Seweweekspoort Dag 3

 

Danie en Willie is vroeg op en ry voor 07:30. Die res van ons maak gereed vir die Bosch Luys Kloof rit en ons kom net na 08:00 weg.

By die groot pad weer links in Seweweekspoort se rigting. Verby die afdraai poort toe en bult op na Bosch Luys Kloof toe. Die pad in die kloof af is besonder mooi. Dit kronkel teen die bult af. Die eerste 2 km is heelwat styler as die laaste gedeelte. Net nadat die pad begin afplat, sien ek twee koedoe bulle en hou stil om hulle dop te hou. Hulle begin die kloof uit stap en ek sien net elke nou en dan 'n beweging tussen die bosse totdat hulle heelbo is en dan sien ek die wonderlike silhoeët wanneer hulle op die horison stop en ek kan net die horings teen die agtergrond van die lug sien. Wanneer die ander by my aansluit, is hulle weg. 

Ons ry rustig af tot by die "lodge". Hulle is nie oop vir dag besoekers nie, maar ons kan water by hulle kry op ons pad terug. Ons vat die pad af Gamkaskloof dam toe. Dit is 12 km tot by die dam. Dit is 'n mooi pad met geen ernstige bulte nie. Ons ry so 'n entjie verby die waterfiskaal se huis. Daar stop ons en eet verversings en wonder oor die watervlak en die water wat ons hoor uitloop. 

Oppad terug stop ons by Mnr Fox, die waterfiskaal, se huis. Mike herinner hom daaraan dat hy en Pieter Reinders die grond in 2004 wou koop toe dit vir R450,000 in die mark was. Hulle het R400,000 aangebied en was bereid om Mnr Fox, wat met volstruise geboer het en op die grond gewoon het, aan te laat bly. Die eienaar aanvaar toe Gerhard Rademeier se volle aanbod met die versoek dat Fox 30 dae het om van sy volstruise ontslae te raak en pad te gee. Hy maak toe so, maar aangesien die waterfiskaal kort te vore weg is en sy huis leeg gestaan het, trek hy daar in. Hy word later aangestel as die nuwe waterfiskaal en is nog steeds daar!

Na ons gesprek met hom, ry ons terug "lodge" toe. Hier word ons water bottels met ys en koue water gevul en dan pak ons die terug tog teen Bosch Luys Kloospas, aan. Dit is net minder as 8 km waarvan die laaste 2 km die stylste is. Dit neem my 1:45 om die 8 km teen 'n gemiddelde spoed van 4.5 kpu af te lê. Die temperatuur draai by 46.2 grade celsius! Bo "konsolideer" ons weer en pak dan die pad af na die Seweweekpoort aansluiting aan, maar ons moet eers deur die Bosch Luys Kloof hek gaan. Gelukkig is die kode op 'n kennisgewing by die hek. Oppad stop ek by 'n poel water om my "buff" nat te maak sodat my kop kan afkoel. 

Net verby die aansluiting is daar konstruksie werk aan die pad en ek en Johan stop om weer ons water bottels vol te maak. Die ander drie ry aan. Nou is daar nog die 2 km bult oor en dan 'n paar ops en afs tot by die huis. Ek kry dit nie reg om die afstand wat ek na die ander verloor het toe ek my waterbottel vol gemaak het, uit te wis nie en kom so 5 minute later by ons huisie aan. 

Nog 'n goeie dag se oefening en 'n besonder mooi rit agter die blad! 

Data: afstand 65.24 km; tyd 6:12; meters geklim 1,258.

Seweweekspoort Tour Day 2

 

The plan for Day 2 was to either do a 121 km loop, which included 58 km of the Freedom Challenge or a 66 km loop. Alan agreed to join me on the 121 km loop. 

We got going just after 08:00. Right at the main road, travelling west towards Anysberg. We quickly got to the top of a 3 km downhill where I clocked 63.5 kph. This was followed by some undulations until we reached the Rouxpos turn off after 17 km. 

Here we nearly had a problem as some of the guys went ahead and missed the turnoff! We were fortunate in that we managed to call them back. The next 5 km was a gradual climb and we did spread out a bit. I waited at the top so that we could "regroup". Alan, Mike and Johan joined me. Hannes lost his cellphone and turned around to look for it. Danie and Wille joined him in the search, which was unsuccessful. It fell out of his frame bag after he took some photos. There also were some brake marks from a bakkie close to where he lost it and the conclusion was that these guys picked it up and drove away with it. Hannes did quite a search, including asking some people, but had no success. Due to all this, they did no do the short loop, but home from there.

The four of us continued down past Rouxpos heading towards the Droëfontein turnoff. Mike and Johan raced ahead and once again missed the turnoff and this time we had no luck in calling them back! Fortunately the road swings to the right and goes uphill. We saw them stopping high above us, while we waited at the turnoff. After awhile they realised that we were not coming after them, so they turned around to come and join us. Johan was going to do the shorter loop, but at the spur of the moment, decided to join us. Mike indicated that he was joining me and Alan when we "regather" at the top of the hill before Rouxpos. 

Once we were all together again, we started negotiating the Freedom Challenge route past Droëfontein along the mountain to join the Anysberg road 19 km later. Intially there was a farm track leading up to the Droëfontein Guest House, about 3 km down the road. Our track goes around the righthand side of the dwelling, but we did pop in to fill up our water bottles. 

Once that was done, we joined our track again. It was obvious that this track is no longer used too often as there were no tyre marks. The track was quite clear for the first 2 km and then we hit the riverbed and it turned out to be soft sand, which was mostly unridable. We had to push our bicycles along for most of the next 2 km. In winter, when the Freedom Challenge comes through here, the sand is cold and mostly ridable, but in summer that is not possible! We also crossed some bigger, dry streams with big rocks and some sections with reeds. 

Once through all this, we again picked up a nice, ridable jeep track, meandering along the side of the mountain going up and down. The scenery was quite beautifull.

After 52 km we got to the gate that took us onto the Anysberg road. At this point our average speed was 11.3 kph. We turn right and head in the Anysberg direction. Up a steep hill and down the otherside. Here we were confronted by a stationery bakkie in the middle of the road with the driver's door opened. This was a downhill and I was doing about 50 kph. The gap looked big enough and I decided to go for it, shouting"idiot" as I passed him. Mike also made it and by the time Alan came past, the door was closed! 

At 58 km we reached the Anysberg gate. This was unlocked and we proceeded down to some empty chalets, where we managed to get water. After filling our bottles and eating what we brought for lunch, we were back on the road again. Still 63 km to go and by now have been on the road for 5:22! At this rate we are not going to get home before 18:00! The road is undulated and it is difficult to maintain a good average speed. 

A number of kilometers down the road we find a farmhouse and stop to fill up our water bottles. We get nice cold water and am on our way again. More undulations, through a beatiful "poort" and after 82 km we get to a T-junction. Left to Lainsburg and right to Calitsdorp and this is a tar road. Left is called Witnek and right is Rooinekke. This is a "pass" and once again the road is undulated. A further 8 km down this road, the tar becomes gravel. At about 96 km we find a dwelling where we can fill our water bottles again. The undulations do not stop, but at least we can average 14 kph. 

I am heading up the rear as Alan is much stronger and I cannot keep up with the e-bikes. I see the guys stopping in front of me next to a large sign on the side of the road. It reads"Porcupine Cold Beers"! Alan phones them. They are closed but will open for us. Alan state that we will not have any beers as we still have 17 km to go! We take an "imprompto" decision to stop here and call our friends to come and fetch us. It is now 16:40 and the remaining 14 km includes another 500 meters of climbing. This would take us at least another 2 hours. That would mean we will only get home at 19:00! We cycle down to Porcupine and is welcomed with ice cold beers! Danie and Hannes arrive within 15 minutes and after some more beers, the bikes are loaded and we head home. 

What a day. Distance 107 km; time 8:41; meters climbed 1,561.