FC 2026 Day 9 Chesney Wold to Slaapkrantz

 FC 2026 Day 9 Chesney Wold to Slaapkrantz

Due to the ladies not feeling too well, we decided to get going at 08:30 but actually managed to leave at 08:04. 1.6 km down to the tar road and then right for 3 km after which we go left on the road to Rytjiesvlakte. 

The road is in a beatiful condition and winds its way up the valley. It is quite a beautiful valley with the sides decorated by sandstone rocks very similar to what is seen at Golden Gate. We are on a steady climb and are enjoying the ride. After 12 km we hit the big climb to the Kapokkraal turn off. The leggs are feeling good and I manage to ride most of the hill, only reverting to push the last bit. We pass the "lone garage" where the farmer used to park his vehicle in winter when the road was snowed up. He would then come down to the garage with a tractor and then go with his normal vehicle where ever he wanted to.

The road now once again climbs to a plateau and then onto the actual farmstead. We pass that and head up the valley to a neck to the right. Once there we have to scramble down the otherside to pick up the track taking us to Slaspkranz. As we had some time in hand, we decided to go and have a look at the murals painted on the walls of a house next to the old Spitskoppe farm house. The old house is in ruins and the house with the murals is in a bad state. Some of the murals are still visible and is in such detail that it looks like wall paper. It was done by an Italian artists many, many years ago!

After our visit we tackled the track down to Slaapkranz which is 10 km down the road. We go through a number of gates and the road is pretty rough up to about 3 km from the farm house where we arrive at 14:20.

Data for the date: 6:08:00; distance 37.23; climbing 795 meters

FC 2026 Rhodes na Chesney Wold

 FC 2026 Dag 8 Rhodes na Chesney Wold

Die res van die groep gaan deur druk na Slaapkranz terwyl ek besluit om net tot by Chesney Wold te gaan, dus gaan ek 'n bietjie later begin en kom gevolglik 06:45 weg. 

Die temperatuur "hover" so net bo friespunt. Gelukkig is ek lekker warm aangetrek met leg warmers, termal langbroek, fietsrybroek en ligte reënbroek oor alles. Bo het ek termal top, fietsry hemp, warm top, my warmbaadjie en reënbaadjie oor alles. Soos dit warmer word trek ek die lae een vir een uit en stoor dit in 'n plastieksak wat ek op my rugsak vasmaak. 

Die pad uit Rhodes is heel rustig met so 'n paar klimme om die bene warm te maak en dan 'n groot klim na 14 km na die Bokspruit afdraai. Van hier is dit weer "voet in die hoek" vir 'n paar kilometers van afdraend. Daarna begin die "undulations" met 'n paar lekker klimme. Ek kan sien die pad was onlangs baie modderrig na die reën maar het nou al goed uitgedroog. Na 3 km is daar 'n furk en ek neem die regter vurk wat na Elloit gaan. Na nog 14 km kom ek by 'n T-aansluiting en draai links in Elloit se rigting. Nou volg 21 km in die Sterkspruit vallei af. Die pad is goed en die natuurskoon asemrowend. Daar is ook geen ernstige bulte tot net voor die Bottelnek afdraai nie. Ek ry lekker en die weer is perfek. Later van tyd begin daar 'n ligte briesie van agter stoot. Ek stop by 'n plaas en laat my waterbottel vol maak. 

Die bult voor die Bottelnek afdraai is 'n bielie, maar darem nie te lank nie. Aanvanklik daal ek nadat ek regs gedraai het en dan begin ek geleidelik klim tot by Bottelnek se groot klim. Dit is egter niks in vergelyking met wat ons gister ervaar het nie. Wanneer ek bo kom word ek beloon met 'n lieflike uitsig oor die Chesney Wold vallei. Die pad af is redelik en my verbasing is groot toe ek by Chesney Wold in trek en SJ en Tilla se fietse daar sien. Hulle albei voel nie te lekker nie en het besluit om hier halt te roep vir die dag. Dus is "Oupa en die twee rose" weer herenig! 

Data vir die dag: 8:29:34; 68.9 km; 1,521 meter se klim

FC 2026 Dag 7 Vivu na Rhodes

 FC 2026 Dag 7

Daar is twee opsies tussen Vuvu en Rhodes. Lehana's of Macaballa. Lehana's verg ernstige berg klim met 'n fiets terwyl Macaballa geen berg klim verg nie maar ook 'n redelike rowwe seksie waar fietse gestoot moet word en dit is 20 km langer. Ek het albei al gedoen en verkies Macaballa. In 2019 het dit vir ny en Johan Ratcliff 'n uur minder geneem om die lang roete te doen. 

Ons kom 05:35 aan die gang. Ek was nie seker watter opsie ek vanjaar moes volg nie en voer die debat in my kop oppad na waar ons weg draai Lenaha's toe. Die wind waai en dit kan 'n ekstra probleem op Lenana's wees, dus besluit ek op Macaballa. Tilla besluit om saam met my te kom. Nog 'n verdere 8 km met die pad aan en dan draai ons regs. Die eerste 7 km verg weer die stoot van die fiets maar die helling is nie te kwaai nie. Die "pad" was jare gelede rybaar, maar die enigste "ry ding" wat nou daar kan op is 'n motorfiets, 'n fiets, 'n perd en 'n donkie! So half pad op kom ons af op 'n bakkie wat die pad aangedurf het en toe op sy kap in 'n donga beland het. 

Dit neem ons ongeveer 2 uur om die 7 km af te lê. Wanneer ons uit eindelik bo kom moet ons eers deur graslande ry voordat ons die "spoor" optel. Ons ry eers wes en dan moet ons op 'n punt suid draai om weer 'n spoor na die ou Phlisrust buite pos op te tel. Die spoor is goed en ons het nou 'n wind van agter. Verby die geboue en af na 'n plaas. Dele van die pad is rof en daar is so 'n paar ernstige  bult, gelukkig nie te lank nie.

Dan sluit ons aan by die Mt Flecher/Rhodes pad met 'n teken wat sê 37 km Rhodes toe. Nou het ons 'n 12 km klim met 600 meter se klim en 'n wind wat van voor "pomp"! Ons bene is redelik "pap" so dit gaan maar stadig! Dit neem my 3:06 om die 12 km af te lê! Net voor ons bo is sê ek vir Tilla om nie vir my te wag nie. Ek bestyg die kruin op my eie en die wind "loei"! 

Nadat mens oor die kruin is ry jy so 'n paar km bult af en dan kom daar 'n 3 km "killer" bult, veral op die tydstip van die dag! Teen die bopunt sien ek vir Tilla so 10 minute voor my. Sy is duidelik ook poot uit. Toe ek eindelik bo kom is sy weg! Die aftog raak 'n geval van oorlewing. Ek stop eers om weer 'n warm baadjie aan te trek, dan warmer handskoene en dan nog 'n baadjie. Dit alles werk net "gedeeltelik" en my hande raak so dood dat ek amper nie meer kan rem nie en ek is op 'n ernstige bult af! Ek hou 'n paar keer stil net om lewe in my hande te kry. Die laaste stukkie Rhodes toe is ook redelik op en af en dit neem my langer as waarvoor ek gehoop het. 

Na 11:34 en 78 km met 2,157 se klim kom ek 30 minute na Tilla in Rhodes san. Dit het vir my en Johan Ratcliff in 2019 nege uur geneem. 

Fc 2026 Day 6 Makek to Vuvu

 FC 2026 Day 6 Malekonyane to Vuvu

See I have day 5 and 6 in English, so 7 and 8 will be in Afrikaans

It was a 04:00 start as we wanted to push through to Vuvu and you do not want to get caught in the Vuvu valley when it gets dark. 

The exit out of Malekonyane is quite tricky. To address this we "walked" the first part after SJ served her penalty. This turned out quite fortunate as the asigned route had some small saplings, which were cut off 2 or 3 inches above the ground. Can you imagine what the results would have been if we encountered that in the dark! We did find a better alternative 90 meters up the road. 

The actual navigation at 04:00 in the morning did not go too well after the section that we walked, as it is very difficult to find your bearings in the dark. It took us a while to find the wier where we had to cross the stream and more time to find the plantation we had to go around. Then after some more "wanderings" we did locate the corner of a fench which was a reference point. From there we needed to get to the road. There was some discord on how to get there, so I reverted to a silent prayer for a car to come down the road so that we knew where to go. Lo and behold, my prayer got answered in 2 minutes! I decided that I just had to witness about this when we got to the top of the next hill, which I did and that was received favourably. 

We continued along a district road for a few kilometers and then turned off on a obscure track which took as through a village. I was falling behind and when I caught up with the rest of the group, I was informed that SJ is not feeling to good and that the rest would go on their own. I diceded to stay with the ladies. We found our way through the village and around a "koppie" called Thaba Chita. From there to steam down a very rocky gully where we had to mostly carry our bicycles. Up the otherside and then onto Black Fountain. Part of the track towards Black Fountain looks like it could have been a pass for motor vehicles, a longbtime ago! It is quite a "trek" up to Black Fountain which alternate between some riding and some pushing.

Once past the old homestead it was mostly good riding on the ridgeline to a "koppie" just above Tinana. Here there are three options to go down the mountain, a "tiger line" which I used in 2014 and 2016 but as this was so long ago and I was not confident in leading the group doen that. SJ also have not tried it before, so decided to go for the "easy around the mountain" option. After awhile we realised that we actually were on the second option which is not as daring as the tiger line, but did provide us with some challenges getting down the mountain. Once we picked up the district road the next challenge was finding a track down to the river. This also presented some serious mountainering challenges with a bicycle down a mountain. Crossing the river was easy and then we went to the intrem stop at Mrs Kibi's house for lunch. We were back on the road again after 33 minutes.

It is quite a nice ride from Tinana to the entry to the Vuvu valley with fairly easy navigation. SJ had some specials notes from Richard Erasmus to help us getting through the valley and we made good progress. We managed to do some riding, especially when close to the river, which we crossed 5 times and the Tina river once. We also had to do a fair amount of "hiking-a-bike" up some serious inclines when we could not followcthevriver. We were in the last section of the valley and darkness have caught up with us. We were just short of the road and was busy man handling our bicyles up a very steep incline, which we thought would take us to the road, when we saw a light to our right. A "good samaritan" saw us and guided us through the last section to the road. I remembered this road from 2019 and it is "awefull". The one hill must have us close a hour to concour! 

After 16:08 and 77 km with 1,896 meter of climbing, we clocked in at the Vivu school. What a day!!

FC 2026 Day 5 Masakala na Malek

 FC 2026 Day 5 Masakala na Malekonyane

Due to two people in our group having to serve time penalties, we decided to get going at 04:00, with the result that everybody is in bed by 19:00! Reason for penalties: rdplcement of lost light and broken cycling shoes. These will be served at Malekonyane so we must be there by 12:00, therefore the early start.

We wake up at 03:00 and start cycling at 03:51. The bavigation out of Masakala is not too difficult, but we must make sure to go the correct "streets". We manage that and get down to a road, which we did not realise exists. In the past we went down to the river and had to struggle through the sand. This led to a short section a tar road  and then  ack onto gravel taking us through some local villages. 

At 15 km we take a left, which, ultimately will lead us down to the Kinera flood plains. We get along quite well, but do find ourselves a little off course. Fotunately not too serious and we are back on track in no time. Our chief navigator, Sara-Jane, is doing a fine job! We make our way past Springkana and across the flood plains cross some streams without getting our feet wet. We arrive at Queens Mercy after 4 hours and 32 km. Not much happening here, so we push on the Mprahane hill where we have to get onto the plato.

After a short break at the bottom, we "tackle" going up which do result in hiking-a-bike as well as carrying our bikes. Once onto top it is a smooth ride for 4.5 km on the ridgeline up to a track off the side which leads us through wattle plantation, across a stream and onto Gladstone farm. This is a beautiful old house built from sandstone but now is fairly well neglegted. From here we go through some grasslands and diwn a fairly steep cliff which then takes us onto the road leading to Malekonyane. After another two serious hills, we arrive at Malekonyane at 11:30.

Data for the day: 7:34:21; 57.66 km; 975 meter

FC 2026 Dag 4 Two Springs to Masakala

 FC 2026 Dag 4 Two Springs to Masakala

Die kos by Two Springs was uit die boonste rakke. Middag ete was die lekkerste sop met groente en vleis. Aandete was lasagne en 'n macaroni gereg. Almal was voor 20:00 in die bed!

Ons kom ooreen om 06:00 te begin. By die hek uit, 'n paar km die pad af en dan 10 km regs voor ons links draai, alles op grondpaaie. Ek trap 'n lang bult uit en voel heel goed. Remme werk ook mooi. Ons kruis ook die Kwazulu-Natal/Oos Kaap grens. Na 'n paar km draai ons regs en durf die volgende bult aan. Bo konsolideer ons, neem 'n paar fotos en ry oor die volgende nek, wat natuurlik ook 'n klim insluit. Alles darem rybaar. 

Anderkant af sing die wiele weer vir 'n paar km voor ons links draai op 'n voetpaadjie wat ons na 'n wattle bos neem. Die roete "zik-zak" deur die bos tot by 'n rivier waar ons droogvoet op klippe kan oorsteek. Nou is daar weer 'n lang "hike-a-bike" stuk op na 'n distrikspad. Intussen het die wind op gekom! Bo op die volgende bult is dit weer links en so 'n paar km die pad af neem ons 'n toelaatbare kort pad ba nog 'n "lone tree" wat ons op die rug van die plato hou. Dit neem ons deur na 'n vallei waar "hike-a-bike" weer die voorland is. Ons vorder maar stadig want ons is moeg en ons neig meesal "op" en dit op bees paadjies wat nie eintlik rybaar is nie. Die neem ons ongeveer 2 uur om die 7 km af te lê. Onder in die vallei is die wind stil, maar bonin die oopte "pomp" hy!

Bo sluit ons by 'n distrikspad aan wat, met 'n paar afdraaie, ons na Masakala sal neem, eers weer 'n kort paadjie bult af op 'n plaaslike voetpad wat so ongeveer 2 km uitsluit. Alhoewel hierdie 'n distrikspad is, is die oppervlak besonder rof. Self die plaaslike motors ry stadig, want alles skud. Ons gaan oor 'n vloedplein, waar 'n brug wat voorheen weg gespoel het, intussen reggemaak is. Dan anderkant die heuwel uit en bo regs. Masakala Guest House is 3 km die pad af.

Dag se data: 8:21:57; 69.67 km; 1,451 meters geklim

FC 2026 Day 3 Ntsikeni to Two Springs

 FC 2026 Day 3 Ntsikeni to Two Springs

We all decided last night to only go as far as Two Springs today. As this is only 32 km we opted for a later start. 

The 3 Musketeers (Sara-Jane, Matilda and me) got going at 07:48. Left out of the gate down the nain road into Ntsikeni, which is a rough jeep track looking for a "lone tree" after 4.6 km where we need to turn right on a faint track trough the grass. This goes over some "not too serious" hills foe about 6 km when we get to a bluegum plantation. We cycle on the edge of the plantation for about 4 km. At the end the plantation goes away from the fence and I interpitate this as the narrative which said the track swings away frim the fence. Some gates look fimiliar and I am sure I am right. Matilda comes after me to say that Sara say I am wrong, but I convince her to follow me. Our ride ends up much "rougher" than the track Sara recommended, but we do get to Politique Kraal about 10 minutes after Sara. 

After a brief brake, we set off along another fenceline and some cattle tracks for another 2.5 km when we go for a "tigerline" rather than the long way around the valley. Thus turns out to be a good call as it is not that difficult. Once on top we join a rogh track again for another 2.5 km when we reach a dwelling. We go through some gates and climb a small, ridable hill for 4 km. Here we turn right through the "veld" to another fence and over the hill and halfway down the otherside, over another fence and then picking up a farm track through some mielie fields which takes us down to a tar road. Then left and 2 km to Two Springs on our right. 

So a short day but good recovery. Tomorrow we will carry on to Masakala. 

I have worn diwn my brake pads on a concrete downhill on day 1 with the result that my front brakes was pretty much shot. After a nig struggle, I did manage to put new ones in, but now there is no pressure! Managed to getvit sorted, so now I do have proper brakes again!

Data for the day: 30.74 km; 4:52:13; 696 meters of climbing