Wrap-up of the Inaugural Jozi2Kozi Ride

[Matt]

Start: 25^th August - Nigel Boeresaal

Destination: Kosi Bay Maputaland, Northern KZN

Distance: 748 km as per GPS

Time frame: 7 days

 

Day 1 - 124km

Riders from as far afield as Colorado USA and Cape Town arrived in Nigel, Gauteng, heralded by a Zulu “imbongi” or praise-singer, who cautioned the riders of the challenges that lay ahead on the journey to their ultimate destination: Kosi Bay on the warm Indian Ocean bordering Mozambique.

 

The first day was rolling grasslands, mielie fields and corrugated gravel roads - all 120km of them - until we reached the Grootdraai Dam Boat Club outside Standerton. Luckily for us there was a strong tail wind.

 

Day 2 - 111km

 

 

After a fitting boerwors and pap breakfast, riders were loaded onto ski-boats and ferried across the dam, wading in the, icy, muddy waters to get to the shore.

 

Yet more corrugated gravel roads led towards the isolated little town of Amersfoort. Passing through this century-old “dorpie”, riders encountered the first of the so-called “undulating hills”! Their progress was further slowed by a strong head-wind. Somehow the wind is very rarely in your favour! At Country Trax Academy, riders rested while devouring the delicious evening meal, listening to live local “boeremusiek”.

 

Day 3 - 106km

This was a challenging day with rocket-fast descents and heart-attack ascents, including Bitch Hill. A prize of a weekend in Mozambique was on offer for anyone who rode up. The men in the group were sorely exposed as Bitch Hill was conquered by female rider, Nataly. Egos shattered, we then referred to Bitch Hill as “Nataly’s Hill” (with the deepest respect to the skilled Nataly!).

 

Rocky hairpin descents down Puffadder pass had riders screaming in joy and terror, arriving finally at the tiny German hamlet of Luneburg. Here we listened to the German “Oompah Brass Band” practising, and were served traditional Eisbein and Jagermeister. Some riders stayed up until the early hours singing German war ballads with the farmers (and paid for it dearly the next day in the blistering heat and steep inclines).

 

Puffadder pass descent

 

Day 4 - 108km

Quietly leaving Luneburg along a short section of tar, riders were feeling the strain of the long days in the saddle. Today was marked by forestry tracks and uMkhunyane Game Reserve, where riders plunged into a sparkling stream to cool.

 

Then onto the dusty, corrugations leading to Klipwal Goldmine and the lightning-fast switchback decent into the Pongola River valley, bordering on Ithala Game Reserve. Crashes were inevitable with the loose gravel surface making turns treacherous. The paramedic on his BMW motorcycle was kept busy patching up riders until we reached the river crossing, with the armed game scouts from Ithala awaiting us on the opposite bank. Wading across the Pongola River, nervous comments were passed about the presence of unseen crocodiles, rhino and elephants. We man-handled the paramedic and BMW across the river with much cursing, splashing and laughter, and travelled to the main camp in Ithala.

 

 

Day 5 - 108km

Seriously steep climbs, long winding descents and bumpy cattle paths were the order of the day as riders entered rural Zululand, with cattle, and goats dodging the speeding riders. This was a long hot, tiring day, interspersed with stops at the local Spaza shops to have ice-cold Coke and answer the locals’ incredulous questions: “You rode from eJozi? Haaibo! Why don’t you catch a taxi?”

 

Passing through deep rural Zululand was an eye-opener for most riders, who commented on the simple, hard way of life, without the frenetic chaos of home.

 

Arriving at sundown to a gathering of several hundred people at Mr Mafuleka’s kraal, amidst much jubilation and singing, riders were very weary but still tucked in to the ceremonial wildebeest served for supper and, sleepy–eyed, watched traditional dance routines, before slipping off to bed, bone tired.

 

 

 

 

Day 6 - 115km

Dawn broke with hundreds of cockerels crowing across the valley, in harmony with the bellowing of Nguni cattle, en route to the privately-owned Zululand Rhino Reserve. After a briefing about conservation issues and sticking closely together, we proceeded towards Mkuze, encountering lots of plains game but luckily (or maybe not!) no lions, elephant, buffalo, rhino or leopard.

 

 

Rolling gravel roads led us to Mkuze taxi rank and a surprise! We jumped onto a bus, loading our bicycles onto the roof-top, to navigate the extremely narrow pass up to Ubombo town. After crawling up in the smoke-belching local bus to the top of the Lebombo mountains, we off-loaded our bikes and raced down into Maputaland and its sandy roads, heading for Lake Sibaya.

Jeep tracks, single tracks and very loose sandy paths tested the riders’ skills and sense of humour! It was unseasonably hot during the day, reaching 38 C. Arriving at the last 2 km of deep sand on the edges of Lake Sibaya, some rode and some pushed through the thick forest. Supper under a full moon at the edge of a pristine lake was a great end to a tiring day.

 

Day 7 - 83km

This was the shortest of the days (yeah, but we all know Murphy!) - 83km of flat roads interspersed with sections of loose sand. Well not quite…. There was a lot more loose sand than expected, so a lot of time was spent falling headfirst into the sand, amidst much jest as well as cursing of the race organizer (the author).

 

After passing through the bustling border town of KwaNganase, there was a flat section of tar to the turn-off towards Kosi Bay Mouth. A little sting in the tail for the riders who thought they had finished with the sand: to get to the magnificent viewpoint overlooking the century-old fish traps, estuary and Indian Ocean, there was a very short section of thick sand to put the cherry on top of a wonderfully challenging journey through our country.

 

Kosi Bay Mouth, forming part of the isiMangaliso World Heritage Site, was our final end point. What an achievement for the riders. Some had never ridden more than 50 kms before, some had bought their mountain bikes 2 weeks before, some did it on single speeds, some bonded deeply with their partners, some bonded less deeply with their partners!

 

 

 

 

Every day the ubuntu prize was given to those riders who gave the most needy, supplied gifts of Lucky Star Sardines and blankets to local needy community members. Heart-warming handovers happened at schools, rural crèches, at water and washing points and to grateful herdsmen along the route. This initiative of sharing humanity (ubuntu) is the Jozi2Kozi charity drive where cyclists engage actively with local communities spontaneously as they ride. Many riders had life changing heart-warming moments of this ubuntu along the route and received the nightly Ubuntu Prize.

 

All in all, a huge success, as a personal achievement for the riders and as an event.

 

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[Snow]

Well done to you the organiser! I'm sorry I wasn't there

[Pants Boy]

Next time

[Guest Guest]

Well Done Elton Stevens.

What a challenge...but an amazing experience.

[rouxtjie]

flip that looked like fun...

[markgc]

well done andy !

[teddygerda]

A must do for me!

[Mr Winter]

Would love to do this next year!!

[harryhcs]

check out the video!