One Giant Challenge: BB2BB2 Day 35

So this incredible journey has been going for 5 weeks! It will be a big adjustment ti get back to a "normal" routine again. I am going to miss getting up at 05:00, put on cycling gear and start peddalling.

We had a lovely dinner last night. Everybody went for the Lamb Shank, which was top quality. I topped ot off with Cheese Cake while the others shared a Cheese Cake Ice Cream with Cocholate Sauce. I also arranged for a "breakfast pack", as I would leave long before breakfast is served. We arranged for Mike and Johan to meet me at Muiskraal, after 50 km and then ride with we until the T-juntion where left will take them to Heidelberg. Zuna and Riana will meet them there and then they will be off to Stanford. I will then continue, on my own, to Fleckvieh Farm where I will stay the night. According Komoot it would take me 4:46. I did mention to Mike that I hoped to get there closer to 4 hours.

I did get going at 06:01. First it is the 4 km to the gate of the lodge, then down a little dirt road just before Bosriver where the signpost indicate Sionsview. This takes me onto another dirt road serving some farmers, but it do cut out a number of hills on the way to Vanwyksdorp and join the R327 just South of the town. Once again the road is quite hilly, but then are not too long or too steep. After 27 km the road split with a left to Herbertsdale and a right to Riversdale. I go right. A further 10 km on there is another road off to the left, which also connect to the Herbertsdale road. I reach Muiskraal after 4:14. It actually is a farm stall for the Muiskraal olive farm, so all kinds of olives are for sale. They also sell rusks, bottled fruit, dried fruit and related products. They do not sell any "food" like pies or sandwiches nor coffee! I settle for a Sterrystumpy and some dried peaches. After 15 minutes I am done, but Mike and Johan is nowhere to be seen. I tell the people at the shop where I am going and that they must inform Mike and Johan accordingly when they arrive.

The next turn-off is just 3 km up the road. While cycling there, my phone rings. It is Zuna, but I decide to rather contact them when I am at the turn-off. I stop there and take pictures of the road and information signs, which I forward to then. The informstion sign says "Groot Phisantefontein 7 km". There also is a message that they will only be at Muidkrasl at 11:25! I then phone them and tell them where to turn off. I also tell them that it is a good gravel road, meaning that they should drive down it untill they see me and then the men can start cycling with me. By the time I reach the Gysmanshodk Pass turn-off, there still is no sign of my mates! I take a picture of the road sign and two from intended road as per Komoot and forward this to Mike. A little while later my phone rings. It is Mike. I answer and can hear him pedalling, but he does not answer, so it is obvious that it was a "pocket dial". About a third up the pass there is a gate, which is open. I stop to take a rest and eat an egg. As I start packing up, I see Mike and Johan coming up the road! They inform me that they thought I wanted them to going over the mountain bis Groot Phisantefontein, so they turned in there. The farmer them directed them to the Gysmanshoek turn-off. So all is well that ends well!

It takes me 1:20 to cover the 6.5 km from the turn-off to the pass to the top. An average speed of 5 kph! Down the otherside it takes 25 minutes to cover 6.8 km, which included a stop to fill our water bottles from a mountain stream. At the T- junction we go right towards Heidelberg. In the distance we can see where our rout goes over a hill, which is separated from us by a deep valley. In the process we will travel 13 km and only gain a net 50 meters, but go down from 440 meters to 270, up to 390, down to 220 and up to 490! In all of this there is very little flat road, so we are either flying down a hill or grinding up another! It takes us 1:40 to cover the 16 km from this point to the nect T-junction, which bottoms out at 120 meters 3 km further down the road!

Here our paths part. Mike and Johan go left to join there wives in Heidelberg and then off to Stanford. I go right towards Swelkendsm, but today only as far as Fleckvieh Farm, 30 km down the road, where I will spend the night. But there is a sign inviting me for coffee and a milkshake! We say our goodbyes and I go for a coffee and s milkshake. I also order a cheese and tomatoe toasted sandwich. After 39 minutes I am on my way.

I tried to count the hills after a while because once again it was either up or down. The hills were only 100-200 meters, but some had 22% sections. Progress was not as fast as I would have liked and I calculated that I will only get to my destination at 19:00. The sun goes doen at 18:08, so it will be dark by the time I reach home. I do have lights, so that is not a problem, but it will be a long day

One of my clients, Dave May and his wife Racael, with whom I have built up a wonderful relationship over the years, told me that they will be in Witsand when I pass through this area and that they would like to meet up with me somewhere along the road. Now normally I do not answer my phone when it rings while cycling, but when I notice that the Mays were looking for me, I stopped and answer. They were very close to where I was amd wanted to know if they could fetch me. Now after spendind 11:40 in the saddle to cover 110 km and getting such an offer, then there can only be one reply! I continued cycling and with 14 km to go, our paths crossed. I stopped, we greeted and loaded my bike into the back of there vehicle. The last 14 km was covered in much less time than it would have taken me to cycle it. I was very glad to be home after 12:07 and not the 13 hours it would have taken me on my own steam! They even offered to take me to Witsand with them and drop me in Swellendam the next, but I declinded as I felt that that would defeat the purpose of my trip to some extend.

Fleckvieh is a self catering and camping site, so supper was going to be a problem. To over come this, I arranged for some wood, meat and salads so that I can make supper for myself. Dave started the fire while I off loaded my bike. After they "showered" me with some cookies, sweets a d Coke, they left. While the fire was burning, I had shower. When I got back, the coals were ready and I could get the job done of "cooking" and eating supper.