BB2BB2 Dag 36

Na gisteraand se braai het ek eers my blog vir die dag geskryf en kom eers 23:00 in die bed, wetende dat ek nie vroeg hoef op te staan nie. Ek kom eers vanoggend na 08:00 aan die beweeg. Eet gisteraand se oorskiet vir ontbyt, saam met koffie. Ek kom 09:30 daar weg.

Ry lekker rustig. Net voor Suurbraak merk ek 'n "bikepacker" oppad in die teenoorgestelde rigting. Ons stop en gesels. Mark van Skotland. Hy toer net so 'n bietjie deur die land en is eersdasgs oppad terug Skotland toe. Vandag mik hy vir Heidelberg. Ons groet en gaan ons verskillende weë. 

Dit is net 31 km Swellendam toe en ek is net na 2 uur se ry daar. Ek ry die hoofstraat af opsoek na 'n winkel waar ek 'n skeermes kan koop. Op daardie presiese oomblik loop 'n ou kennis, Philip van der Merwe wat in die negentigs saam met my by Pepkor gewerk het, oor die straat! Weereens 'n bewys van die Heer se hand om hierdie tydsbereking so perfek reg te kry. 5 minute enige kant toe en ons het mekaar gemis. Ons reël dat hy môre oggend 'n stuk saam met my gaan ry.

Nadat ek my inkopie gedoen het, stop ek by Aan de Eike vir koffie en iets te ete. Toe ek en Pieter Vermeulen 2021 van Kirkwood na Franschoek toe gery het, het ons hier ontbyt ge-eet! My gasheer is net so 'n entjie op in een van die dwars strate en ek kom net na 13:00 daar aan. Nadat ek my agterstallige bolg inskrywings opgelaai het, stort ek en was my vuil fietsry klere. Internet op Rooiberg en Fleckvieh was baie swak met die gevolg dat ek nie my blog kom opdateer nie. Nou is ek weer op datum.

Sien uit na 'n lekker rustige middag en aandete by Republic of Swellendam. Hulle pizzas is heerlik en in November verlede jaar kon ek nie die hele pizza op eet nie. Sal kyk of ek vannaand beter kan doen.

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.

Another eventful day in the life of a lonely cyclist, who had some ecxellent company, in more than one way, today!

BB2BB2 Dag 34

Ons reël dat Mike en Johan na 56 km by La Plume, Volmoed by my aan te sluit en dan die laaste 77 km saam te ry. Ek begin, soos gewoonlik, 05:00 roer en kom net na 06:00 weg. Weer is perfek vir fiets ry so vroeg in die oggend.

Ek ry met Harold pad af, kruis N9 Langkloof en draai links op die Paardekloofpad. Ek hoor die rivier duidelik terwyl ek deur die kloof ry. Toe ek by die Heimersrivier kruising links draai, word ek begroet met 'n mooi sons opkoms. Van hier is dit 'n paar kilometer na die N12 waar ek regs draai en na 'n paar honderd meter links na Zebra. Van hier is dit 27 km tot by die R328. Komoot vat my weer op 'n " geen deurgang" pad, maar die hekke is oop en niemand keer my voor nie. Daar is ook geen noemenswaardige verskil tussen die twee opsies nie. Ek ken die roete van Heimersrivier tot by kilometer 118 goed want dit is deel van die 36ONE wedren wat ek vanjaar vir die tiende keer aanpak. 

Ek kom so 10:40 by La Plume aan. Laat weet vir Mike-hulle ek is daar en bestel 'm ham, kaas en tamatie broodjie en koffie. Hulle arriveer net nadat ek klaar ge-eet het. Daar is 'n lang klim van hier vir die volgende 15 km en ek verduidelik die roete vir hulle en val so lank in die pad. So halfpad teen die klim uit, haal hulle my in. Ons ry lekker saam van hier af. 

Dit is 'n redelike lang "trek" tot by die Gouritsrivier en die die pad gaan weereens óf op óf af, maar dit maak die rit interessant en die klimme is nie te moeilik nie en die afdraendes is "lekker"! Ons stop by 'n gesluite huis net voor ons die Gourits kruis en vul ons waterbottes by die watertenk. Nou af en oor die Gourits. Dit is net 'n laagwaterbrug met 'n baie klipperige aanloop. Ek was in my agterkop 'n bietjie bekommerd oor die moontlike vlak van die water by die laagwater brug, maar na gister se "avontuur" met Montagupas, was ek nie van plan on my rygenote daarop attent te maak nie! Ons sou maar net die situasie op meriete moes hanteer wanneer ons daar kom. Ek het nog nooit, in die 11 keer wat ek hier deur is, die Gourits so vol gesien nie. Die aanloop is net 'n poel water en ons is genoodsaak om 'n klein ompad oor ander klippe, waar die water nie so diep is nie, te volg. By die laagwater brug loop die rivier sterk en is kniediep! Ek is eerste deur en moet versigtig wees om te verseker die water druk my nie van balans nie. Dan kom Mike. Ek neem teen die einde sy fiets by hom en hy gaan terug om vir Johan te help. Nadat ek sy fiets op die droë grond neer gesit het, gaan ek terug om vir hom en Johan te help met Johan se fiets. Ons moet seker maak dat die e-bikes se moters nie nat word nie. Dit neem ons 20 minute om oor te kom!  Gelukkig het die "meriete" van die situasie nie negatiewe nagevolge gehad nie en die kruising het bevredigingend afgeloop.

Anderkant uit is daar weer 'n lang klim. Nie baie styl nie, maar aanhoudend!

Dit word gevolg deur 'n hele paar ops en afs tot ons by kilometer 118 kom. Hier draai die 36ONE roete regs. Ons draai ons links. Nog net 7 km Rooiberg Lodge toe! Na nog 'n paar klimme is dit afdraend tot by die Rooiberg afdraai. Dan so 3 km met Rooiberg se pad tot by ontvangs waar ons opdaag nadat ek vir 10:25 en 127 km aan die gang was.

BB2BB2 Day 33

 

After Saterday's "monster" day from Marlu to Uniondale, where I really was down and out at arrival in Uniondale, yesterday's ride from Uniondale to Knysna via Prins Alfred Pass and Kom se Pad, was a highlight and a "breeze"! Lots of climbing, monster downhills and awesome scenery! To ride through the Knysna forests really is an amasing experiance.

Last night I had supper with Mike Smit, Johan Schoeman and their wives at Drydock in Knysna. It really was a wonderful evening. What these two couples have done for me since Sue passed away is just awesome! What would life be without friends like these?

We had breakfast at 06:15 and got going at 07:37. A little tar and then right before the bridge over the Knysna lagoon along a nice gravel road to the "red bridge", which is there for a pipeline, but can be cycled over. This led us onto Phantom Pass, pass number 1 of the seven passes road. It took us 36 minutes to complete the 4 km. At the top it was a right on the tar road to Rheenendal and then pass number 2 Homtini Pass. This one is 5 km and took 30 minutes. The scenery is absolutely awesome! A great prevelious to be able to ride through this beautiful area. Mike and Johan is also in awe about our suroundings. Johan do have some issues with his e-bike, but it seems to be operating reasonsbly OK most of the time. Every now and then he gets an "error" message and loose power! Somehow, between him and Mike, then get it to run. 

At about 11:45 we stop at a roadside cafe. A weard and wonderful place. We do get a plunger of coffee and eat the sandwhiches which we made for ourselves at the breakfast table.

After about 30 minutes we are on the road again. Just before Hoekwil we take the turn-off to the next pass. Still 22 km to go to George with 3 passes left. The last two follow directly onto one another. At the top Mike and Johan take a break while they wait for me to catch up and on we go. Halfway down the next hill, Mike asks Johan  where is his backpack! He left it where they waited for me. They go back to look for it, but it is gone. Not much in it, but a loss!

We cycle through George and stop at Where Trail Meet for something to eat and good coffee and set-off for Montagu Pass. Little did we know what awaits us! We take the right turn and cycle down a good gravel road past the "Old Toll House". The road is closed, but we can get around the side and there are cycle tracks, indicating that somebody else did the same. Initially the road is quite reasonable. I go ahead, antisipating that the e-bikes will pass me shortly. The condition of the road starts to deterioate. The further I go, the worse it gets. It is  classic case of the frog in the pan. You get to a point of no return. I am so far ahead of Mike and Johan that I have lost contact with them. I aldso cannot really turnaround because I have moved too far along this rediculously and really none existing road. It is just rocks and dongas! I silently hope that Mike and Johan have decided that it is too much and turned back to take the Outeniqua Pass. It takes me nearly 3 hours to "navigate" up this distructive pass, which me and Hennie de Clercq cycled up, with very little problem except for being very stero in places, at the beginning of February. I cannot come over the distruction that had taken place on the meantime. When I evetually get to Over the Mountain, where we are staying, the Brits family tells us that they had a massive storm the previous week, recording 210 mm of rain in one night. So that is why the road is in such an attroteous condition. To make matters worse, some serious problems on the reconstruction process, which started recently, was pointed out and has came back to haunt the contractors. 

I finnally reach my detination after 10:45 to cover the 98 km. In the meantime there is no sign of Mike and Johan. I can just imagine the trouble they had "halling" those heavy e-bikes over those rocks and dongas, especially Johan's bik, which probably weigh twice as much as Mike's. Riana and Estelle, our hostess, drive to the top of the pass to look for them but return without seeing anything. We all are a bit worried, but at least it is not cold and they do have lights. There also is vey little chance of getting lost. It is just the effort to get those bikes and their bodies up the pass. Eventually they arrive at anout 18:40 after 12 hours on the road. We all are relieved that they made it. Johan goes straight to their room. He is too tired to eat. He just want to rest. Mike takes a shower and we all have supper in the company of Gerrit and Estelle Brits. 

And so ends a day, which started out so beautifully and ended as a real test to our endurance! As Mike said at the dinner table, one must always be prepared for the tests that may come across our paths. We all are just glad that we all got home safely!

BB2BB Dag 32

Laasnag het dit honde en katte in Uniondale gereent! My plan was om 06:30 te begin, maar toe val daar weer 'n harde bui. Ek wag so 'n bietjie en teen 07:00 bedaar dit en ek val in die pad. Teen die tyd wat ek buite die dorp kom, het dit heeltemal opgeklaar.

Die eerste 11 km is deur die Uniondale Poort, wat 'n mooi teerpad met lieflike natuurskoon, is. Na 59 minute daai ek regs op die Langkloofpad en na 'n paar honderd meter, links op die pad Knysna toe via die Prins Alfredpas. Die volgende 5 km is opdraend en dan volg die heerlikste afdraend van 14 km tot by De Vlugt. Die Plaaskind Padstal is oop en ek nuttig 'n lekker roosterkoek met eier, spek, kaas en tamatie tesame met 'n lekker koppie moer koffie. 

Hierna volg daar 'n stuk van 23 km wat meesal klim is. Daar is so 'n paar afdraendes, maar die meeste van die tyd is dit skouer teen die wiel al die bult uit. Dit neem my 3 uur om die "probleempie" agter die rug te kry. Wanneer ek bo kom gaan ek "offisieël" die Knysna woude binne. Ek ry deur "tonnels" wat deur die bome gevorm  word. Dit is 'n besondere voorreg om so iets te kan beleef. Daar is ook 'n lekker lang afdraend waar ek af vlieg.

Op 60 km bereik ek die Kom se Pad afdraai. Nou volg ek Kom se Pad deur Knysna se woude. Nog 'n besondere voorreg. Die klimme is meesal gemaklik en die natuurskoon is asemrowend! Ek stop by 'n stroompie en vul my waterbottel met heerlike bergwater! 

Na 27 km bereik ek die stroompie wat die Simola klim aankondig. 2.6 km se klim wat wissel tussen 6 en 13%! Na 27 minute is ek bo. Nou is dit afdraend huistoe! Ek sien duidelike tekens dat Knysna rag maak vir die Simola Heuwelom wat van 2-5 Mei plaasvind. Onder draai ek regs en so 'n entjie die pad af links in by The Point, waar ek vannaand saam met Johan Schoeman en Mike Smit bly. Môre pak ons drie die Sewe Passe en Montagupas tot in Harold, aan.