HotH Toer (Reverse) Dag 1

 

Almal is betyds reg en ons kom 05:48 weg. 

Die eerste bult begin sommer wanneer ons by die hek uit ry. 3.7 km met 385 meter se klim! Dit is rof. Gelukkig het Mike en Johan e-bikes, maar ek moet maar met my eie bene die bult uittrap! Dit neem my 50 minute om tot bo te kom. Anderkant af haal ek 65 kpu, maar na die afdraend van net meer as 3 km, wat binne 'n paar minute afgelê word, kom die volgende bult! 3.79 km maar die keer darem net 210 meter se klim. 

So 'n entjie verby die top kom Johan agter se selfoon is weg. Hy besluit net daar om om te draai en dit gaan soek. Ons ry stadig aan. Na so 'n paar km begin die volgende bult. 9 km met 479 meter se klim en dit eindig bo-op Gysmanshoekpas. Dit "grappie" neem 1:35! Net nadat ek bo is, kom Mike ook daar aan. Hy het 'n halfuur vir Johan gewag en toe moed opgegee en aan gery. 

Ons ry lekker saam en stop langs die pad om die oorskiet braaibroodjies van gister aand te eet. Daar is nog so 'n paar klimme oppad Muiskraal toe, maar niks so ernstig soos daardie eerste drie nie. Ons kom na 5 ure in die saal by Muiskraal aan. Afstand is net oor 45 km. Toe ons bo-oor Gysmanshoekpas is, was ons gemiddeld 7.2 kpu. So ons het darem ons gemiddelde spoed opgestoot na 9 kpu. 

Mike het intussen kontak gemaak met Johan en hy is op die regte roete maar so 'n uur agter ons. Mike verduidelik vir Johan hoe om te ry om by Dwarsrivier uit te kom. Ons kom na 15 minute weer aan die gang. Die roete tot by Cloetsepas, net voor Dwarsrivier, het geen ernstige klimme nie en ons handhaaf 'n goeie pas. Ons ry ook verby Klein Karoo Welgevonden waar ons sou gebly het op 78 km. Nou nog 33 km Dwarsrivier toe, met Cloetespas se klim net voor dit. Dit temperatuur draai op 42 grade Celsius. 

Die klim is 6.76 km lank waar tydens ons 274 meter styg. Dit neem 56 minute om bo te kom. 3 km na die top daai ons links af Dwarsrivier toe. Daar is 'n baie duidelike Toeriste Inligtings bordjie wat die afdraai aandui. 

Ons kom na 10:04 met 'n afsrand 111.58 km daar aan. Netto gemiddelde spoed is op na 11.04 kpu. Ons totale klim vir die dag is 2,386 meter. 

Ons klok in nadat ons guldelik deur Jenny en Martin ontvang is. Nou wag ons net vir Johan, maar hy daag nie op nie. Heelwat later kontak hy vir Mike om te sê dat hy die afdraai na Dwarsrivier gemis het en in 'n gaste huis is Herbersdale ingeboek het! 

So eindig 'n groot dag met heelwat "kinkels"! Die dag word afgesluit met 'n 5 ster maaltyd wat Jenny vir ons voor sit. Hulle eet saam met ons en ons gesels te lekker. Voorwaar 'n voorreg om op so 'n mooi plek by sulke vriendelike en gasvrye mens oor te bly. 

Everybody was ready on time and we left at 05:48.

We hit the first hill right the gate. 3.7 km with 385 meters of climbing! It's rough. Luckily Mike and Johan have e-bikes, but I have to pedal up the hill with my own legs! It took me 50 minutes to get to the top. Down the other side I reach 65 kpu, but after the descent of just over 3 km, which was covered in a few minutes, we arrived at the next hill! 3.79 km but this time only 210 meters of climbing.

A little past the top, Johan realised that his cellphone is gone. He decides to turn around right there and go look for it. Mike and myself decided to continue slowly. After a few km the next hill starts. 9 km with 479 meters of climbing and it ends at the top of Gysmanshoek Pass. This "joke" takes 1:35! Just after I'm reached the top, Mike also arrived. He waited for Johan for half an hour at the turn off. At that point he decided that it will be beter to continue.

We cycled along nicely and stoped along the road to eat the leftover braaibroodjies from yesterday evening. There are still a few climbs on the way to Muiskraal, but nothing as serious as those first three. We arrive at Muiskraal after 5 hours in the saddle. A distance of just over 45 km. When we got over Gysmanshoek Pass, our average speed was 7.2 kph. So we at least increased our average speed to 9 kph.

Mike has meanwhile made contact with Johan and we established that he was on the right route but about an hour behind us. Mike explained to Johan how to ride to get to Dwarsrivier. We got going again after 15 minutes. The route up to Cloetse Pass, just before Dwarsrivier, has no serious climbs and we maintain a good pace. At 78 km we rode past Klein Karoo Welgevonden turn off, where we would have stayed. Now we had another 33 km to go to Dwarsrivier, with the Cloetes Pass climb just before that. The temperature, breifly, went up to 42 degrees Celsius.

The climb is 6.76 km long during which we gained 274 meters. It took me 56 minutes to get to the top. 3 km passed the top we turned left to Dwarsrivier, where there is a very clear Tourist Information sign indicating the turnoff.

We arrived after 10:04 with a destance of 111.58 km. Net average speed was up to 11.04 kph. Total acsent for the day was 2,386 meters.

We clocked in after being warmly received by Jenny and Martin. Now we just had to wait for Johan, but he does not show up. Much later he contacts Mike to say that he missed the turnoff to Dwarsrivier and has booked into a guest house in Herbersdale, 13km down the road!

Thus ends a big day with many "twists"! It is "crowned" with a 5 star meal that Jenny served us. They eat with us and we have an enjoyable evening around the diner table. Truly a privilege to stay in such a beautiful place with such friendly and hospitable people