I close my eyes I fly my way through all the scratchy bits, scenery and difficulties I expect to encounter. The only certainty is that my experience this year will be different to what it was the previous time and also different to what my plans are. The trail is full of surprises and will test my ability to adapt, to persevere and to enjoy. I am as excited as a kid opening a lucky packet and I cannot wait to get out there.

The Trail is Calling.

Pembi Ride to Mpumalanga

RIDE TO MPUMALANGA
– Yoh! I am typing this note with my hands cause my legs are finished!
– What an epic morning this was, I think this one will be spoken about by many for some time to come.
– Close to 50 riders pitched at Pembi HQ (Hazeldean Square) for another interesting Pembi ride, this time to go tag the Mpumalanga Border, a +- 100km round trip.
– The group split into 2 groups, one aiming to do 116km and average around 23km/h and the other 104km at 18-20km/h. The weather was perfect, the scene was set.
– The pace of group 1 was hot from the beginning, most of us knew this was going to hurt. We ended up with an average for the 110km ride of just over 24km/h. It seems group 2 averaged just over 20km/h. Both groups going faster than expected, quite something of you think that it is quite tricky to manage groups of such sizes. Kudos to everyone, clearly Pembis know how to ride together.
– A few highlights:
– Very special when both groups arrived at the Mpumalanga border at exactly the same moment, the faster group having taken a 12km longer route. A pic of my GPS track below shows the special moment we crossed the border.
– Thanks Sylvia Du Raan for leading the group 2 ride.
– Special mention to Henk Bakker who was sweeper for group 1. Thank you Henk, you did an awesome job! Same off course to the group 2 sweepers.
– Also a special word to Jaco Ferreira who could have rode a double loop in the same time, he helped pull the bunch in the wind and then turned back at T-junction to guide the sweeper group in. Classy. Thanks Jaco.
– A big congratulations to everyone to completed this ride today, it was an epic and pretty hard work. Also one I will remember for a long time. If it was your first century ride, well done, you are a rock star.
– Today we rode to Mpumalanga and back!
– Now treat yourself to a cold beer and get your feet up, your body deserves it!

Pembi: Pretoria East MTB (https://www.facebook.com/groups/134361270058168/)

Tagging the Gauteng/Mpumalanga Border

Berg and Bush Race Report

BERG & BUSH RACE REPORT

What an awesome 3 days of glorious mountain biking. My excitement finally erupted this morning at the end of Stage 3 when I could no longer hold back and shouted my exhilaration out loud after flying down a stretch of sweeping single track while the TV helicopter was hovering overhead, tracking Bertus Luus and I as we are going full gas! What an adrenaline rush!

– Few races have character like Berg and Bush. It comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
– We rode on top of the world on a stretch called Great Wall my China with endless vistas over Woodstock dam, direction Drakensberg. If one knew where to look one could see the Amphitheatre, Cathedral and Champagne in one view. Simple breathtaking.
– Then we dropped down 16km of hand groomed single track called Sollie’s Folly, named in recognition of the farmer who built & maintains the trail. It’s superb!
– We rode down Pufadder Pass, sweeping S-bends down a hill with natural berms guiding one down, until this empties out next to the Tugela river. We rode up Mike’s Pass, we rode up Lantana Pass, we rode an Oxwagon Pass. The beauty is all of these are very fair, rideable for the average rider and reward with incredible single track of breathtaking views once on top.
– On the final day we rode up the infamous Spionkop, a steep paved road that rewards those who don;t put a foot down with a sticker to remember the feat.
– On Friday evening we drove up to Spionkop to listen to the tragic history of the hill where Boers & English sacrificed so much for the sake of victory only to realize very little. The monuments and graves are there as a reminder of this battle.
– The crowning glory of this race is the final 17km downhill from the top of Spionkop to the finish line at Em’Semi on the banks of the Tugela. One of the best rides you will ever do in your life! I want to shout out all over again! Steep drop-offs on the edges, big berms, jumps, sweeping single track, the kind of trails you want to ride over and over and over and over again!
– So many more riding highlights, I hope I dream about these a lot in the next few days! Going to watch the promo video over again a few times to help me remember the special times. Very blessed!
– The camp is worth a mention. All the tents are on the banks of the Tugela river under tree cover. Quite something! A highlight was to jump into the river at tent 550 and then to drift down to tent 1, it was the only way to cool down from the incredible heat.
– Finally a word on the organisation. I naturally shy away from big crowds and I am totally allergic to queues. Our race had 1200 riders but it felt like there were only 300. Longest queues weer maybe 5 mins, mostly no queues. There was an endless supply of cold water & cold drinks, no idea how they managed this. No food queues with many serving stations. Farmer Gary and his team have this event perfected and deserve a big congratulations.
– Last word goes to the weather. The areas we rode through are drought stricken. The dams are empty, the surface is very dusty and the farmers are in dire need of rain. They opened their farms to us, put up the best water points I have personally seen and built some of the best trails you will ever rain. May God bless them and bring relief to their drought!

Race Sweeping with CHOC Cows

Doing race sweeps for the CHOC Cows helps to combine my passion for mountain biking with an attempt to do make a small contribution to the lives of children with cancer. I get to enjoy privileges they don’t and that has not escaped me. We ride at the back of the field in cow suits helping fellow riders with mechanical problems, feeding them hydration and nutrition and often just moral support. We recently swept the Van Gaalen 100km Ultra and Mabalingwe Marathon, both times riding in with the last riders and at Mabalingwe riding most of the route in 25C with a winter fleece cow print onzie.

I feel blessed to be able to perform this function in a scorching hot cow suit so if you want to show your support, please visit the GivenGain site and help make a difference for the CHOC kids.

http://www.givengain.com/activist/141018/projects/10835/

Kalahari Challenge 2015

I entered this race last minute after I had heard very good feedback from several friends. We drove there wondering how much fun it could be riding around in sand and dry bush. Were we in for a surprise! The past 3 days have been some of the best mountain bike riding I have done and many others concurred.
– The bulk of the route is single track, lots and lots of single track, winding through the bush, I felt like a kid again, playing with my bike from one corner to the next, one challenge to the next, not a single dull moment.
– The route is carefully crafted by people who clearly understand how to make a mountain bike race that can be enjoyed by both advanced and entry level riders. Whilst it is by no means an easy race, it is suitable for all levels of riders. I did not hear a single complaint about the route, everyone was just smiling from ear to ear.
– Yes, there was sand, yes, there were plenty of thorns and punctures of both tyres and body parts, yes there were lots of rocky sections … but the fun factor outweighed these challenges by a mile!
– The race village is constructed in the middle of nowhere which brings some challenges, none of which were an issue. The team pulled out every stop to make the experience pleasant and memorable. Where else would you get a massive warm blanket, a thick mattress, a warm water bottle before bed time and a chair and a light in your tent?
– On a personal level I rode with Christie Engelbrecht and we combined wonderfully well and flirted just outside the top 10 every day. Positions and times I guess matter sometimes but tonight my happiness cup runeth over and no matter where we finished or how fast we went in the final results, we had an incredible experience and made memories that will last a lifetime.
– Special word for the Rescue Unit & Medics. What a cool bunch! Bumped into them at Mokolodi Backpackers the night before the race, became instant friends, shared a few chats along the way and the final night they invited us into their inner circle and shared some of their precious coffee liqueur. Hendrik and team, thank you for looking after us all.
– Seamus ONeill you and you team put on an event which deserves every accolade it gets, your attention to detail in every aspect make the Botswana Kalahari Challenge a MUST DO for every mountain biker out there! Very well done!

Carry Forth Thy Whip With Pride

In many races there is an Ultra or a Marathon and then a “Half” or a “Lite”. Somehow the latter signalling something  easier and for beginners. On the Freedom Trail there is RASA and then Race to Rhodes (R2R) or Race to Cradock (R2C) and given the above context one can be forgiven for thinking R2R/R2C are easier and for beginners, but one cannot be more wrong.

The final day of R2R represents a case in point. After 5 days on the trail one wakes up on the final morning in a warm blanket covered bed of a local hut that has been vacated for your privilege. It is made so much more special by the striking balance between poverty and friendliness of the people of the trail one had experienced along the trail. Vuvu represents the final frontier of this experience as from here on the trail flows into a completely different and remote farming landscape. Few realize that the pre-dawn ride down to the start of the legendary Lehanas Pass will present a last glimpse of these rural villages which are so typical of the first section of the trail.

Lehanas Pass is the biggest portage along the route and with an elevation difference of almost 1000m over 3.5km it is the one that can explained most understandably to outsiders. It is almost incomprehensible to fathom carrying your bicycle on your shoulders up this pass and the task is made so much more real by being able to see pretty much the whole pass all the way to the top from the moment one starts at the river at the bottom. The blue container way up high in the sky patiently awaits its next visitors as it slowly but surely becomes bigger in size as one makes the ascent step by step. There are few experiences as rewarding as reaching the top of the pass and taking a few minutes to look back in awe down the pass and the breathtaking vista it presents. Strangely enough, celebrations as deserved as they are, are short lived and one is overcome with an incredible sense of humility and respect for the journey that one has completed over the past few days. For many this reflection represents a realization that one has the physical and emotional ability to overcome any challenge no matter how big. You just know that from this moment your life will never be the same again, you have been changed forever.

There is however still work to be done before one can celebrate in Rhodes and the ride past Tena Head and down Naudes Nek is perhaps a final reminder that the trail will not give any inch for free, every meter has to be earned. The final ride into Rhodes to the waiting smiles and hugs from the Race Office and fellow riders plays out almost as an anti-climax, the significance of the achievement of the past 6 days, far outweighing the social celebrations. The previous 6 days touch and impact us in ways we could never have anticipated, physically and emotionally, not even in our wildest dreams. We learn about ourselves and experience our deepest highs and lows along the journey.

The final day from Vuvu to Rhodes is wonderfully representative of the Freedom Trail experience and the Herdsman Whip represents so many special things that can only be understood if you were there yourself. Saying congratulations is a much appreciated social gesture but seeing that Whip on your wall brings back deep emotions and special memories that are only understood by those that have completed the journey.

Welcome to the tribe.

X-Berg Day 2. Looking Over My Shoulder.

Thursday 30 April. Day 2.

67km/2221m ascent.

The alarm woke us at 3h15. Had to get to the place where I stopped the previous night by 4h45 to restart at 5h00. The 5 hours sleep was handy, except my legs were still pretty sore from the big hike the previous day. My support team of my wife and daughter had been rock stars the previous day, made every support point, had everything ready, they knew what they were doing and had us ready in no time to start the 45 min drive.

It was pitch dark at the starting point in the area my map showed as Zunckels, near Arthur’s Seat and “only” 6km as the crow flies to TP5. Just a quick hop onto the ridge and then an easy pedal along cattle tracks to TP5. I told them to meet me at Drak Sun, just below TP6, at 8h00 and that I didn’t want to know where anyone else was, I wanted to ride my own race at my own pace and enjoy the trails on my terms.

I immediately started pushing up the ridge, using my lights to guide the way. The GPS track helped a lot but the actual terrain was rough, very rough. The picture below was taken by Guy Pitman when he went past the same portage, the going is up and over the rocks. I was struggling to carry and push my bike up the ridge, it was taking much longer than I had anticipated and every time I shined my head light around I saw a different cattle path that looked better. Once I got to the top, which felt like ages, I could at least ride along the myriad of cattle track, switching from one to the other, some get too deep to pedal then you switch, then it just stops, then you switch, then it flows into a donga, then you switch. In the dark its not possible to look ahead and plot a visual path through the cattle track you just pick a line and ride it until it becomes a problem, then you switch, the world ahead is only what you can see in the light from the head lamp and bicycle light. In addition, the undulations meant I was off my bike pushing more than expected. An hour and a half later I arrived at TP5 at 6h30.

Picture by Guy PItman. Portaging up and over the rocks from direction Arthur’s Seat up to TP5, above Zunckels.

TP5 is a beautiful spot, completely remote on top of the mountain and the sun had just risen above the horizon. It was a pretty amazing moment and a pretty incredible place. Even though I had struggled up the ridge, I was feeling good and looking forward to riding the ridge and then the drop down into the Bell Valley. I was in a very happy place.

 

Breathtaking views from above Bell Dam, near TP5.

 

From TP5, my route took me along a stunning ridge into a plantation, from where I had plotted a shortcut using Strava tracks across to Cayley Lodge, down into Bell Valley and up and over to Drak Sun. The riding was not as fast as I had thought but very enjoyable nevertheless, the track sometimes just ending and running into the veld only to appear 10 meters to the left and so the pattern repeated itself, stunning place, fun riding.  I found the sneak into the plantation easily but as I exited onto the plateau above Bell Dam, the ridge up to Cayley Lodge that looked like a little koppie on Goole Earth, had in real life turned out to be a bit more than I had envisaged. It was way bigger and on tired legs, it messed with my mind. Plan B was to drop down the Right into the Bell Valley but I did not see a clear track and the smart move was to stay with my plan. I decided if it took me 10 minutes to the top, it would be acceptable, so off I went portaging all the way to the top. At 9 minutes I hit the top, I was still ok I thought. The next unforeseen problem was a single track other side of Cayley Lodge I had also seen on Strava but when I got there it was all overgrown with Kakieboes shoulder high, I couldn’t even see the path surface. I had no Plan B here so I just pointed my front wheel and went for it. The thinking was if I went over the handlebars at least the landing would be soft in the thick grass. It eventually reached the bottom of this section but it had taken a lot longer than expected.

It was at this point that my head started messing with me. A part of me had gone into race mode. Quite unexpectedly, I was leading the race and even through it wasn’t important to me when I had started, it had now started to matter. My struggle up to TP5 and the messy portage across past Cayley Lodge had unsettled me and I expected a cyclist to come down the road at any moment. I started the climb near Wolwefontein and kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see a cyclist come into view, meanwhile my legs are like jelly and despite me mimicking the movements of a strong climber, I was crawling along in granny gear. You know they are catching you but there’s nothing you can do about it. Stay strong my mind, stay strong.

After reaching the top of this drag, I could almost see Drak Sun in the valley below, just one quick bundu bash, a quick breakfast and then I’m off to tag TP6 I thought. The bundu bash turned into quite something, I expected short grass with visible track, what I encountered was shoulder high ferns and shrub, I steppe into holes and literally dragged my bike on to of the vegetation down the embankment. I could see the Drak Sun road down below, so close it felt like I could touch it, yet I was stuck like a animal in a snare in the thick brush. It was way past 8h00, I called my support team and told them I was only going to get there by 8h45, 45 minutes behind schedule. My mind was in a bad place, I thought I had blown it. Guy was going to come cycling down the road right in front of my eyes as I was stuck on the hill and he would not even know he was passing me. I found a beautiful path at the bottom of the bundu bash and in no time rode up to Drak Sun. It was a quick stop, I ate potatoes and meat balls and filled up my bottle with fresh PVM Octane. I didn’t want to know where the others were but my support team at least confirmed they were still behind. I hate this damn race mode, it’s a position I don’t find myself on often, well in fact, never and whilst one part of me felt like an olympic athlete, the other was way out of his depth.

The road tilts up steeply to Cathkin Lodge and BergSomething and along this path I encountered a group of hikers to whom I must have been a freak show. I was sweating like a dog, leaning on my handle bars with my arms as I pushed my bike up a steep switch back, them in the apex of the turn. If ever there was a scene to show why its not a good idea to cycle in the Drakensberg, I’m afraid I was that picture. I made it up to TP6 soon after and to my relief had the opportunity to come flying past the same group at speed, hopefully dignity restored.

Passing in front of Drak Sun, looking like I was feeling.

 

After a quick and enjoyable drop down a ridge to the Drakensberg Boys Choir I got onto the R600 to tackle the climb up to Monks Cowl. Those who know the road will know the nasty S-bend near the top. I knew at this point I was at least 10 minutes ahead of the second place MTB but I did not know where the trail runners of paragliders were. I expected they would make up time from TP5 as their route was a lot more direct than the cycling route. I reached TP7 at Monks Cowl in good time I thought and with only a short out and back to TP8 remaining and then a fast drop to the finish I, for the first time wanted to know where the others were, expecting a close fought dash to the line over the next two hours. It had been a very tough day, harder than expected, mentally and physically both with highs and lows. As it turned out the rest were still some distance behind, the paragliders struggling to find the right wind and the trail runners still nearing TP5 with the next cyclists still two valleys away. I had mixed feelings. The race was nearing the end and I wanted the experience to continue but I was pretty tired so the thought of finishing was also welcome, leading the race was a strange thought and I didn’t know what to make of it, so I just defaulted to what I was familiar with, riding my bicycle and enjoying the moment.

Just before midday on Day 2 I rode into the finish at Mountain Splendour. It had been quite an adventure and I had seen some amazing places. Riding time around 21 hours for the 250km/7000m ascent. I never really stopped, just short breaks to fill up a bottle or to have a quick bite, it was mission accomplished for me. Linda and the SABC cameraman promptly ambushed me and conducted an interview than I can remember very little of, I was out of my depth and it probably showed.

Riding into the finish at Mountain Splendour.

 

X-Berg is a very special event, it’s not for everyone but its for me and I loved every minute of it. A big thank you to the organizers for putting up a superb event and also a big thank you to my support team (Ronel & Heidemari) who also enjoyed themselves and made new friends along the way. Which brings me to my closing thoughts. X-Berg is a pretty tough race for all categories and everyone that finished or even participated was a winner in my book, I came to the Drakensberg to enjoy riding my bicycle in the mountains but I left with some special new friends who inspired me and some very special memories, I got way more than I expected and for this I thank everyone that had a part on this race.

We are all rock stars! See you in 2016!

What a special MTB trophy.

 

 

 

 

X-Berg Day 1. These Mountains are Big.

Wednesday 29 April. Day 1.

174km/3950m ascent.

A beautiful morning greeted us on race day. After a light breakfast it was time to line up for the 7h00  start and after a quick 3-2-1 Go we were off. I was pretty relaxed knowing there was a long day ahead but the legendary trail runner Andrew Porter, still holder of the solo Grand Traverse record and defending X-Berg champion, was off like a bullet. I though he was just making making a joke when he sprinted off towards TP1 but I soon realized the race proper was on. My plan was to ride at a sensible pace but to ride till the 23h00 to 5h00 no-race cutoff. I wasn’t feeling particularly strong as we set off for TP1 about 12km away so I just paced along.

7h00. Race start. 3-2-1 Go!

It was a pleasant morning and the ride along the canal towards TP1 was fresh as we rolled past the start of the Berg and Bush MTB race. We all rode together and portaged up to TP1 on top of a hill, no sight of the trail runners or paragliders as we dropped back to the road, they had only 4km or so to the TP as the crow flies and I suspected they were ahead of us. We eventually caught and passed the trail runners as we descended into Little Switzerland Resort, they had made very good time during the first 2 hours. The drop from Little Switzerland past Montussi Lodge was the biggest of the whole race and a lot of fun, well a lot more than running down. I was riding with Guy Pitman, an experienced adventure athlete and a strong cyclist. I suspected Guy would pull away during the day and go on the win the race so I wasn’t trying to keep up although we enjoyed the company along the way. The Scuttling Spiders, defending MTB Team, were just behind us as we arrived at Cavern Resort to tackle the portage/hike up to TP2, it was right at the top of the mountain and being weak on my feet I knew this was going to cause problems.

Portage up to top of mountain behind Cavern Hotel.

The climb behind Cavern rises about 700m above the valley. It took me a belabored hour to get to the top, in the process Guy and Justin from the Spiders had passed me and left me behind, I was slogging up and down again tortoise style, they were light footed and fast. At the top we had to scramble up a steep crack in the cliff face, almost like proper rock climbing, just the beginner grade, although for me it felt pretty vertical :-). The views from the top were breathtaking and I was not unhappy to experience a big climb with the rewarding views. I got back to the bicycle at Cavern and my legs were very uncomfortable from the big hike, I was really worried about the cycling ahead so decided to take it easy and try and recover for the next 2 or 3 hours en route to TP3 at Mnweni. It was now around midday and 5 hours into the race, also time to start paying attention to hydration and nutrition. The Spiders had vanished into the distance with Guy not far behind. I passed Guy while he was having a leisurely chat with Pierre Carter along the way and he told me he’d catch up soon, which I expected would happen as he was fast on the bicycle. As it turned out we took different routes and only caught up way later in the day. The road to TP3 at Mnweni runs along Woodstock Dam and I expected the Westerly to provide some assistance from the back but somehow the wind was coming from the front, I just kept pedaling a rhythm. For a brief period I saw the Spiders ahead but they were strong and put in time in me very fast, Guy was somewhere behind me. The temperature and humidity was high and it wasn’t long before I started cramping, the big hike and perhaps some dehydration started taking its toll. I started drinking my Octane, one bottle after the other in the hope of hydrating again and to try and make it through the very hot midday hours. It was perhaps the toughest part of the race, just hanging in there from midday to around 17h00 when I knew I’d be strong again in the cooler weather. I was quietly hoping the others were pushing too hard and that the long day would catch up with them. From experience I knew if I looked after myself, I’d get through the rough phase and become strong again in the late afternoon. Unfortunately the always threatening cramps acted as a limit on my intensity so I just kept going, only making very short stops to eat and get a fresh filling of Octane.

Approaching Mnweni Valley.

I reached TP3 at Mnweni in 2.5 hours (50km from Cavern) ahead of my forecast. I had also caught up with the Spiders and we rode together for while until the big climb out from Woodstock Dam broke up the group. It was also a bit cooler with a few drops of rain so we made good time as we rolled up and down towards TP4 above Cathedral Peak Hotel. The landscapes and vistas were amazing during this leg with one beautiful view after the next, it was to become a trademark of this race.

Climbing out from Woodstock dam towards Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve.

The tar road to Cathedral was busy, with people, animals and taxi’s. I got through slowly and fine but my support crew had a brush with a bunch of undisciplined and aggressive local youngsters, fortunately without consequences. We had been going for around 10 hours as the night started falling and I was at last starting to find a rhythm, it had taken me all day. I was now rather looking forward to some night riding.

Some hills are just too much after a long day.

I reached Cathedral Peak Hotel around 18h30 and as guests started preparing for dinner, I was preparing for a night ride. It was my plan all along, I was feeling good again and my first nature break next to the road indicated my dehydration was something of the past, took me all of 6 hours to re-hydrate and rid the cramps. I could again stand on the bike and put some power into the pedals without fear of a muscle twitch. Strategically I was not going to make it all the way to TP5 which was on top of a mountain and down in time before the 23h00 curfew so I decided to ride up the next 30km to the start of the portage and then call it a night. I arrived at the start of the portage just before 21h00 and was picked up by my support team to drive back to Didima Lodge for a good sleep.

It had been a pretty long day, my legs were still very sore from the big hike and I was unsurprisingly a bit tired. It had been a very rewarding day with some amazing riding, beautiful views and a some good distance and ascent (174km/3950m). It took a while to settle as we got everything ready for the next morning but the 5 hours sleep till 3h15 was going to be very welcome! We had to drive back to where I had stopped at 21h00 and restart again at 5h00 the next morning.

I had not come to X-Berg to race, with Race to Rhodes coming in June, it was a great opportunity to get some very handy and interesting riding under the belt. I wanted to test myself and enjoy the Drakensberg at the same time. My support team though had kept track of the other competitors during the day. The paragliders had the weather against them all day and with no flying possible they had to hike and were way behind. The trail runners made good progress but rough terrain meant they were sleeping the curfew out one valley behind us at Mnweni. It appeared we had made the most progress of all on Day 1 which was great, but with favorable weather for the paragliders and some shorter crossings from TP4 onwards for the trail runners, I expected them to catch up the next day.

ZZZzzz…

X-Berg Day 0. Recce and Race Briefing.

Tuesday 28 April 2015. Time for X-Berg Challenge.

I woke up strangely relaxed yet nervous at the same time, an unknown adventure awaiting. It was time. We arrived at The Border Post on Tuesday 28 April just after lunch leaving enough time for a quick recce and familiarization with the first half of Day 1. It proved rather intimidating to say the least, the Drakensberg is a very big mountain range.

A highlight was meeting up with Simon from The Phat Chef, to settle my R18.00 bill from buying a remote beer for my mate Niven who did Dash2Durban the week before. It was great to meet the participants as they arrived one-by-one, these were hard core folks, they had signed up for one serious challenge and they looked the part.

The evening we had race briefing, the usual kind of race briefing except there was a picture of a very big mountain with very big cliffs. It was very clear what we were in for and that if the weather was favorable, the paragliders were going to have all the fun. The weather forecast was not good for flying though, a strong Westerly meant flying would be limited if at all possible on Day 1 and the gliders were going to have to hike if they wanted to make progress.

The field for X-Berg is still small, so a couple of changes were put up for vote, specifically the start time. It was agreed for 7h00 which suited me better as I had in mind to ride all the way to the evening cut-off at 23h00, allowing me 16 hours riding time. I calculated I’d be able to reach the start of the portage to TP5 but would make final decisions only later in the afternoon once the day and route had developed. I loaded a last minute route option onto my GPS and it was time to X-Sleep :-).

Race briefing at The Border Post. Not good for the confidence when you ride a bicycle and see a picture of a big mountain.

It’s time for Tour de France

I haven’t done any road cycling for a long time but loving the sport, the Tour de France remains for me the pinnacle of cycling races and the primary show case for the sport of cycling.

I had the opportunity to visit and ride some of the legendary sections of Le Tour twice and the spectacle and passion I experienced has inspired and remained with me since.

How brilliant it was then today on Stage 1 to see England and Yorkshire honour the Tour by putting on a grand show and even having their head of state as well as the royals in attendance! Thank you Yorkshire!

So from 5 July I will suck up every bit of news and footage and hope to see Chris Froome on the top of the podium in Paris. Vive le Tour!