FC2026 Day 25 Trouthaven to Diemersfontein

 FC2026 Day 25 Trouthaven to Diemersfontein

As the last day, which normally is a bit of a nightmare, was made easier due to the closure of Stettynskloof, we decided to leave between 08:00-09:00. Tilla's family will be flying down from Pietermaritsburg and will not get to Wellington before 19:00, so we aim to finish just after sunset. I look at the Bainskloof detour map, add the distances and come up with distance of just over 90 km. Except for Bainskloof, there is not much climbing, so we should be able to do it in about 9 hours.

We finally get rolling at 08:50. We stop as we turn left towards Rawsonville and I realise that the BB on my bike now have a lot of play in it. We stop and I try to get some Squirt chain oil on it. There is a distinct possiblity that this BB can packup before the end of the day, so I need to look after it! We go over the Smalblaarrivier at Rawsonville and it is obvious why it has been closed for all motorised traffic. There is a distinct "sagging" of the road in the middle of the bridge. We go through Rawsonville and onto the Slangrivier valley. We do not enter Slangrivier from the Goudini side, but cycle around the base of the Badsberg and then Kleinberg to finally link up to the R43. We cross the Breerivier at a low water bridge and cycle through a farm to get there. When we turn left onto the R43, Tilla is quite concerned, because our distances are incorrect. I do have a reasonable knowledge of this area and am certain we are on the correct road. While cycling on I do study the map and see that we actually joined the R43 about 2 km too early. In the end it transpired that most people did this as the road next to the Breerivier, linking us back to the Slangrivier raod, have been washed away during the resent floods, so we missed the right turn onto the Slangrivier road and then cycled past to Slangrivier road/R43 connection.

A few kilometers down the R43 and then left onto the Bainskloof Pass road. As we cross the Breerivier again, the devastation of the floods are evident. Whole fences were just pushed down by the sheer force of the water. The initial climb of Bainskloof is very gentle. The total length is about 29 km of which approximately 18 is up and 11 is down! After 11 km the climbing start in earnest. The gradient of the steeper parts vary between 7 and 11%. I stop to fill my water bottle with cool water from a stream running down the mountainside. Below us the Witrivier "roars" down to the Breerivier. Somebody said that Bainskloof is one of the most beautiful passes in SA and after this ride I tend to agree. It takes me 2:30 to climb the 18 km to the top. Up the pass me and Tilla "jo-jo" all the time untill she pulls away near the top. I do not expect to see her again, but as I go around the last bend, there she is, waiting for me! We regroup again, take some photos and even get a young cyclist who did some "intervals" up the mountain, to take a photo of us. I informed my family and friends this morning that we would arrive at Diemersfontin at about 18:00. When I arrived at the top of the pass, it was 15:28. With 10 minutes downhill and 30-45 minutes for the climb and ride into Diemersfontein, we would arrive at about 16:30-17:00! I quickly sent a message that we would come in at about 17:00, but by now that message was probably too late to get then to reschedule and arrive by 17:00! Enslin also informed Tilla that they missed their flight due to traffic and will therefore not be at the finish. Now it is all downhill into Wellington. We did contemplate stopping for a coffee shop to ensure that we get to Diemersfontein closer to 18:00m than 17:00, but that did not happen. Initially the gradient is so weak, that we must pedal to maintain momentum, but then gravity gradually takes over. Tilla once agin wait for me at the stop street and then again at the foot of the last climb to the Diemersfontein gate. 

We have to climb over the Diemersfontein gate and then proceed to ride down to the manor house. At the entrance to the estate, Chris Fisher waits for us to open the electronic gate. One less gate to climb over! We follow him down the brick paved road, around the dam and then the final climb up to the manor house. In 2019 this was gravel, now it is well paved! Then the final stretch to the finish line. We are rather ecstatic when we finally cross it. My brother, his son and wife and my friend Mike Smit as well as Tilla's friends who met us yesterday, are there to welcome us. What a joyous moment. Champagne is popped. This is followed by the formal blanket presentation, Tilla's first and my third! 

So ends an epic journey. This surely is one of the toughest race in South Africa. There are other events that surely is more difficult, but this is a unique event with some unique challenges and wonderful rewards. 

I will post a final blog entry in Afrikaans and English which will give a summarised reflection of the event and total statistics.

Data for the day: time 8:36:41; distance 81.44 km; climbing 753 meters.