BB2BB Day 23

The stay at Karoobos Lodge was pleasant. Supper was hood and the breakfast was worth the value.

We got  going at 05:00. The road out of Hofmeyr was sublime! The surface very smooth and the elevation was zero. We were really moving along at a good pace. We covered 29 km in the first hour an a half. We had our early morning stop at Conway after covering 50 km in just under 3 hours.

The road surface suddenly deteriorated to the opposite of what we just had. Too make matters worse we were now riding into a head wind and had to deal with those familiar Karoo inclines. Our average speed dropped immediately. It really became a slog, toddling along at a steady 13-17 kph. By the time we got to the R61 tar road from Cradock through to the Graaff-Reinet/Middelburg tar road, our average have droppedi rr to 15 kph.

We now had to negotiate the Wapadsberg Pass. A climb of 400 meters over a distance of approximately 9 km. The incline was not too severe and we maintained a steady 5.5-6.5 kph all the way. The view from the top was really breathtaking. On the way down it was just about down hill all the the T-junction. Here we turned right and then left on the Owl House road (Nieu Bethesda). My second cousin, Elsa and Francois Botha, with whom we are staying over tonight, is 7 km up this road. The up is just enough to make it difficult. We maintained a steady 11-13 kph.

Elsa informed me that they would not be home and if we got in early we had to make ourselves at home. We did that, had a shower, made some coffee and watched sport until they got home.

Data for the day: started 05:00; time 09:14:43; distance 126.89 km; 13.72 kph; ascent 1,275; descent 1,079 meters. We have descent more than 700 meters in the last two days! Total distance to date 2,260 km.