Ryanpmb Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 yup. if you go lehanas you stuck with one option*. road route you can always get a lift if it gets dicey. *the container, if you can get there. if you can get in. if you can get out.
tubed Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 I have been around once and over once. Around was when it was necessary. We went up for an hour against the wind on the lower slopes of Lehana's and it was clearly snowing on top, we turned around and had a very very long day over Naudesnek via Philipsrust. The wind was so strong you could only ride up the pass to Naude's where there was a lee to get some shelter, otherwise you walked.In parts the road was frozen and the streams on the side of the road had frozen. We had to pedal down to Rhodes. Two guys quit and went into Tenahead and another quit at Rhodes that night. That mountain is woes in the wind and cold. There will be some shattered people in Rhodes tonight and the other support stations - I hope someone is taking pics. Epic, legend, lifechanging, mental - those words will mean something to those folk out there today.
tubed Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 Of the few cars that will pass them on the pass, every single car will offer them a lift to Rhodes and a respite from the madness, today they will need to be strong to not get in a car, the temptation will be so so strong. Hope nobody needs to climb in or falls to the temptation. Race over.
Ryanpmb Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 I have been around once and over once. Around was when it was necessary. We went up for an hour against the wind on the lower slopes of Lehana's and it was clearly snowing on top, we turned around and had a very very long day over Naudesnek via Philipsrust. The wind was so strong you could only ride up the pass to Naude's where there was a lee to get some shelter, otherwise you walked.In parts the road was frozen and the streams on the side of the road had frozen. We had to pedal down to Rhodes. Two guys quit and went into Tenahead and another quit at Rhodes that night. That mountain is woes in the wind and cold. There will be some shattered people in Rhodes tonight and the other support stations - I hope someone is taking pics. Epic, legend, lifechanging, mental - those words will mean something to those folk out there today. Yip that mountain is a beast when calm. And an absolute dragon when conditions are adverse. I've been up in both. During RTR14 the wind was so strong, I don't think I've been that frightened, ever. My loaded PYGA (must have been somewhere between 15 - 20kgs) got blown off my back, over my head to land in front of me. We had to pedal our bikes HARD, DOWN Naudes to Rhodes at times getting blown off our bikes and opting to push so we didn't get blown off the road. Ad snow and mist to the mix. Legendary. I kinda wish I was out there so I could share a story at Rhodes this evening.
Trackz Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 I know Joyce in that group (10/11 Epics) and have done a few races with Brad/Nix, Soft on the outside, tough as steel on the inside. Really feel for them today but knowing their caliber, they can suffer like hell but will persevere till Rhodes. As an aside. We had 100km/h+ (est) winds on Mpharane ridge last year, same day as others had same wind on Lehanas. We dragged our bikes for 30kms to Ongeluks with last 3kms taking an hour on a district road. At one point Brad/Nix sat down next to the road next to one another with their backs to the wind staring into the hills ... like it was just another day, except their hair was horisontal to the front and their faces brown with dirt. Inside, tough as steel.
Shebeen Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 Of the few cars that will pass them on the pass, every single car will offer them a lift to Rhodes and a respite from the madness, today they will need to be strong to not get in a car, the temptation will be so so strong. Hope nobody needs to climb in or falls to the temptation. Race over.not really. you can always get a lift back and restart tomorrow from the same spot. happened yesterday
Ryanpmb Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 I know Joyce in that group (10/11 Epics) and have done a few races with Brad/Nix, Soft on the outside, tough as steel on the inside. Really feel for them today but knowing their caliber, they can suffer like hell but will persevere till Rhodes. As an aside. We had 100km/h+ (est) winds on Mpharane ridge last year, same day as others had same wind on Lehanas. We dragged our bikes for 30kms to Ongeluks with last 3kms taking an hour on a district road. At one point Brad/Nix sat down next to the road next to one another with their backs to the wind staring into the hills ... like it was just another day, except their hair was horisontal to the front and their faces brown with dirt. Inside, tough as steel. That was me on Lehanas. Mpharane couldn't have been fun either... Some tough riders out there today. Keep going!
Shebeen Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 bit confusing working behind all this anon handles - can we do a quick roll call here so? - if you want to stay anonymous please PM me. I'm steve burnett RASA 2008. twitter only really gets used during this time of year - @sburnettza this is when i was showing tim james the routehttp://www.bikepacking.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/freedom1.jpg.
suzieQ Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 Yip that mountain is a beast when calm. And an absolute dragon when conditions are adverse. I've been up in both. During RTR14 the wind was so strong, I don't think I've been that frightened, ever. My loaded PYGA (must have been somewhere between 15 - 20kgs) got blown off my back, over my head to land in front of me. We had to pedal our bikes HARD, DOWN Naudes to Rhodes at times getting blown off our bikes and opting to push so we didn't get blown off the road. Ad snow and mist to the mix. Legendary. I kinda wish I was out there so I could share a story at Rhodes this evening.Haha, careful what you wish for!!
Ryanpmb Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 Haha, careful what you wish for!!I did say "kinda"... . Imagine though!
Ryanpmb Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 bit confusing working behind all this anon handles - can we do a quick roll call here so? - if you want to stay anonymous please PM me. I'm steve burnett RASA 2008. twitter only really gets used during this time of year - @sburnettza this is when i was showing tim james the route. Not too anonymous but I'm Ryan Neumann (Race to Rhodes 2014) and @ryanneumann23 is the Twitter handle. Myself heading out of Ntsikeni and at the container (apologies for the budget pic). Both during recce's. We didn't stop for too many pics in the Race
Trackz Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 My name is Carl Scholtz and I am a FC addictmakingtrackz.wordpress.comAlso do the daily FC report every 2/3rd nightWhip Bearer, Windmill Keeper but no blanket so I participate in conversation with humility:-)
tubed Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 not really. you can always get a lift back and restart tomorrow from the same spot. happened yesterdayGolden Rule 1 says auto disqualify and you appeal to get back in. I don't think Glenn will be unreasonable, but it would have to be a pretty good reason and not discomfort or inconvenience I would imagine. Seems like the rules have been tightened up and enforced this year - guess it has to be with such a big field.
suzieQ Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 bit confusing working behind all this anon handles - can we do a quick roll call here so? - if you want to stay anonymous please PM me. I'm steve burnett RASA 2008. twitter only really gets used during this time of year - @sburnettza this is when i was showing tim james the routehttp://www.bikepacking.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/freedom1.jpg. Sue Greaves - Long time Freedom Challenge fan and follower and Cheerleader wife - Married to Merak, recently became a whip bearer (R2R 2015) I have some great pics that Merak took from last week out on the trail and some great ones that my son took of the GALAS from East London as well as Johannrissik, Mike Roy, the Wallys. Some awesome ones coming up Lehanas pass, so if any of you would like to have copies or know how I can get hold of any of the above, let me know. Amazing how big a factor the weather can be in an event like this. Epic day!!
Shebeen Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 Golden Rule 1 says auto disqualify and you appeal to get back in. I don't think Glenn will be unreasonable, but it would have to be a pretty good reason and not discomfort or inconvenience I would imagine. Seems like the rules have been tightened up and enforced this year - guess it has to be with such a big field.fair enough, if i recall correctly the 2007 race had a few guys getting a lift when the massive storm hit round the naude's nek area. this happened yesterday,was for injury so was probably pre arranged. Tracker watchers were confused by Steve Johnston going the wrong up up the pass from Rhodes side but it transpired he was getting a lift back to where he had "paused" his race for an injury. After recieving treatment from a local physio in Rhodes, he restarted from the same point and rode back into Rhodes, so he's now back on track for RASA. Also still in Rhodes is Neville Higgs who opted to take a rest day there today. just for the record here is Andrew barnes getting a lift in 2008*. We missed the anysberg turnoff and went off our map! the friendly farmer was going to laingsburg anyway so we waited and got a lif back to where we left the trail. All ok'd by Lehana. but ja, some of the rules we now have came from grey areas being tested.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h-Tx835tV_g/SLZkdGVqAcI/AAAAAAAABS4/fq2G2WgNUU8/s400/IMG_1908.JPG *full disclosure - holding my bike
Slowbee Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 umm, is the entrance to the ladder going to be an issue this year again ?
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