Klein Karoo bike packing trip

[JohanDiv]

Are you based in Stilbaai? Pretty sure I've seen you on a few Strava segments in the area.

Haha holidays in Vleesbaai..think you'll mostly see me on the segments between Vlees, Kanon and Gouritz..maybe one or two between Gouritz and Stilbaai

[NC_lurker]

Haha holidays in Vleesbaai..think you'll mostly see me on the segments between Vlees, Kanon and Gouritz..maybe one or two between Gouritz and Stilbaai

Right. I tend to stick to the Stilbaai side of things. (Folks live in Stilbaai)

[Skubarra]

Tx for the write-ups! Hope the rest of your trip goes well ????

[NC_lurker]

Tx for the write-ups! Hope the rest of your trip goes well [emoji106]

Thanks!

 

If I end up on the wrong side of an electric fence I'll practice my burrowing technique ;-)

[NC_lurker]

Lunch stop at Herold

[DJR]

Waaaay better than my lunch at work!

[NC_lurker]

Waaaay better than my lunch at work!

Does your desk come with aircon?

I asked at the corner cafe if I could climb into their icecream freezer...I think they thought I was joking..

[DJR]

Does your desk come with aircon?

I asked at the corner cafe if I could climb into their icecream freezer...I think they thought I was joking..

Yes, lovely and cool.....I feel a little better already 

[NC_lurker]

Yes, lovely and cool.....I feel a little better already

I'm a bit cooked, think a 2nd day of 35deg+ temps are getting to me.

Busy finding my mojo for the next 45km into Oudtshoorn, I suspect it's going to get warmer [emoji91]

 

Might just need to swing by the cafe for a 2nd ice lolly prior to departure

[NC_lurker]

NNM2019 Tour: Day 2 completed (only just)

Groot Brak - Montagu pass - Oudtshoorn

93km, 1500m elev gain, 5hr20 ride time

 

In a nutshell I'm broken. A second consecutive day of temps well over 35degs has left me having to consider pulling the plug tomorrow.

 

Highlight: surviving..

 

Ride report to follow

[BSG]

Looks like such a nice trip to do, where did you sleep over in Groot Brak? Sorry that I missed you, I only got back into town yesterday after I had my op done in Cape Town.

[NC_lurker]

Looks like such a nice trip to do, where did you sleep over in Groot Brak? Sorry that I missed you, I only got back into town yesterday after I had my op done in Cape Town.

Hi BSG. Ended up staying at Wolwedans as you suggested.

That's a serious little hillclimb you've got behind your place! It's possible I took the difficult way out of town, nothing like starting your morning with 1km of 12% +

[BSG]

Hi BSG. Ended up staying at Wolwedans as you suggested.

That's a serious little hillclimb you've got behind your place! It's possible I took the difficult way out of town, nothing like starting your morning with 1km of 12% +

If you went out in front of Pick&Pay, Charles street, it would've been the easier way out, but if you went on the tar road, Voorbrug road, just behind Pick&Pay, that is surely one of the biggest climbs we've got out of town.

[NC_lurker]

If you went out in front of Pick&Pay, Charlee street, it would've been the easier way out, but if you went on the tar road, Voorbrug road, just behind Pick&Pay, that is surely one of the biggest climbs we've got out of town.

Yup, I took the voorbrug rd thinking it would put me on the gravel rd to Blanco that I wanted.

 

Fairly tough on cold legs & 20kgs of bicycle/kit. I was glad it was tar!

[BSG]

Yup, I took the voorbrug rd thinking it would put me on the gravel rd to Blanco that I wanted.

 

Fairly tough on cold legs & 20kgs of bicycle/kit. I was glad it was tar!

Ja that one I prefer not to do upwards, only doing it coming down.

I just have to say to anyone reading or looking at your trip report, doesn't matter which way/direction out of Groot Brak you take, uphill it's going to be. Some just less uphill than others.

[NC_lurker]

NNM2019 Tour: Day 2 delayed report

 

Sitting in Stilbaai watching the rain while writing a report about struggling in 40deg+ temperatures, this weather is weird..

 

Left Groot Brak on Friday morning with Oudtshoorn as my overnight destination with a planned lunch stop in Herold, just over Montagu pass.

Decided accidentally to challenge BSG's local Strava KOM on my way out of town... don't think I scared any of the local Stravaites.. nothing like a 1.5km climb at 12% to warm up your legs!

 

Arrived in George at my planned breakfast stop to be sadly disappointed, it appears pastries aren't quite as big as cheesecake in George. Ended up hitting the local Spar for some aircon and pancakes.

Refueled but decidedly not ready, I headed off up Montagu pass into a freshening headwind.

 

Side note: opened in 1848 Montagu pass was reportedly built by 250 convicts in 3yrs...how on earth is that possible! At that rate those guys would've finished the Muizenberg to Clovelly resurfacing in about 3 months and still had time to build the odd tidal pool on their day off!

 

Riding up I remember reflecting on how modern society's approach to nature could be typified by the new(er) Outeniqua pass dominating the skyline as opposed to the old school method of working with nature to find a route through. Given that I'm not normally such a deep thinker I should've seen what was coming...

 

Once down the other side I pulled in to the first (and only) cafe for some drinks and an ice sucker. I think the shop assistant thought I was joking when I asked if I could climb into the icecream freezer. Upon further investigation I realise her answer was moot, I wasn't going to fit unfortunately.

 

Belatedly realising I was in Herold I found the Tea room and grabbed a snack. A quick stop at the cafe on the way out for another ice sucker for the road and that was Herold done.

 

Then I headed into the desert. Then it got dryer and even hotter. Then the headwind persisted. Then I came across some guys from Pretoria doing a supported MTB gravel ride, who offered me some ice.. if any of you read this, apologies for the reaction, I think I might've seemed a little desperate as I grabbed as much as I could fit into a bottle (and my mouth)..

 

I honestly don't remember the next section other than it was k*k.

At the first sign of habitation I pulled in looking for water and shade. No surprises that it was a Government Research Farm, obviously trying to see if they can breed Ostriches to survive on Mars. Which is probably where the receptionist thought I was from as I staggered in trying to ask for water. Luckily the water bottle I was waving was recognisable as I'm sure the croaking that replaced intelligible speech wasn't.

 

I think I spent about 25min "napping" in the shade on the most comfortable concrete stoep ever. Things must've looked bad for business, one of the officials came out offering me a bed & aircon. Remembering the sign on the gate I politely declined. No research on me thanks..

 

10km later I made it to my Oudtshoorn accommodation. Not before stopping at the first opportunity for a coke, about 6km after the research farm.

 

Day 2 done. Unfortunately it was pretty clear that the NNM2019 Tour was also pretty much done.