Attakwas 2022

[nathrix]

1 hour ago, Robbie Stewart said:

My folks farm in the Kammanassie, about 40km east of Oudtshoorn. My dad says Saturday morning early was already hellishly hot. Friends who live in Oudtshoorn reckon the average temp never descended below 31 deg C the previous night. I know of people living in George who entered and just decided to not even pitch for the start.

Having read up on all the past years I will say "well done" to anyone who finishes, but I am not sure I want to even attempt this.

In 2009, the inaugural of the Cape Pioneer Trek, on stage 4 I think, we took on the Kammanassie (riding a Mt.Fuji 26" htail alu frame 🥴 with a horrible front fork) riding from De Rust to Uniondal. It was brutal through there! One of the hardest days in the saddle I will never forget. They should make a one day race of it, simmular to the atta.

[ChUkKy]

17 hours ago, jcza said:

HR too high 

Power too low

Cooled off in Kandelaars rivier while Chukky was fighting with his tyre. 

Found beers at Padstal by WP2 

Drank beers and got lift back to finish. 
 

Fighting with the tyre in the river was a good choice in hindsight. Got many welcome splashes from passing by riders. 
When we found those beers I may have slipped my beer some tongue when I kissed it hello…

 

we go back next year to finish 👍🏼

[eala]

20 hours ago, Skubarra said:

Thanks Dale. In hindsight I think the race should have been cancelled/shortened in those conditions. Guess the problem is that large portions of the route are inaccessible to most vehicles so transporting groups of riders and their bikes would be impossible. 

Knowing dryland and having done most of their events ,they won't Sommer cancel .We had a similar day at the Tankwa day two in 2015 .It was 42 deg C at the top of the Witzenberg .Riders were dizzy ,cramping ,vomiting and most were in bad shape .I drank about twelve liters of fluid ,finished ,but did not ride the next day. When driving over Roberts pass from Oudshoorn to Mosselbay there is always a 10 degree difference .A hot day in George / Mosselbay means bloody hot on the other side .Last year we hiked on Bonniedale farm in the morning over December. Those valley's get very hot where the wind does not get to  

Edited January 17, 2022 by eala

[Unknown MTBR]

Kêrels, dit was warm!!

[babse]

Fuuurk me, I cant even imagine 51* 

 

I remember once doing a Stellenbosch race is 40+ degrees, it was carnage with water tables running out of liquids, people hiding under trees/cars for shade. And that lasted +-3hrs.

[Skubarra]

Just now, babse said:

Fuuurk me, I cant even imagine 51* 

 

I remember once doing a Stellenbosch race is 40+ degrees, it was carnage with water tables running out of liquids, people hiding under trees/cars for shade. And that lasted +-3hrs.

I remember that one! When we got out of the car early morning near Boschendal in the dark and the heat already smashed us in the face we knew it was going to be a scorcher of a day once the sun actually comes up...

[_David_]

I remember in the army (I was in Hoedspruit) all physical activities had to stop once the temperature got above 38 degrees.

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, eala said:

Knowing dryland and having done most of their events ,they won't Sommer cancel .We had a similar day at the Tankwa day two in 2015 .It was 42 deg C at the top of the Witzenberg .Riders were dizzy ,cramping ,vomiting and most were in bad shape .I drank about twelve liters of fluid ,finished ,but did not ride the next day. When driving over Roberts pass from Oudshoorn to Mosselbay there is always a 10 degree difference .A hot day in George / Mosselbay means bloody hot on the other side .Last year we hiked on Bonniedale farm in the morning over December. Those valley's get very hot where the wind does not get to  

I have very mixed feelings about this. Part of me likes that they didn't baby us and left it to ourselves as adults to make the call  on whether to ride or not (and whether to quit or push through when things got hectic). Clearly some people were able to handle the heat reasonably well. But at the same time I sense the organisers were overwhelmed when the crap hit the fan and multiple people had to be sweeped and some waterpoints ran out of water. I do think the responsible thing would have been to stop the race once the temperatures hit 50 degrees. At the very least I hope in future they have better contingency plans in place for something like this, for one the start could have been made an hour earlier once they knew the heat was going to be extreme.

[Spy007]

Heat sux and very few train for it.

 

Everyone wants to go out at 5 before the sun.

 

Well done to those that ompleted and hats of to those that with drew.

Health trumps any bragging rights in my opinion.

 

 

Munga 2019

230-350km mark

410km -510 mark

590-650 mark

 

[LuckyLuke]

On my way to bonniedale about 5km before there was a medical stop point. We stopped there , I needed something for the headache, they took a bit too long and I decided to head on and get something at bonniedale as my headache was only a problem on the downhills. Grabbed my bike and went downhill, after about 50m I looked down at my garmin only to realize its not my bike...hahaha, had to go back, we had quite a laugh about it

[GRG]

Race report from an Atta first timer:

I am glad I had never done the race before, as knowing what lay ahead, compounded by the rising mercury, I probably would have thought twice.

Standing in the starting pen, one could sense the trepidation for what lay ahead. Check the clutch, tighten the cleats, last sip of already warm water and we're off! Immediately the heat and dust is next level. The sunscreen/dust combo actually was a blessing in disguise against the sun. 

Up and through Chandlier, trying to be as conservative as possible, other more experienced riders here already were taking it very easy. Through the fist water point, everyone was stopping, drinking, pouring and trying to get their heart rates down. Already I chew on a piece of banana bread for about 4km!

The stretch between the first water point and the KOM water point was a combination of blurred vision, Zone 4/5 heart rate levels, walking, swearing and bargaining with myself. So many times I looked up at the hills and said WTF?! The KOM waterpoint was carnage, riders completely spent and trying to recover, putting water bottles on the wrong bikes, others just sitting, trying to get that heart rate down. Crazy!!

Down the Attakwas kloof, some recovery, feeling a bit better, maybe we can finish this. We hit the rolling hills, start in granny, try stay upright as there is no power left. More walking, but the camaraderie is great! The added water points are life savers, stop and rest, bargain some more until recovery. Can't sit here the whole day, need to get going eventually!

By now many riders are calling it a day. Second last water point, 36km left. What is 36km's? A normal ride, done many times before, we can do this. Cramp block pills, Ice water over the head, full bottles, down the hill, through the river (looked like a resort by now with everyone cooling down), and up another hill. This one never ends. Cars start driving down the route looking for their rider. Another guy starts zigzagging up the hill, which works so well, he rides away from me. Finally I make it to the 8 Bells turn. 

Rest again in some shade, nothing is staying down. But it is so close! Decision making time, some ride, some climb into cars. Off the tar, hello headwind! Down the hill, Blesbok climb. Lets try the zigzag technique, each time looking back to find my legs. Is there another water point? There is!! Nearly nearly there!! One more down and up, the flat at the top feels never-ending!

And all of a sudden, its over.

Many lessons learnt, many dark places visited, but it was one for the books. It is the first time I had a higher heart rate average than power average! I don't believe anyone could have prepared for that level of heat, it was a pure vasbyt effort, Africa is not a place for sissies!!

Cheers

Edited January 19, 2022 by GRG

[Bosbrommer]

20 minutes ago, GRG said:

Race report from an Atta first timer:

I am glad I had never done the race before, as knowing what lay ahead, compounded by the rising mercury, I probably would have thought twice.

Standing in the starting pen, one could sense the trepidation for what lay ahead. Check the clutch, tighten the cleats, last sip of already warm water and we're off! Immediately the heat and dust is next level. The sunscreen/dust combo actually was a blessing in disguise against the sun. 

Up and through Chandlier, trying to be as conservative as possible, other more experienced riders here already were taking it very easy. Through the fist water point, everyone was stopping, drinking, pouring and trying to get their heart rates down. Already I chew on a piece of banana bread for about 4km!

The stretch between the first water point and the KOM water point was a combination of blurred vision, Zone 4/5 heart rate levels, walking, swearing and bargaining with myself. So many times I looked up at the hills and said WTF?! The KOM waterpoint was carnage, riders completely spent and trying to recover, putting water bottles on the wrong bikes, others just sitting, trying to get that heart rate down. Crazy!!

Down the Attakwas kloof, some recovery, feeling a bit better, maybe we can finish this. We hit the rolling hills, start in granny, try stay upright as there is no power left. More walking, but the camaraderie is great! The added water points are life savers, stop and rest, bargain some more until recovery. Can't sit here the whole day, need to get going eventually!

By now many riders are calling it a day. Second last water point, 36km left. What is 36km's? A normal ride, done many times before, we can do this. Cramp block pills, Ice water over the head, full bottles, down the hill, through the river (looked like a resort by know with everyone cooling down), and up another hill. This one never ends. Cars start driving down the route looking for their rider. Another guy starts zigzagging up the hill, which works so well, he rides away from me. Finally I make it to the 8 Bells turn. 

Rest again in some shade, nothing is staying down. But it is so close! Decision making time, some ride, some climb into cars. Off the tar, hello headwind! Down the hill, Blesbok climb. Lets try the zigzag technique, each time looking back to find my legs. Is there another water point? There is!! Nearly nearly there!! One more down and up, the flat at the top feels never-ending!

And all of a sudden, its over.

Many lessons learnt, many dark places visited, but it was one for the books. It is the first time I had a higher heart rate average than power average! I don't believe anyone could have prepared for that level of heat, it was a pure vasbyt effort, Africa is not a place for sissies!!

Cheers

Hehe. Really enjoyed this write up especially the part about the zigzagging! Well done to all for completing this event, true warrior spirit. 

[worriesnot]

34 minutes ago, Bosbrommer said:

Hehe. Really enjoyed this write up especially the part about the zigzagging! Well done to all for completing this event, true warrior spirit. 

aka "paper boy"

[monsterINC]

On 1/17/2022 at 1:41 PM, _David_ said:

I remember in the army (I was in Hoedspruit) all physical activities had to stop once the temperature got above 38 degrees.

Was in Hoedspruit too, thank goodness was a winter intake, but I too remember sleeping 'kal' on those cement floors at night.

[_David_]

12 minutes ago, monsterINC said:

Was in Hoedspruit too, thank goodness was a winter intake, but I too remember sleeping 'kal' on those cement floors at night.

Thought I scored a luck going to the SAAF.  Never thought I would end up in Boston training base Hoedspruit with Cpl Oberholzer and Buys. Some of the best days of my life that I never want over again 🙂

[eala]

I take cramping to a new level when it is that hot . I can manage the heat well , but have no control over the cramping . My heart rate is fine ,i am not even tired ,i am even positive , but the cramping immobilizes my legs and starts at three hours in almost always  . Somehow i get thru it and i limp home 

Edited January 19, 2022 by eala