[Event] TransBaviaans 2011

[TYGA]

My eerste een ook. Ek sien baie uit daarna. Eks nog net nie seker hoe om dit te benader nie: doen soveel km as moontlik op die afdraende vir die 1ste 110+km of slow and steady van die begin af.

 

Eet daai olifant met klein happies, ons plan is om HOPELIK nog bene oor te he wanneer die klimmery op 130 kilo's begin.

[Sawdust]

Het dit vanoggend gekry. Ook maar goed ons doen die Langs Baviaans:

 

An update following the rains of the weekend.

 

Gareth has informed me that the water levels remain high at Drinkwaterskloof and Smitskraal. The water levels are around 1 - 1.5 m deep at places in the criossings. This effectively closes the access from the western section until further notice.

 

Access from Patensie to Rooihoek will only be allowed for visitors who have confirmed bookings and disc access - no day visitors will be allowed until further notice as problems have been experienced with day visitors attempting Smitskraal. The road is in a poor state below Bergplaas towards Rooihoek making driving conditions difficult. A no entry sign is being erected at Elandsvlak.

 

I would ask all product owners and tourism information centers to bear with us during this time, tourism to the entire area is affected during the current rain.

 

Wickus Van Heerden, organizer of the Trans Baviaans, did a recce through the reserve this past weekend and supports the view that visitor access should be limited for now. He will proably be sending out an update on the race, it seems likely that the alternative route will be used given the road conditions and water levels.

[duringd]

I find this silence re this past event rather weird, odd, even scary for THE HUB. I thought someone would be complaining about something?? Well, all I want to say is that this was one b1tch of a race! TransGrootrivier seriously kicked a couple guys in the teeth. Great challenge, but NO to this being the route every year. I'll take my chances with buffalo and rhino before I have to climb the new BMAC!!!

[tombraider]

I think it is wise to sit back and give the body a chance to recover before putting fingers to the keyboard!

We had a good ride and were fortunate to that the one fall wasn't serious and that our partner could continue the race. I don't even want to think what problems an emergency down at Grootriver could have caused. How do you evacuate somebody in the dark from there?

I did enjoy the new route from a scenery point of view, although it was definetly harder than the Baviaans we know. They did compensate a little on the last section though.

The waterpoints where disorganized. A lot of effort went into checking in and out, but the service to riders (offering help with filling the bottles and lubing the chain) was lacking. Especially the 1st point couldn't handle the bunches arriving.

I would suggest that they switch between the routes each year, as it gives the race an extra dimension. I wouldn't have seen the Grootriver gorge, if it wasn't for this event.

[Caerus]

How was everyones rides?

[Tumbleweed]

I would suggest that they switch between the routes each year, as it gives the race an extra dimension.

 

What about 'up' and 'down' runs on alternating years?

[udxcob]

I think you guys froze your nuts off

[Help.Me.]

I know now i can push my bike for long stretches......

[Caerus]

I know now i can push my bike for long stretches......

 

How was your time?

[Help.Me.]

How was your time?

 

My Garmin 500 died on me at the last checkpoint but somewhere after 4 am.... and yours?

[Nix M2]

That was certainly one of the toughest things I've ever done. Had a super strong team, and got me to the end. 11:52:33. Waaay to long to be on a bike. I really enjoyed that decent down to Grootrivier...AWESOME!!! Even enoyed the climb up to check point 3.

[Caerus]

My Garmin 500 died on me at the last checkpoint but somewhere after 4 am.... and yours?

 

 

Didn't ride but my boss man did a 9h34mins, 4th overall. Just wondering how everyone else found it. He said to me he has never felt so exhausted after any race as he did after this.

[splat]

Well done to everyone that did it.

 

Provisional results are here

[TYGA]

An "Up" Baviaans would be suicidal. Period.

 

After all the weather forecasts, speculation about rain, headwinds and freezing temperatures we ended up being blessed with cold but sunny skies and a tailwind for the best part of the ride. The first 100 kilo's into checkpoint 2 took just under four hours and spirits were high pulling in for sosaties, boerie, potatoes and roosterbread...perfect. The next 20 or so clicks flew by as well and then the climbing began.

 

After a hectic and rocky climb / ride / push we only JUST made it before dark into checkpoint 3 at about 6PM where our lights were, I am sure quite a few riders were caught in the dark with their pants down. Bean soup and roosterbread, dry clothes and about an hours faffing off we went again. There was quite a bit of bike pushing getting out of that valley and the deathly silence with the full moon above and nothing but a line of riders' tail lights off and up into the distance and a line of headlamps when looking back down and below to CP3 was an awesome and surreal at the same time and the magnitude of the task at hand settled in.

 

We finally made it into Patensie at about 10PM where our legend seconds were waiting with solid food...sorted out some mechanical issues, grazed a KFC Famous bowl (suprisingly possibly the nicest thing I have ever eaten) and even though the thought of another 50 or so kilo's was a mental challenge left there feeling strong. The neverender was exactly that but we gave it horns climbing up and over and eventually pulled into JBay just before 1 AM.

 

This was by far the longest ride I have ever attempted. Technically it's not challenging, the majority of the mileage is fast but it's the hours on the bike that eventually wears you down. Keeping the pace down, nice and even, not starting too fast, eating more than sufficiently, excellent seconds, the support of two great partners who never stopped talking shite for a second changed this from survival to enjoyable. Given the logistics the organization was great, hats off to the team that put it together and I am looking forward to attempting the proper Baviaans next.

[Flea]

How did it compare to a "normal" Baviaans? If I knew that it was going to be different, I would have done it, as it seems that the route was quite a bit different.

[fabes]

That was by the most challenging event i have ever done. I would choose to do an Ironman before attempting that route again. I didnt think it would ever be possible to fall asleep on a bike, but going up the never ender i just couldn't keep my eyes open and found myself in the bush a few times.