Marlu na Elandsrivier

 

Met 'n week met twee vakansiedae, is daar geen rede om by die huis te sit nie. Ek reël dus om by Lucia en Martin Dorfling op Marlu te gaan kuier en die Maandag met my fiets deur te ry na Llise en Mark Dodds in die Elandsrivier vallei. Albei kan my akkommodeer en ek ry Saterdag 26 April, met my motor, Marlu toe. Kuier Saterdag en Sondag lekker daar.

Ry afstand van Marlu na die Doddse is 165 km met net meer as 2,000 meter se klim. Dit sluit onder andere 'n rit deur Grootrivierpoort in. 

Lucia maak vir my 'n padkos pakkie met twee gekookte eiers, twee ham en kaas roosterbroodjies, biltong, 'n paar oorskied gebraaide lieslappe, 'n Coke, 'n pakkie Fritos en 'n Pakkie Jellie Tots. Ek voeg die twee piesangs wat ek saam gebring het by, saam met twee appels. Ek gaan dus nie honger ly nie!

Ek kom 05:57 aan die ry. By die plaashek, wat gewoonlik net in gehak is, kry ek nou 'n gesluite hek. Dus moet ek my fiets oor die hek tel. Daar is gelukkig 'n groot gat langsaan waar deur ek kan kruip. 

Na die hek draai ek links, Steytlerville se kant toe. Ek begin sommer met 'n klim. Gelukkig nie te erg nie. Die eerste 9 km is meesal afdraend. Daar is heelwat teken s van vloedskade by die driffies waar ek deur ry. In een geval is daar 'n groot gat aan die linkerkant waar iemand net 'n groot klip in die gat gesit het. Met 'n gewone voertuig sal die bestuurder mooi moet mik om een wiel op die klip te kry en die ander wiel op die deel van pad wat nog rybaar is. 

Na 9 km draai ek regs Steytlerville toe. Na 'n redelike klim, kronkel die pad tussen twee bergreekse deur. Die pad oppervlakte is goed en redelik gelyk met die gevolg dat ek 'n lekker pas handhaaf. Die laaste 5 km Steytlerville is alles afdraend! 

Deur die dorp en dan klim ek weer. Die gradiënt is redelik en die bult nie te lank nie. Op 43 km split die pad. Links na Cockscomb en regs Grootrivier toe. Ek kies regs. Eers stop ek vir 'n "snack" en eet 'n toebroodjie en drink die Coke. Ek het vroeër een van die piesangs ge-eet.

Net na die Winterhoek afdraai, stop 'n bakkie by my en vra waarheen ek oppad is. Die man se oë rek toe ek sê ek gaan deur die Grootrivierpoort en dan Elandsrivier toe. Hy wys die verte in en sê daar aan die einde van die berg is Grootrivierpoort. Hy groet en draai af Winterhoek se rigting. 

Op 60 km is daar weer 'n afdraai. Reguit gaan weer Cockscomb toe en regs Grootrivier toe. Ek sou later agterkom dat die Cockscomb by my pad aansluit. My pad klim so 'n bietjie en dan ry ek al bo teen 'n rant langs. Ek gaan verby 'n plaas genaamd Wilgerhof. Agter die plaashuis is daar 'n groot damwal met twee groot gate in. Gelukkig is die huis so 'n bietjie regs van die dam, maar ek dink die moes nogal skrikwekend gewees het toe daardie wal gebreek het!

Na 72 km sluit ek by die Cockscomb pad aan. Die pad Cockscomb het so 'n entjie vroeër links weggedraai en hierdie pad gaan nou ook Grootrivier toe. Die "ekskursie" het my dag se rit met ongeveer 2 km gerek! Ek is nou op die pad wat die Freedom Challende (FC) gebruik om van die Bucklands "Support Station SS" na die Hadley SS te ry. Ek onthou die pad van 2019  se FC en hy is baie op en af met 'n paar redelike lang bulte op en af. 

Ek het met Bennie Rathbone gereel vir 'n koffie en waterbottel stop. Ek kom 11:30 daar aan. Ek is dus op die stadium so 45-60 minute voor skedule. Bennie is nie tuis nie, probleme met 'n luiperd wat beeste vang, maar Anine is daar ek kry lekker moer koffie, koue water en maak my waterbottel vol. Die Hadley draai het my 36 minute geneem. Voor my stop was my gemiddelde spoed 16 kpu. Na die stop het dit na net meer as 14 kpu geval. Nou kom die Grootrivierpoort en die klim anderkant gaan 'n groot vermindering hierin gee!

Van Hadley is dit so 5 km na die begin van die poort. Die pad af na die rivier is baie rof en ek ry maar versigtig teen die bult af. Onder is daar twee stroompies. Die eerste nie baie diep nie maar die twee kom tot oor my skoene. Daar is ook 'n paar groot klippe onder die troebelwater wat mens nie kan sien, maar ek kom sonder probleme deur. 

Nou kom die groot klim. Ek het my reggemaak vir baie stoot en dit is dan ook binne 500 meter sulke tyd. Die gradiënt is oor die algemeen nie te erg nie, maar die los klippe maak dit moeilik om momentum te behou. Na 'n ruk raak die oppervlakte so dat ek kan ry. Ek kry ook twee 4x4's wat stil gehou het om fotos van die poort te neem. Ek kan darem lamgs hulle verby kom. So 'n entjie verder moet ek noodgedwonge maar weer af klim en stoot. Op hierdie stadium is daar 'n lekker koel bries reg van agter. 

Ek ry verby die Osseberg afdraai, wat deur FC gebruik word. Ek dink eers dit is nie die pad nie want die aanloop is meer toegerooi as wat ek kan onthou. Die pad anderkant die hek, wat maar altyd redelik begroei was, is nou glad nie eers meer sigbaar nie! Dit nogal interessant dat die pad nog steeds op Track4Africa as 'n "track" aangedui word! Sal met hulle daaroor moet praat.

Van hier na "die toring", waar die pad by die Elandsrivier pad aansluit, klim die pad redelik. Daar is weer 'n paar korter stukkies waar ek maar af klim en stoot. Na 113 km bereik ek die aansluiting. Die het my 9 uur en 6 minute tot hier geneem en my gemiddelde spoed het nou na 12.4 kpu geval. Daar is nou nog 54 km oor. Dit behoort ek darem in so tussen 3 en 4 uur af te lê. 3 uur beteken om kom met laaste lig daar aan. 4 uur sal ek donker daar aankom. 

Ek was hoopvol dat die pad in 'n goeie toestand sal wees en dat ek, sodoende, my gemiddelde kon lig sodat ek voor donker my eindpunt bereik, maar dit is ongelukkig nie so nie. Die pad is redelik verspoel en ook klipperig. Dit verbeter darem na so 'n paar kilometer, maar dan begin die bulte! Ek stop vir 'n "verversings breek" en eet my laaste eier en een helfte van my laaste toebroodjie. 

Ek ry verby die punt op 120.5 km waar die pad wat ek wil terug ry veronderstel is om af te draai. Die Dodds het my ingelig dat hulle nie van die pad weet nie. Ek sien toe ook hoekom hulle nie van hom weet nie. Daar is wel tekens van 'n pad maar hy word duidelik nie meer gebruik nie. In hierdie geval verskyn hy ook nie op Track4Africa nie. Komoot en Ride with GPS dui hom wel aan. Ek besluit dat ek maar eder met dieselfde pad waarmee ek gekom het, terug gaan ry. Ek gaan my egter nie twee keer in een week so beproef nie en gaan die terug tog in twee skofte verdeel en op Hadley, wat net mooi halfpad is, oorbly. 

So 15 km van my bestemming af hou 'n bakkie by my stil. Die bestuurder will weet of ek hoe ver ek nog moet gaan, want dit gasļn netnou donker wees. Ek bevestig dat ek nog net 15 km oor het. Hy groete en ry aan.

'n Rukkie later sit ek my ligte aan. Met 8 km oor sien ek 'n fietslig voor in die pad. Dit is Llise wat my na hulle huis "eskort". My water is teen die tyd leeg en sy gee my 'n vol bottel. 

Nou hoeveel bulte kan daar nog in die laaste 8 km wees! Te veel! Dit hou net nie op nie! Dit neem my seker meer as 'n half uur om die laaste 8 km af te lê. Ek was redelik verlig toe Llise sê daar is nog net 100 meter oor na hulle afdraai. Nog 'n verdere paar meter met hulle paadjie en dan is ek eindelik tuis.

Dit was voorwaar 'n goeie dag se oefening en ek was bly ek het die uitdaging vir my daargestel en suksesvol afgehandel.

167.14 km 12:37 met 2,668 meter se klim. 4,883 kalorië verbrand. Finale gemiddelde spoed is 13.2 kpu.

English Version

With a week with two public holidays, there is no reason to sit at home. So I arranged to visit Lucia and Martin Dorfling at Marlu and on the Monday I would cycle to Llise and Mark Dodds in the Elands River valley. Both can accommodate me and I drive to Marlu on Saturday, April 26, in my car. I spend Saturday and Sunday there.

The riding distance from Marlu to the Dodds Family is165 km with just over 2,000 metres of climbing. This includes, among other things, a trip through the Grootrivierpoort.

Lucia put together a "padkos" package with two boiled eggs, two ham and cheese toasties, biltong, a few leftover fried loincloths, a Coke, a packet of Fritos and a packet of Jellie Tots. I add the two bananas I brought with me, along with two apples. So I won't go hungry!

I get on the road at 05:57. At the farm gate, which is usually only hooked in, I now find a locked gate. So I have to pick my bike up and slide it over the gate. Fortunately, there is a large hole next to it through which I can crawl.

After the gate, I turn left, towards Steytlerville. I start with a climb. Fortunately, not too bad. The first 9 km is mostly downhill. There are many signs of flood damage at the drifts that I ride through. In one case, there is a large hole on the left where someone simply put a large stone in the hole. With a normal vehicle, the driver would have to aim carefully to get one wheel on the stone and the other wheel on the part of the road that is still drivable.

After 9 km, I turn right towards Steytlerville. After a reasonable climb, the road winds between two mountain ranges. The road surface is good and fairly flat or slightly downhill, with the result that I maintain a nice pace. The last 5 km Steytlerville is all downhill!

Through the town and then I climb again. The gradient is reasonable and the hill not too long. At 43 km the road splits. Left to Cockscomb and right to Grootrivier. I choose the right. First I stop for a "snack" and eat a sandwich and drink the Coke. I had eaten one of the bananas earlier.

Just after the Winterhoek turnoff, a bakkie stops stop next to me and the driver asks where I'm going. The man's eyes widen when I say I'm going through the Grootrivierpoort and then on to Elandsrivier. He points into the distance and says that Grootrivierpoort is at the end of the mountain. He greets me and turns off in the direction of Winterhoek.

At 60 km there is another turnoff. Straight is to Cockscomb and right to Grootrivier. once again I go right. I would later find out that the Cockscomb joins the road that I took. My road climbs a bit and then I ride along a ridge. I pass a farm called Wilgerhof. Behind the farmhouse there is a large dam wall with two large holes in it. Luckily the house is a little to the right of the dam, but I think it must have been quite scary when that wall broke!

After 72 km I join the Cockscomb road. There was a turnoff to Cockscomb left a little earlier and this road now also goes to Grootrivier. The "excursion" has extended my day's ride by about 2 km! I am now on the road that the Freedom Challende (FC) uses to ride from the Bucklands "Support Station (SS)" to the Hadley SS. I remember the road from the 2019 FC and it is very up and down with some fairly long ups and downs.

I arranged with Bennie Rathbone of Hadley for a coffee and water bottle stop. I get there at 11:30. So I am about 45-60 minutes ahead of schedule at this stage. Bennie is not home, problems with a leopard catching cattle, but Anine is there I get coffee, cold water and fill my water bottle. The Hadley "stop" took me 36 minutes. Before my stopped my average speed was 16 kpu. After the stop it dropped to just over 14 kpu. Now comes the Grootrivierpoort and the climb on the other side is going to give a big reduction in this!

From Hadley it is about 5 km to the beginning of the Grootrivierpoort. The road down to the river is very rough and I ride carefully down the hill. Below there are two streams. The first is not very deep but the second comes up to my shoes. There are also a few large rocks under the murky water that you can't see, but I get through without any problems.

Now comes the big climb. I've prepared myself for a lot of pushing and within 500 meters I get off and start to push. The gradient is generally not too bad, but the loose rocks make it difficult to maintain momentum. After a while the surface becomes such that I can ride. I also find two 4x4s that have stopped to take photos of the "poort". I can barely get past them. A little further on I am forced to climb down again and push. At this stage there is a nice cool breeze from behind.

I drive past the Osseberg turnoff, which is used by FC. At first I thought it wasn't the road because the approach was more overgrown than I remembered. The road beyond the gate, which was always quite overgrown, is now not even visible at all! It's quite interesting that the road is still indicated as a "track" on Track4Africa! I'll have to talk to them about that.

From here to "the tower", where the road joins the Elandsrivier road, the road climbs quite a bit. There are a few shorter sections where I just climb off and push. After 113 km I reach the junction. It took me 9 hours and 6 minutes to get here and my average speed has now dropped to 12.4 kph. There are now 54 km left. I should be able to do it in between 3 and 4 hours. 3 hours means arriving with last light. I'll arrive there in the dark if I take 4 hours.

I was hopeful that the road would be in good condition and that I could, therefore, raise my average so that I would reach my destination before dark, but unfortunately that is not the case. The road is quite washed out and also rocky. It does improve after a few kilometers, but then the "bumps" begin! I stop for a "refreshment break" and eat my last egg and one half of my last sandwich.

I drive past the point at 120.5 km where the road I want to take back is supposed to turn off. The Dodds informed me that they did not know about this road. I now see why they did not know about it. There are signs of a road but it is clearly no longer used. In this case, it does not appear on Track4Africa either. Komoot and Ride with GPS do indicate it. I decide that I will just ride back the same way I came. However, I'm not going to try this twice in one week and will split the return trip into two shifts and stay in Hadley, which is the halfway point.

About 15 km from my destination, a bakkie stops next to me. The driver wants to know how far I still have to go, because it's going to be dark soon. I confirm that I only have 15 km left. He greets  and drives on.

A while later I turn my lights on. With 8 km left, I see a bicycle light ahead on the road. It's Llise, who is going to "escort" me to their house. My waterbottel is empty and she gives me a full bottle.

Now how many bumps can there be in the last 8 km? Too many! It just doesn't stop! It probably takes me more than half an hour to cover the last 8 km. I was quite relieved when Llise said that there were only 100 meters left to their turnoff. Another few meters on their path and then I'm finally home.

It was indeed a good day's riding and I was glad I set myself this challenge and completed it successfully.

Statistics: 167.14 km 12:37 in the saddle with 2,668 meters of climbing. 4,883 calories burned. Final average speed is 13.2 kph.