Magnificent event! Due to torrential rain we could not ride the middle day - which was just as well, the distances sounded short but was proper mountain biking.
Day 1 (16 December) was 65 km with about 700m of climbing. The first 15k was fast and flat on gravel road; then we turned onto jeeptrack that effectively became singletrack after the downpours of the previous week. It was a long (15km?) slog often sandy climb. We had plenty of jelly tots, bar ones and coke at the 30-ish km waterpoint where we had to decide between the long and short route. Decided that we will take our chances with the brewing storm. A bit of dirt road, then some technical gravel climbing matched by a downhill that would have been a lot faster if I spent more time on my bike the few months before! The last bit was very beautiful jeeptrack (washed away by the rain, so technically singletrack). We caught the last few of the short distance photo-riders, and arrived at Leeuwenboschfontein just in time to set up our camp before the storm.
The evening we enjoyed the spit-braai put together by the race organisers. Unfortunately the afternoon's rain washed away the routes that we were supposed to ride the next day, so the whole stage got cancelled. We slept late, braaied, read books, and hiked on the farm.
Stage 3 was 64km with 1150m of ascent. The first 5 km was on the same flat fast gravelroad of the first day, then we turned towards Montagu 9the other Oubergpas) and into a reserve/farm for the first wake-up climb of the day. Saw kwagga (down on the farmyard with the sheep) and later some Eland. A magnificent downhill, then onto a farmyard (at about 30km) whee we had to again choose between long and short. It was a long climb till the escarpment, and once on teh top, a bit more climbing. BUT the views were magnificent!! Some jeeptrack on top, then down with a gnarly-ish downhill back to the waterpoint on the farm yard (now at about 54km). Climbing for the day not done yet; a short climb on the kwagga-loop, and then out of the farm gates and on to the gravel road for the slight uphill slog of about 4 kms back to Leeuwenboschfontein.
Some observations:
- Dont be fooled by the relative short distances. This is proper mountain biking. This is why you have a montain bike!
- There was a few e-bikes. Although I never read all the threads about whether e-bikes should be allowed on a mountain, I certainly can see the appeal.
- The format of camping and riding from the same place worked well. Loved the spitbraai on the first evening, just to meet the other riders and chat a bit.
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