Cactus

Not fun to be chased by that luminous green dot.....got that t-shirt in the heat and headwinds in 2019.... that's pressure no-one needs......

Looks like most of the field is off-course already.......

Just over 2hrs to the start and my nerves are shot......and all I'm doing is dot-watching........

Wishing all the entrants well in their final preparations for Munga 2022. This final week is a bundle of nerves. Maybe one day I'll be back..... Those dots = serious FOMO......

Would love to do the RASA one day when my lotto numbers hit jackpot. Dot-watching Alex and Mike - wow! Those conditions make for great stories!

Disappointing that the tracking seems to have failed right at the finish. Danie Hofmann's tracker hasnt updated for an hour - hope he made it. he was the last official finisher in 2019 and looked like he was going to repeat that performance today......not sure who the last official finisher was - but big applause even for those who didnt make it!

You've got 120 hours to complete approximately 1200km, so the dreaded green dot moves at approximately 10kph from the time the race starts. So the strategy is you have to plan your pace and your stops and your sleep and maintain more than 10kph for the entire 120 hours. That's the theory.....sounds easy....in practice its a completely different state of affairs, or is that state of mind?

Yup, and Chantal is in the company of Danie Hoffmann who was the last official finisher in the 2019 event.

Seems the backmarkers are doing much better this time around. Maybe the conditions have been more favourable than previous years or the quality of the field is simply getting better. Really nice to see so few riders behind the dreaded green dot....

Another warm day to start proceedings.....

Wishing all the competitors a wonderful adventure and enjoy every moment - even the tough ones. The night sky in the Karoo is breathtaking - stop for a moment and enjoy. Serious FOMO - need to go buy a lotto ticket.....

Well done to each and every participant. Just by entering you reveal something of the person inside. A special 'well-done' to the finishers but to those that didn't make it you also get a 'well-done' for taking the challenge on and whatever the reason for not making the finish line may it be an opportunity to grow and get stronger. Phil 4:13.

2h30 in and the leaders have already passed the 50k mark. Considering they still have 450k's to go they're certainly not hanging around.....

All the best for those that have just started their Grit journey. It might be suspect weather but at least the rain has stopped - lets hope for a dry race from here on. Wishing you all safe travels over the next 50 hours.....

Amazing race yesterday. One more lap and the podium would have been very different - got to roll the dice and play the hand. Split-second decision to stay out and he takes it - amazing bike handling skills! Fortune favours the brave!

I bought my Mazda Drifter 2.5Tdi 4x2 brand new in 2004. It's got nearly 300,000k's on the clock now and has never given me a moment's hassle. The plan is to replace it soon and considering the new Mazda's use the Isuzu chassis I am probably going to go the route of Isuzu (not a big fan of the new Mazda looks). Neighbour of mine bought a GWM and inside of two years it literally fell apart and as far as the Ranger goes the mechanic who looks after my Mazda says I must stay away - he's had to rebuild too many to have confidence in its longevity......so, my opinion, Isuzu it is........ Just to throw a spanner in the works (sorry!) - a mate bought the Mahindra S11 Karoo about a year ago and he's loving it....

Sam, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. I bailed on the 2019 event after having bike and GPS issues. I've had no motivation for Munga until I started reading your story.....Maybe there's a Grit waiting for me in 2022 - the big one is still on the wrong side of a love-hate relationship......Thanks again for taking the time to share our story. I've needed the motivation......

Well done Hansie - 20 minutes sleep over the whole distance........machine!!!!!

See Patsy is on her way again.....about to become friends with the soft sand again. Well behind the cutline but Kudo's for vasbyt!...

Sunset 2019 between WP5 and WP6......it's a beautiful part of our country......

Looks like Patsy has missed the turnoff to WP3! Its an easy one to miss because you get so used to riding the dirt road that you forget to look for the Munga flags and the palm trees that surround the farmhouse on this barren landscape. Keeping focus on the GPS is critical - she's got a long night ahead of her and cant waste any time at WP3 - and there are some long climbs coming to WP4 - I hope she doesnt have the headwind we had last year......

The majority of the distance is covered on dirt roads with a healthy dose of jeep-track (tweespoor) through the private farms. Very little tar and not much singletrack.

I think its at the directors discretion but they're probably going to get a time penalty....

After scratching at the 500k mark last year I swore never again.....now here I am wishing I was lining up tomorrow.....it's so frikken hard - why doesn't my body remember the pain, the sleep monsters, the soft sand, the blistering heat, the wind?.......guess I got to go back one day. Good luck and all the very best for the 2020 Mungrels.....may your ride be every bit the life-experience you expect it to be....

Annette at Cycledelic in Benoni is brilliant. I've had some really intricate paintwork done - my brother even had her do a respray on his compound bow which required serious hours. Cannot fault her work and would give my frame to her in a heartbeat. http://cycledelic.co.za/2019/