Trans Augrabies MTB 2025

Ek het besluit om weer vanjaar aan die Trans Augrabies MTB deel te neem en het dit reggekry om vir Danie Kotze en Hennie de Clercq te oortuig om saam te gaan. Dit is ‘n lang “trek” Augrabies toe maar dit is so mooi daar dat ons dit die moeite werd ge-ag het. Hennie kom Donderdagmiddag 12 Junie oor en bring sy fiets saam en slaap die aand by my. Danie bring sy fiets ook Donderdagmiddag en ons laai ons twee se fietse agter in my motor en Hennie s’n sit ons op die fietsrak. Die plan is om Vrydagoggend 06:00 in die pad te val. 

 

Ons beplanning werk goed uit en die wiel begin net na 06:00 rol. Ons ry baie voorspoedig en kom net voor 16:00 by Augrabies aan. Op pad is ons verras oor hoe mooi groen die Noord Kaap se veld lyk. Ons teken in en pak by ons huisie, wat een van die naastes aan die “samekoms” area is, af na ‘n vinnige en flinke registrasie. Ons het ook die ete opsie vir die naweek geneem en dus stap ons 18:00 oor om na die “race briefing” te luister en dan te eet.

 

Die naweek se verrigtinge bestaan uit twee skofte van 82 en 88 kilometer en ons begin eers 09:15, nadat die ergste koue verby is. Ontbyt is tussen 08:00-09:00, so ons hoef nie te vroeg aan die gang te kom nie. Daar is drie groepe: Gravel; MTB en Mini. E-fietse is ook toegelaat. Die Gravel se afstand is langer en hulle begin 09:00. MTB begin 09:15 en die Mini (31km) 09:30. Hulle waarsku ons vooraf van die vier stroompies waaroor ons moet en dat die derde een redelik glad is!

 

Dag 1

 

Sake loop mooi volgens skedule en ons begin 09:15. Die stroompies kom sommer binne die eerste 5 kilometer voor en al hoewel nie te diep nie, darem diep genoeg om te sorg dat ons voete nat word. Ons oorleef darem almal die “gladde” stroompie sonder om t eval. Die eerste 16 km is op die een van die park se paaie, wat in ‘n goeie toestand is met so ‘n bietjie sinkplaat elk hier en daar. Ons is bevoorreg om vyf kameelperde op die stukkie te sien. Die eerste waterpunt is op 16 km en hier draai ons regs af op ‘n “jeep track” wat ons deur neem na die Oranjerivier, deesdae Gariep! Dit begin warmer raak en ek trek “koeler” handskoene aan. Die pad is redelik klipperig, maar die omgewing maak op daarvoor. Net voor die rivier is daar ‘n styl afdraend wat ons na ‘n goeie pad neem wat tussen vrugte boorde deurloop tot waar ons op 26 km regs draai om oor die rivier te ry. Hier hou ek eers stil om my “windbreaker” uit te trek en ‘n foto te neem. Ons ry ook deur ‘n plaaslike nedersetting genaamd “Vredesvallei”. Die omgewing hier staan egter as Blouputs bekend. Van hier volg ons die pad Riemvasmaak toe. 

 

Na ‘n verdere 9 km draai ons links op ‘n redelik rowwe “jeep track”. Ons is nou in die Riemvasmaak Bewaringsgebied. Die pad is baie rof en op en af, maar heel interessant. Die omgewing is ook baie mooi. Die laaste bult voor die waterpunt, wat op 41 km is, se naam is “Albaster Bult”! Ek stop vir ‘n paar verversings en ry dan weer. Ons is nou op ‘n sirkel van 8 km wat ons terug bring na die waterpunt. Die sirkel is “single track” waar ons redelik klim en dan met ‘n tegniese afdraend terug na die waterpunt toe ry. Die roete is met klippe “gemerk” en heelwat van die “klippe” is van rooskwarts. Hierdie stukkie was een van die hoogte punte van Dag 1 roe ek 2023 hier was en dit stel vandag weer nie teleur nie. Dit neem my 42 minute om die 8 km af te lê. Ek stop weer by die waterpunt en dan volg nog ‘n tegniese stuk oor ‘n paar knoppies en dan af tot by ‘n mynpad wat ons af neem na die brug oor die rivier en dan terug met dieselfde pad waarmee ons gekom het tot by waterpunt een wat nou die laaste waterpunt is. 

 

Ons ry weer tussen die boorde deur en dan, wat netnou die styl afdraende was, maar nou ‘n styl opdraende is, genaamd “Augrabies Monster” op! Die “monster” is net 1 km lank, maar ons klim 80 meter. Bo oor is dit nou weer op die rowwe “jeep track” waarmee ons gekom het. Teen die einde is daar ‘n stuk sand, wat met die kom nie ‘n probleem was nie omdat dit afdraend was, maar nou is die opdraend en dit maak dit baie moeilik om momentum te behou, met die gevolg dat daar maar af geklim en gestoot moet word! 

 

By die waterpunt draai ons nie weer terug op die reservaat se pad nie, maar hou reguit aan deur die veld op ‘n ander “jeep track”. Weereens stel die roete deur die veld nie teleur nie. Dit is redelik gelyk en ek kan ‘n goeie pas van tussen 12 en 15 kpu handhaaf. Na 6 km sluit ons weer by die reservaat se pad aan en nou is dit “voet in die hoek” huis toe! 

 

Na 5:11 en 81.68 km met 1,094 meter se klim, eindig dag 1. Dit was voorwaar weer ‘n besondere dag en ons kan nie uitgepraat raak oor hoe bevoorreg ons is om in so ‘n mooi omgewing en met sulke perfekte weer, te kan bergfiets ry nie. Ek eindig 21^st uit 44 wat klaar gemaak het. Hulle het ook ‘n “handicap” stelsel waar jou tyd aangepas word met in agneming van ouderdom. Hier eindig ek 7de. 

 

Prys uitdeling is 18:00. Hennie kry die prys vir die oudste deelnemer. Aandete volg 18:30 en die kos is van ‘n hoogstaande gehalte. Die temperatuur het intussen redelik gedaal en ons is voor 21:00 in die bed.

 

Dag 2

 

Na ‘n lekker ontbyt is ons reg vir dag 2 se avontuur wat weer 09:15 in aanvang neem. Die eerste 8 km is dieselfde as die vorrige dag, maar dan draai ons links op die “jeep track” wat ons gister net voor die einde gery het. Wanneer ons by die grootpad kom, draai ons vandag links en ry dan ‘n verdere 4 km totdat ons na 17 km by waterpunt een kom. Vandag trek ek my “windbreaker” en warm handskoene hier uit en gee dit by Bea af. Ek sal dit na die wedren weer by haar kry. 

 

Nou volg daar 26 km deur die veld met rowwe “jeep tracks” en “single tracks” wat weer met klippe uit gemerk is. Dit is redelik uitdagend maar besonder mooi en alles behalwe gelyk. Die klimme is darem nie te lank en nie te styl nie. Elke nou en dan gaan ons deur ‘n droë lopie wat gevolg word deur ‘n kort maar styl bultjie. Indien jy nie paraat is en die regte rat voor die tyd kies nie, sal jy dit nie maak nie. Ek loop- vir Hennie op die stuk raak. Hy het saam met my by die eerste waterpunt aangekom,maar is voor my daar weg. Ongelukkig het hy die verkeerde pad gevat. Gelukkig het hy dit gou agter gekom en haal my dus in met sy E-fiets. Ons ry vir die res van die dag, tot 10 km voor die einde saam. Ons is weereens besonder be-indruk met die wondelike natuurskoon waardeur ons ry. Die veld lyk hie rook baie goed na die goeie onlangse reëns. 

 

Vanaf waterpunt 2 is ons weer op die reservaat se pad en kan ons weer ‘n goeie pas handhaaf. Op 69 km draai ons af na Oranje Kom toe.

Na 6 km  draai ons regs op die Klipspringer wandelpad. Weer ‘n baie interessante en tegniese paadjie wat ons met allerhande kinkels deur die veld neem in die rigting van Oranje Kom. Na 3 km kom ons by ‘n bult uit wat nie rybaar is nie. Die organiseerders van die wedren het egter 5 manne gekry wat ons fietse vir ons teen die bult op te dra! Wanner ons bo kom kan ons dan weer op ons eie verder ry. Die roete is weer baie tegnies en ek geniet die uitdaging om alles te kan ry. Ek moet so hier en daar ‘n voet neer sit, maar kry omtrent alles gery. Op 81 km kom ons by Oranje Kom  uit. Ek besluit om by die waterpunt verby te ry aangesien daar net 7 km oor is. 

 

Van Oranje Kom is dit 2 km tot by die grootpad en dan nog 3 km die pad af totdat ons links draai om oor “Maanrots” te ry. Dit is ‘n 700 meter stuk graniet waaroor ons dan ry. Een kant op en dan anderkant af. Die klim is nie te erg nie, maar ek moet maar versigtig anderkant af want dit is redelik styl. Die rots se oppervlakte is sodanig dat ek alles kan ry. Dit word gevolg deur nog so ‘n stuk oor soortgelyke rotse totdat ons tussen die derde en vierde waterstroom weer by die groot pad aansluit. Dan dieslfde pad terug einde toe.

 

Na 5:45 en 89.8 km met 1,081 meter se klim eindig dag twee. Voorwaar weer ‘n besondere dag se fiets ry hier in die Augrabies Natuur Park. 

 

By die aand se prys uitdeling kry ek toe ‘n prys vir die oudste deelnemer met ‘n gewone bergfiets! So eindig ‘n wonderlike naweek en Danie en Hennie kan net nie uitgepraat raak oor hoe bly hulle is dat hulle gekom het nie. Ons sal beslis die wedren weer doen en sommer ook ‘n klomp van ons vriende van die Kaap oortuig om saam te kom. Die organisasie was baie goed en almal was vriendelik en het lekker met mekaar gesels. 

 

Die “juweel” moet beter deur ons as deelnemers “bemark” word om te verseker dat daar meer deelnemers is en dat die “lewensvatbaarheid” van die wedren verseker kan word. 

Statistiek vir die naweek:

Motorrit        :    1,792 kilometer 

Bergfiets rit   :     171.48 kilometer; ry tyd 10:56: meters geklim 2,175

English version

I decided to participate in the Trans Augrabies MTB again this year and managed to convince Danie Kotze and Hennie de Clercq to join me. It is a long “trek” to Augrabies but it is so beautiful there that we considered it worth the effort. Hennie comes over on Thursday afternoon, June 12, and brings his bike with him and sleeps at my place that night. Danie also brings his bike on Thursday afternoon and we load our two bikes in the back of my car and we put Hennie’s on the bike rack. The plan is to fit the bike rack in the morning and hit the road at 06:00.

Our planning works well and the wheels starts rolling just after 06:00. The journey goes very well and we arrive at Augrabies just before 16:00. On the way we are surprised by how beautifully and green the Northern Cape veld looks. We sign in and unpack at our house, which is one of the closest to the “gathering” area. Registration is quick and efficient. We also took the meal option for the weekend and so we walked over at 18:00 to listen to the “race briefing” and then have dinner.

The weekend’s events consist of two stages of 82 and 88 kilometers and we only start at 09:15, after the worst of the cold has passed. Breakfast is between 08:00-09:00, so we don’t have to get going too early. There are three groups: Gravel; MTB and Mini. E-bikes are also allowed. The Gravel distance is longer and they start at 09:00. MTB starts at 09:15 and the Mini (31km) at 09:30. They warn us in advance of the four streams we have to cross within the first part of the course and that the third one is quite slippery!

Day 1

The program goes according to schedule and we start at 09:15. The streams appear within the first 5 kilometers and although not too deep, at least deep enough to ensure that our feet get wet. We all survive the “slippery” stream without falling. The first 16 km is on one of the park’s roads, which is in good condition with a little bit of corrigations here and there. We are fortunate to see five giraffes on this stretch. The first water point is at 16 km and here we turn right onto a “jeep track” that takes us through to the Orange River, nowadays called Gariep! It is starting to get warmer and I put on “cooler” gloves. The road is quite rocky, but the environment makes up for it. Just before the river there is a steep descent that takes us to a good road that runs between fruit orchards until we turn right at 26 km to ride over the river. Here I first stop to take off my “windbreaker” and take a photo. We also ride through a local settlement called “Vredesvallei”. However, the area here is known as Blouputs. From here we follow the road to Riemvasmaak.

After another 9 km we turn left onto a fairly rough “jeep track”. We are now in the Riemvasmaak Conservation Area. The road is very rough and up and down, but very interesting and quite demanding. The surroundings are also very beautiful. The last hump before the water point, which is at 41 km, is called “Albaster Bult”! I stop for a few refreshments at the waterpoint and then ride on. We are now on an 8 km circle that brings us back to the water point. The circle is “single track” where we climb quite a bit and then ride back to the water point with a technical descent. The route is “marked” with stones and many of the “stones” are made of rose quartz. This section was one of the high points of Day 1 when I was here in 2023 and it does not disappoint again today. It takes me 42 minutes to cover the 8 km. I stop again at the water point and then follow another technical section over a few knobs and then down to a mining road that takes us down to the bridge over the river and then back along the same road we came on to water point one which is now the last water point.

We ride through the orchards again and then, what was a downhill earlier, is now an uphill, called “Augrabies Monster”! The “monster” is only 1 km long, but we climb 80 meters. At the top it is now back on the rough “jeep track” we came on. Towards the end there is a piece of sand, which was not a problem when we negotiated it this morning because it was downhill, but now it is uphill and it makes it very difficult to maintain momentum, with the result that we have to climb down and push!

At the water point we do not turn back onto the reserve road, but continue straight through the veld on another “jeep track”. Once again the route through the veld does not disappoint. It is fairly flat and I can maintain a good pace of between 12 and 15 kph. After 6 km we join the reserve road again and now it is “full gas” for home!

After 5:11 and after 81.68 km with 1,094 meters of climbing, day 1 ends. It was truly another special day and we can’t stop talking about how privileged we are to be able to mountain bike in such a beautiful environment and with such perfect weather. I finish 21st out of 44 finishers. They also have a “handicap” system where your time is adjusted taking into account age. Here I finish 7th.

Prize giving is at 18:00. Hennie gets the prize for the oldest participant. Dinner follows at 18:30 and the food is of a high quality. In the meantime the temperature has dropped considerably and we are in bed before 21:00.

Day 2

After a nice breakfast we are ready for the second day’s adventure which starts again at 09:15. The first 8 km are the same as the previous day, but then we turn left onto the “jeep track” that we cycled back on yesterday just before the end. When we get to the main road, we turn left and then ride another 4 km until we reach water point one after 17 km. Today I take off my “windbreaker” and warm gloves here and give them to Bea. I will get them back from her after the race.

Now there are 26 km through the veld with rough “jeep tracks” and “single tracks” that are again marked out with stones. It is quite challenging but exceptionally beautiful and anything but flat. The climbs are not too long and not too steep. Every now and then we go through a dry stream followed by a short, but steep hill. If you are not prepared and choose the right gear ahead of time, you will not make it. I run into Hennie on the way. He arrived at the first water point with me, but left before me. Unfortunately, he took the wrong road. Fortunately, he quickly realised this, turned around and caught up with me with his E-bike. We ride together for the rest of the day, up to 10 km before the end. We are once again particularly impressed with the wonderful scenery through which we ride. The veld looks very good here after the good recent rains.

From water point 2 we are back on the reserve road and can maintain a good pace again. At 69 km we turn down to Oranje Gorge. After 6 km we turn right onto the Klipspringer walking trail. Another very interesting and technical path that takes us through the veld with all sorts of twists and turns in the direction of Oranje Gorge. After 3 km we come across a hill that is not rideable. However, the organizers of the race got 5 men to carry our bikes up the hill for us! When we get to the top we can then continue on our own. The route is again very technical and I enjoy the challenge of being able to ride everything. I have to put down a foot here and there, but I manage to ride almost everything. At 81 km we come out at Oranje Gorge. I decide to ride past the water point since there are only 7 km left.

From Oranje Gorge it is 2 km to the main road and then another 3 km down the road until we turn left to drive over “Moon Rock”. This is a 700 meter piece of granite that we have to cycle over. Up one side and then down the other side. The climb is not too bad, but I have to be careful going down the other side because it is quite steep. The surface of the rock is such that I can ride everything. This is followed by another piece over similar rocks until we rejoin the main road between the third and fourth water stream. Then the same road back to the end.

After 5:45 and 89.8 km with 1,081 meters of climbing, day two ends. Truly another special day of cycling here in the Augrabies Nature Park.

At the evening prize giving, I received a prize for the oldest participant with a regular mountain bike! Overall I finished 21st and 7th on handicap. 

This was a wonderful weekend and Danie and Hennie just can’t stop talking about how happy they are that they came along. We will definitely do the race again and also convince a bunch of our friends from the Cape to come along. The organization was very good and everyone was friendly and had a good time chatting with each other.

This “jewel” needs to be “marketed” better by us as participants to ensure that there are more entries and that the “viability” of the race can be ensured.

 

Weekend stats:

Car ride: 1,792 kilometers

Mountain bike ride: 171.48 kilometers; ride time 10:56: meters climbed 2,175