Klein Karoo bike packing trip

[DJR]

NNM2019 Tour: Day 2 delayed report

 

.............

Great report Lurker! 

 

There are a couple of Hubsters whose ride reports I really enjoy! You are now firmly on that all too short a list. Know that you are in good company with people like River Rat, Velouria, Skubarra and Mamil! Please make the time to lurk less and write more! There are some of us who have attention spans a little greater than that of the proverbial goldfish!  

 

 

[NC_lurker]

Great report Lurker!

 

There are a couple of Hubsters whose ride reports I really enjoy! You are now firmly on that all too short a list. Know that you are in good company with people like River Rat, Velouria, Skubarra and Mamil! Please make the time to lurk less and write more! There are some of us who have attention spans a little greater than that of the proverbial goldfish!

 

[emoji106] [emoji106]

Thanks DJR.

I think I need to lurk less and ride more!

[NC_lurker]

NNM2019 Day 3: pulling the plug (delayed report)

 

Overheated and underfed, but surprisingly not overly dehydrated.

 

Being unable to eat much on Friday night due to feeling nauseous I realised I needed to trigger my escape plan.

Instead of heading into unknown (and uninhabited for 60km) territory to head west to van Wyksdorp 90km away, I opted to head down the tar back towards Mossel bay. Plan was to be picked up near Eight Bells once over Robinson pass, about 50km from Oudtshoorn.

 

After a start delayed by a very slow breakfast of the previous night's pesto pasta, I headed south out of Oudtshoorn...into a slight headwind (note the 180deg wind switch!)

As the wind freshened I faded, after barely covering 20km in the first hour I realised my power levels were down to that of a kitten, a tired kitten..

It was clear just getting to Robinson pass was going to be tough, getting over it was probably not worth the attempt. As Shackleton said, rather a live donkey than a dead lion..

Pulling to a stop at the next km marker I activated my EPIRB (well, actually I just sent a WhatsApp requesting an earlier pickup, but it felt more like a shipwreck).

 

In the end I only covered 35km on day 3 in over 2hrs of riding, think I stopped about 3 times in the last hour. By this time the weather the wind had heralded had started to arrive and the temperature had dropped to the low 20s, only a 20deg switch from the previous day!

 

So, NNM2019 ended in a rather less celebratory fashion than planned. I still got to see some awesome parts of our beautiful country and since I'm not dead I'm supposedly stronger..

 

Lessons learnt:

I really need to figure out a better eating strategy in the heat. I really need to eat more before I finally remember to eat. I really need to find some mates..

[BSG]

Well done on your trip, just think that weather-wise it was the wrong weekend.

[NC_lurker]

Well done on your trip, just think that weather-wise it was the wrong weekend.

Thanks BSG.

Yup, unfortunately I'd already postponed the trip once and didn't have many more options to get away before peak summer [emoji38]

[Kranswurm]

NNM2019 Tour: Day 2 delayed report

 

 

Hilarious..well done.I don't normally tackle long reads on here but yours is refreshing,funny and to the point.

[NC_lurker]

Hilarious..well done.I don't normally tackle long reads on here but yours is refreshing,funny and to the point.

Thanks!

[Spokey]

Sad you missed the Van Wyksdorp route, but good call. After reading your ride reports (great, by the way) that would have been aweful in the wind and heat. You went past another turn off to that route a bit before Robinson Pass, right to Pardebont, excellent route too.....another time perhaps.

 

Awesome ride all the same, well done.

[NC_lurker]

Sad you missed the Van Wyksdorp route, but good call. After reading your ride reports (great, by the way) that would have been aweful in the wind and heat. You went past another turn off to that route a bit before Robinson Pass, right to Pardebont, excellent route too.....another time perhaps.

 

Awesome ride all the same, well done.

Thanks.

Yup, it didn't finish the way I intended but I'm happy I made the right call.

Saw that turning to Pardebont, wondered if it joined up with the van Wyksdorp route. Still got plenty of unfinished business in the Klein Karoo... perhaps after summer [emoji38]