"Peaches!"
Race Across South Africa 2021
As I pluck the final Hakea thorn out of my finger, I find myself ready to write this. While out on the trail, I kept reminding myself, during the many hard moments, that “This is type two fun”. As each day passes, I find it easier to forget the hard moments and appreciate the value of the adventure.
Something I have come to love about endurance events, is their ability to challenge one. To an extent, you can decide how hard or how easy you want your experience to be. The groups I found myself in, rode hard each day with the intent to have a solid night's sleep. We opted for the "tourist visa", although having said this, even the "rest days'' were hard.
Some of the Family I made along the way
📸: Gavin Horton
The sun was rising on our fifth day on the trail, my teenage stroll uncontrollably kicked in as we began the Lahanas Pass portage. We thought ourselves lucky as the day seemed calm and clear.
The wind began to pick up as we decided we had reached the point of no return. We contoured on the left of the ridge to shield ourselves from the wind. As we got higher the wind got stronger. We weaved our way through vegetation as another attempt to shelter from the wind. My sluggish pace allowed for a slight gap to grow between me and the others. The gradient steepened, so I threw my bike on my back. Slowly maneuvering my way through the vegetation, the branches drew music from my spokes.
Merak, Greg and Scott rounded the corner and had disappeared out of sight. In my craze to catch them, I took a bad line and found myself, with my bike on my back, trapped. My wheels had wedged themselves between two shrubs, I had my knees up against my chest as the sand below me seemed to slide towards a sheer drop. I sat stuck for a minute. Suddenly, I heard my father's voice calling. With a burst of adrenaline I managed to rip through the trees. The wind was pumping as we shouted to each other. He asked me to stick with the group. In my frenzy I shouted "I'm not keen... I'm not keen!". Trembling, I continued on after them.
📸: Reblex Photography
Leaning into the wind as I pass my bike over the gate at the top of Lehanas
📸: Reblex Photography
Hours later, we found ourselves, windswept, sitting in the luxury of Tenahead Lodge.
On the mend at Tenahead Lodge
📸: Reblex Photography
...
The Osseberg, or more commonly known as Mordor, is another big milestone. Like Lehanas Pass, Die Leer and Stettynskloof, it is a challenge that, prior to the event, kept me up at night. These landmarks often act as a catalyst for stories of mid-winter sleep outs.
We dropped into Mordor that morning, as the sun rose and although I can understand where the nickname comes from, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not this dark land of man-eating Orcs but a beautiful hidden valley. We were fortunate to be riding with Casper at the time, who navigated us flawlessly through Mordor. In 2019, he and his son Casper John, had slept out there and obviously, Casper was not keen to repeat it. Luckily, sleeping out was not the case.
Fun and games the evening before Mordor
📸: Bennie
The reeds the Venter's slept on in 2019
- Casper re-enacting it for his son
...
A number of days later, we left the comforts of Dennehof, five star luxury on the outskirts of Prince Albert. Climbing the Swartberg Pass was the least of our worries as we faced snow into Die Hel and Die Leer.
The top of Swartberg Pass
📸: Greg Fisher
Along with a Jackal, we were the first to leave our tread across the snow covered Pass
I had hiked Die Leer in December, and was excited for the day ahead. On our arrival, it was not as I had recalled - it was eroded and, with a bicycle, steeper than I remembered. We set ourselves a one hour goal to get to the sign at the top. So, we threw our bikes on our backs and set off at a furious pace. Halfway up, I dripped with sweat as I huffed and puffed so I decided to stop and have a nougat break. The view down into the valley is special. I suddenly realized the sheer height I was at as I peered back to see how far I still had to go. I flashed back to Lehanas and began to tremble again. I kept telling myself not to look down. I managed about 100m meters before I found myself hugging the rock face, I had one last steep corner but could not manage it. I called for help. Again, Merak, my father to the rescue. He took my bike up and around the corner as I crawled on all fours up to my bike. Feeling pathetic and embarrassed, I nervously continued on along the sketchy path. I was beyond relieved to finally reach the sign that read "Die Leer". I embraced my father as I thanked him for "saving me".
Happy to be at the top of 'The Ladder'
📸: Greg Fisher
...
We had so many highlights along the trail, although one particularly stands out for me.
About two weeks into our journey, we left Romansfontein to traverse the tricky Aasvoelberg Portage, which takes you through gates that read "Beware! Tigers and Lions Prefer Meals on Wheels'', after a fair amount of walking over waterbars, we came to one of the 273 gates along the trail. After missioning over it, we stopped and took in our surroundings. The moon was full and the stars were out as the sunrise etched out the silhouette of the mountainous terrain. As the sun rose, we crested the escarpment. Before us lay the flat plains of the Great Karoo, speckled with little koppies. Goosebumps rushed through me as we embarked on a magical descent down to the plains. This was not only a spectacular morning but a big milestone too. We had traversed over mountains covered in vegetation, and had now reached the sparse Karoo. The next milestone was the Cape Winelands.
"Beware! Tigers and Lions Prefer Meals on Wheels''
📸: Carlo Gonzago - with backup lighting done by Greg Fisher and Casper Venter
Shenanigans for lunch
📸: Reblex Photography
...
The mighty Stettynskloof concludes the Race Across South Africa as it is the last leg of the journey. It is one of the most untouched places I have ever seen. It entails an 8km portage that is entirely made up of bundu bashing through Fynbos, Hakea and Proteas. It can take around 8 hours from bottom to top, sometimes a bit quicker and sometimes much, much longer. The Kloof is staggeringly beautiful, a sufferfest, surreal and a bitter-sweet adventure. On one hand I was saddened that our adventure was over, while on the other, I could not wait to hug my Mother and Sister at the finish.
Early morning bundu bashing
The reason why 8km takes 8hrs
My father and I in the Kloof
📸: Greg Fisher
...
As my wounds scar and the scabs from my frostbitten ears start to flake, I reflect on my Freedom Journey.
I tear up when I think back on these experiences. Lehanas Pass portage and Die Leer proved to be my biggest challenges along the trail. This was mainly due to a knock-on effect of having difficult weather conditions on Lehanas which forced us to take a bad line. My Lehanas experience unnerved me on Die Leer. The prospect of these being my biggest challenges drives me to want to overcome them even more. Shhh... I am quietly plotting my return to the trail.
Within our group, we joked about how David Waddilove put the route together. The hours of portaging and the map navigation all make the trail what it is. I find that the culmination of these elements, make the sense of accomplishment stronger and more satisfying.
The experience is very much about the people and the community that surrounds the race. All the incredible hosts, the riders, the race office, the buffalo herders, the dot-watchers, even the lone person manning the spaza store along with all the young kids playing soccer around it.
I was lucky enough to find myself riding with an awesome crowd that was determined and positive, each rider adding to my experience. Being able to tackle this adventure with my father made it all extra special.
From my encounters with the people of the Freedom Trail, I feel proud and privileged to be a part of this community.
Freedom Family
My father, as a new blanket wearer, awarding me my blanket
📸: Julia Fisher
Proud
Comments
Post a Comment