Ek, Danie Kotze en Hasie Lourens ry Vrydag 9 Oktober Red Stone Hills, tussen Calitzdorp en Oudtshoorn, toe vir 'n drie dag wegbreek en lekker fiets ry.
Day one comprise a 75 km circle route from Red Stone Hills to Kruisrivier and then Wildehondekloof and Lategansvlei back to Red Stone Hills. No major climbs but the road do have a fair number of climbs. The condition of the roads are excellent. After 69 km we stop at Big Foot Safaris, which used to be roadside cafe, but is now much fancier. We have some coffee, Danie buys a bottle of wine to sellebrate his birhday (today), a ginger beer for me and three "rooster koeke" for tomorrows supper. After 5:25 and 75 km, we clock in at Red Rock where we are spending the next couple of days.
Day two is the "queen stage"! We will tackle Lawsons Pass, which traverse Gamkaberg. Danie decides to only go the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve and then back to Red Rock as he feels the heat together with the challenge of Lawsons Pass is a bridge to far at this point of his fitness level. He is also suffering from a back problem.
It takes us 2 hours to cover the 38 km from Red Rock to the office at Gamkaberg. The next 10 km, to the top of the pass takes me and Hasie 3 hours. In some sections the garde goes up to 30%! I have never encountered a pass that steep and that includes Sani Pass! Once you think you have reached the top, there is another hill. This pass really is a challenge and it takes a special kind of "guts" to conqure it! The 6 km down the otherside takes us 30 minutes as the road surface is loose rocks and extra care must be taken not to fall.
Once we hit the main road, progress is much better and we stop at La Plume, Volmoed after 70 km and 6:15. Here our lunch stop takes us 51 minutes. It takes me 2:15 to cover the 32 km home. Hasie started cramping and we agree the we will both carry at our own pace. After I got home and filled my water bottle, we go and look for Hasie. We find him 2 km down the road and he gladly accepted a lift home. What a day!
101 km and 9:21 in the saddle. The 1,477 meters climbed do not do justus to the severity of the 10 km climb in 3 hours, bit the view from the top and the scenery was well worth it.
Dag drie is 'n sirkel roete deur Groenrivier, verby Calitzdorp dam, deur die dorp en verby die Spa en dan terug via Langverwacht. Danie draai na 12 km om om te gaan werk en ek en Hasie beur voort oor twee heuwels voordat ons die pad, wat grotendeels afdraend is, Calitzdorp toe volg. Die weer is baie aangenaam en dit is redelik koel in die vallei. Net voor die dorp neem ons 'n "verby pad" wat tydens die 360NE gebruik word. Net voor die R62 stop ons by Calitz Collective vir 'n oggend versnapping. Hasie sê hy herstel nog van gister en gaan kortpad terug Red Stone Hills toe vat. Dit is 28 km. Ek hou by my oorspronklike roete wat 'n verdere 60 km behels. Ons vertoef 'n rustige 59 minute by Calitz Collective. Ek doen 'n paar aankope daar en los dit by Kevin Taylor, by wie ons begin September oorgebly het, om dit môre op te tel. Dan sky my en Hasie se paadjies.
Ek wou die pad oor die Gamkarivier neem, maar word meegedeel dat die brug weggespoel het en moet dus Middelpad neem. Wanneer ek oor die Olifantsrivier gaan by die ingang van die Spa, wat nog in choas is, verwonder ek my weer aan hoe hoog die opdrifsels van Mei se vloed, lê. Dit moes voorwaar 'n gesig gewees het om al daardie water te sien. Ek tik "Red Stone Hills" op my Garmin in en volg die pad. Die roete neem my oor die Olifantsrivier reg oor Gamkaberg se ingang, maar die is nog onbegaanbaar na die vloed, so ek moet 'n 10 km draai ry om oor die rivier te kom.
Ek hou weer by Big Foot Safaris se padstal stil vir 'n gemmerbier en kry sommer ook een vir aandete. Van hier is dit net 6 km huis toe en ek kom na 7:29 en 103 km daar aan, net voor die donderweer 'n buitjie oor ons uitstort! Baie lekker dag met goeie oefening.
