FREEDOM CHALLENGE -CAPE TOUR
Cape Section of Freedom Challenge October 2007
Monday 1st October, our son, Marric dropped us off at the Cape Town train station for the start of our Freedom Challenge adventure. We paid for our tickets on the Shosholoza Meyl (R45 each) and the luggage cost for our 2 bikes (R95 total) clearly the bikes were more valuable than us! We had been told to store our bikes in the carriage rather than the luggage van and we did this, they had to be placed on the overhead luggage rack and secured – we think that it would have been less stressful and easier if they had been in the luggage van, but who knows?!
Each carriage has about 14 rows of seats, 2 on each side, and as far as leg room goes, it is much more spacious than domestic planes. The train filled up as the stations passed and we were surprised to see hawkers selling chips, peanuts, dry wors, Black Label, Coke etc all the time. After a few hours of travel the Black Label sales was overtaken by sales of Viceroy brandy, vodka etc and the noise levels increased with the alcohol content of the drinks. Our carriage seemed to be divided in two with one half being gospel singers and the other half those interested in spirits of another kind. Well, we had the other kind in our half. However, they were very polite and for some reason kept on asking for my advice. Attentive and interested security police passed up and down the aisles constantly. The trip to Prins Albert Road took 7 and half hours and we were given plenty of assistance by the security guys and the train manager to get our bikes out. They couldn't believe we were planning to ride back to Cape Town. It was 17.45 by the time we were ready to leave and we set off in high spirits, quickly reaching the tar road to Prins Albert. The first hour passed quickly as the kilometers sped by, but then it got dark and the wind came up – speed was a thing of the past, but one of the advantages of the dark was that we couldn’t see the hills! My bum was so sore from this short distance and I could not imagine being able to keep in the saddle for 8 – 10 hours at a time but over the next few days I very quickly came to realize that the long steep uphill is the perfect opportunity to get off, stretch the legs and let some blood flow to the aching areas!! As we rode past the church in Prins Albert the clock tolled nine and we arrived soon after at our B&B - Dennehof and were met by our hosts Lindsey and Ria. A hot bath, cold beer, delicious supper and bed followed in quick succession as we prepared ourselves for the next day. Distance traveled today – 50km - time 3.12
Day 2
Prins Albert to Gamkaskloof – total distance 67km
We were treated to a great breakfast and given our packed lunch for the day and by 06:20 had our bags ready, loaded the carrier and we started up the Swartberg Pass – I think I gave up 5 times on this section and it took all of Dave’s persuasive ability (and probably lack of cell phone signal) to prevent me from phoning Marric to fetch me – it was painfully slow, the uphill relentless and steep and I was really regretting not being more involved with the maps, terrain etc – was the WHOLE way going to be this difficult?? After the Swartberg Pass we had some lovely sections where the km’s sped by, only the sound the bikes tyres whizzing along and the occasional ^#^%# at the unexpected bumps. It was extremely hot and we stopped for lunch and dangled our feet in one of the numerous rivers, really pleased with ourselves. Of course the down hills had to be paid for and we had another murderous climb up the back of the Otto du Plessis pass – almost 2 hours! Soon we were at the start of the 3km steep downhill to the picnic spot in Die Hell – Dave went flying down, but I chose to run/walk alongside my bike – both brakes on for the most part. The Nature Conservation staff was ready for us and handed over our keys to Piet and Martha cottage – 7 km away. This was a blessing as it saved us the 13k ride to Ouplaas to pick up the keys and then ride back again to the cottage. We saw 2 beautiful kudu standing in the road, quite unafraid as they knew that they could outrun 2 Gassners on bikes! We stopped off at the shop/restaurant on the way and bought some beers, all set to enjoy our evening. We stayed in a quaint little house in the trees with a lovely stoep and we planned to sit and watch the sun go down – well the sudden heavy thunderstorm put an end to that and also gave our washing an extra rinse. These houses are all restored ruins of original farmers’ houses dating back to the mid 1800’s. Martin and Elmarie (Nature Conservation manager) came around at 18.00 with our supper – delicious – real boerekos and pudding, plus breakfast, packed lunch for the next day including boerewors, boiled eggs, apples and sarmies. Today we had our only puncture as a result of me braking hard on a downhill. Perhaps Dave should take the blame however, as he had tried to get the tyres to seat evenly in the rim and applied dilute dish wash liquid when he put the tyres on. When we crossed a river the soap got wet, I reached a steep downhill and the tyre slipped, tearing the valve. Distance traveled 67km – time 9hours.
Day 3
Gamkaskloof to Rouxpos – total distance about 75km – bike computers were knocked off in the bush and did not record while being carried up the ladder.
We got off to a very early start (06:10) to get THE LADDER behind us. After a lovely flat ride we passed over the nek and on the opposite side could see the start of the ladder, but not the top. All too soon we arrived at the Two Poplar trees which marked the bottom of the ladder. Dave set off up and up with his backpack and bike and I followed behind him, just my backpack and our toolbox/cooler box (about 8kgs worth of tools and food). It took Dave 65minutes to get to the top, carrying and lugging his bike up the steep, loose, rocky mountainside. I took 75minutes. It is a murderous climb, lots of large boulders to climb over and loose rock in the path which doubles as a rain water run off. Dave was much quicker the second time around and after a 20 minute run down the ladder, took only 60minutes to get my bike up. Well, I thought that was the hard part over, but in the next 3 hours we only managed to cover 11km’s. It is a rocky path (rocks the size of soccer balls), very overgrown, and steep. Walking would have been fine, but dragging a bike over the rocks and thru the bush was exhausting, it is either the bike peddles or the bushes whacking your legs or your feet twisting and sliding on the rocks. When we had covered 24km in 8hours we finally reached the Bosluiskloof road but I was feeling shattered knowing that we still had 50 odd to do. Then the skies opened and the icy rain came down with its friend the headwind. This section has some serious down hills and Dave managed 60kph into the strong headwind on one of the sections. 11 hours and 35 minutes after our start we arrived at Rouxpos – the farm of Gerhard Roux and were treated to some traditional boere hospitality – we had a much needed hot shower and our clothes were washed while Gerhard got the braai fires going. Distance traveled – about 75km – time 11.35
Day 4
Rouxpos to Anysberg Nature Reserve – total distance 83km
Beautiful scenery and crisp clear air made the early ride really enjoyable as we went along through the Rooinekke, over the Buffels River and up a steep pass and from there through the Witnekke and onto the Karoo plains with the Anysberg in the distance. Looking back we had the craggy Horlosiekrans ever present for the next two days. It always gave us a sense of just how far we were going as it got smaller and smaller in the distance. Very soon the day warmed up and the ride thru the farm grounds of Mrs. Fourie with the long sandy stretches meant pushing and pulling the bike along (the sandy section is about 10km long). These sandy sections are actually dry-river beds with which the road intersects. What made it worse it that one minute you will be bumping along and then the next you come to a dead stop in the sand. We saw lots of buck, a puffader eating a rat, and the most amazing variety of flowers imaginable growing in that really harsh landscape. We climbed over the Anysberg Reserve gate and a while later stopped to eat our lunch on the stoep of an empty farmhouse and imagined living in this isolated, peaceful area. Still riding through plains we entered Skerpkrantz, a private game farm were we saw herds of Gemsbokke, what magnificent animals! The offices of the Anysberg reserve just didn’t seem to get any closer as we battled along through the sand and stones. I suppose the road is good for a 4x4 but on a bike it is a bit more difficult and painful on the rear end. Although this was our longest distance traveled to date, an indication of how strong I was feeling is that when we got to the office to book in, there was no-one there and we had to cycle to the staff houses and then get re-directed on to our cottage – I was quite relaxed. We stayed at “Seps” a really old building which has been refurbished, very basic, with an ablution block next door. Mrs. Fullard (I feel embarrassed to say we never got her name at the time although we had a long chat) had laid out our “basic” provisions: rusks, roosterkoek, chocolates, tea, coffee, fruit juice, milk etc and she brought our dinner around too – I think she had been told to cater for 10 people, not 2 – there was tons of food, really delicious, and Dave and I tucked in appreciatively. A couple of beers would have been really lekker but we had the sunset to intoxicate us instead. Distance traveled 83km – time 9 hours.
Day 5
Anysberg nature reserve to Montagu – total distance 79km
We had a very early start here as the route indicated a very steep 8km climb to the top of Ouberg Pass. The early morning was bitterly cold just before sunrise and within 5km’s our fingers were freezing and changing gears was not easy. We stopped a while and watched the sun change the sky before we continued along the Karoo plains. It was a lovely ride and the 8km was relatively easy. Magnificent floral displays the whole way and apart from a wind towards the end it was a perfect day. It is worth mentioning that the 29k downhill from the top of Ouberg Pass is not all easy riding, this down hill is very steep and 13 kph was a safe speed. However, the road soon gives way to gentle downhill and besides the head wind (is it ever a tail wind?) was a pleasurable ride. Riding into Montagu was a real culture shock for us – after a few days of having the roads to ourselves with the exception of perhaps one or two cars the whole day, here we were surrounded by cars, bikes and people on their Friday afternoon shopping spree and the local labourers pouring in and out of the bottle stores, all very happy. We were booked into Rainbow Glen cottages and had a quick shower, hopped on our bikes and set off in search of a coffee shop where we had apple tart and cappuccino and then went to buy some wine. We sat on the stoep of our cottage looking out at the beautiful mountains, discussing our day over our bottle of wine and the complimentary Montagu muscadel, grateful to be alive. David Webster had made a great lamb potjie. Our packed lunch was delicious, a snack of locally produced pecan nuts, roasted and salted, ham and cheese seed bread sarmies, apples, fruit juice mmm. Distance traveled 79km – time 7.10
Day 6
Montagu to Kasra – total distance 82km
We left early (06.00) as previous cyclists have tended to get lost on the last section to Kasra which was also a climb over a ridge from Mc Gregor valley to Agterklipheuvel, a remote valley in the mountains. David Waddilove had also warned that the road out of Montagu was busy and there was no shoulder. The ride out of Montagu was fast, the tar roads devoid of traffic at that early hour on a Saturday morning and the views out over the wine lands so picturesque and neat. A bunch of roadies passed us just before we turned off on the Stormsvlei dirt road. I wonder what they thought, muddy old bikes with an Ohlsohns Beer cooler bag on the carrier. We stopped in just before McGregor on Viljoen’s Hoogte for a snack along the road, and then rode into McGregor for some tea (should have skipped that snack….). I was glad that Dave was there to read the map and directions as neither made any sense to me. We left Mc Gregor and climbed steadily along the farm roads and eventually got onto the farm service roads which are generally very steep and rough. We pushed the 3 kilometers up to the power lines where we had lunch at an old shepherd’s house and then took the Escom service road down towards Kasra. This section under the power lines down to the farm road way below was very steep and I had my back wheels passing me and of course, the lethal pedals hitting my shins and calves repeatedly. We then had a 150m section where we had to bundu bash our bikes from the power lines section to the farm road with no path whatsoever. The last few kms to Oestervanger Guest house seemed to take forever – but it was well worth it! Elsa and Alda have a beautiful old farmhouse and after a hot shower life took on new meaning. Kasra is in the Robertson district as mentioned. We enjoyed a bottle of Retreat Sauvignon Blanc wine, which was very nice (and which comes from Alda’s brother on the adjacent farm) with our dinner waterblommetjie soup, lamb shank and fresh veggies and ended with a chocolate chip cake for desert. If you want remote, solitude, far away, go visit this valley, they have quite a lot of accommodation in old farm houses. The following day being a Sunday (when the farmers like to sleep late), Alda insisted on taking Dave to visit Gerhardt van Deventer so that he could show him the way on his farm where we would be going the next day. They go to all this trouble for complete strangers. Gerhardt gave Dave the bad news that Sunday was going to be bitterly cold and maybe even rain could be expected, not good news. Distance traveled 82kms – time 8.30
Day 7
Kasra to Hamanshof – total distance 30kms (route shortened due to weather, we should have gone to Franshoek but thankfully we didn’t, the mountain pass is half up hill and it is a monster which would have spoilt the last day)
We left Kasra at 6.30 in the rain and wind and made our way across the valley to De Fontein where Gerhard had shown Dave the road to follow the previous evening. We started up the mountain on a section that had been described as a “rocky road” – well it was very rocky and also very long – about 10kms of more bike dragging. These Escom service roads seem to just go straight up or straight down, following the power lines no matter what. Unfortunately it was only occasionally that we would comment on the beauty around us, we were just too cold, intent only on getting up and over the mountain. It was raining, there was a freezing cold gale with no shelter and pretty soon, toes and faces were burning and fingers were unable to grip the brakes. At the top of the mountain were beautiful views for miles over farmlands with no sight of any farmhouses or I would have been in there begging for coffee. Miraculously there was no wind or rain as we crossed the nek and went zooming down the muddy, slippery road. This was pretty nerve racking as my fingers were not coping with gears or brakes and my shoes kept slipping off the pedals, but we were at least making better time. Then it started to snow…… cold, cold, cold!!!! By the time we got to the village of Hamanshof we were shivering and shaking so much that we decided to call it a day. The original plan had been for Sandy to collect us in Villiersdorp some 20kms away – and although 20km is not a long way, it was just too far on the day. Anyway, we were almost at the tar road and it was very busy being a Sunday and there was not much fun in dicing with traffic after this spectacular ride. We stopped at the local trading store cum post office and used the phone – no cell phone signal in that area. The shopkeeper took pity on us and went next door to his home and made us some coffee and we stripped off in the shelter of the stoep, put on all of our dry/dirty clothes and waited for Sandy and looked out over the snow capped mountains around us. Distance traveled 30kms – time 3.45
Conclusion: this was a fantastic experience, I saw some sights that I would never have seen any other way and which can only be accessed with permission, when you do the Freedom Challenge, had to dig deep into my inner reserves, met some truly lovely people, ate some divine food, got a chance to realize that there is so much in life that I just have not experienced, and established once again that I have a wonderful husband and got to spend some valuable quality time with him.
The bikes were great, the R65 carrier on Dave’s bike carried its load and we had no problems bar the one puncture. Dave washed off the gears and chain and lubricated them every night. They don’t look quite the same as when we left, all shining and clean. I suppose Dave will take quite a while to clean them again. We carried 2 spare tubes and some tools.
The places we stayed were all different but well prepared for us and nothing was too much trouble. Our washing got done for us at some places, we had more than enough food and most places had wine and beer. I think this is a wonderful touring ride to undertake, there is adequate time to stop twice during the day for about 30 minutes each time to eat the packed lunch and still get to the night stop in time. We are not serious cyclists by any means and spent quite a lot of time pushing up the steep hills and mountain passes. Directions and maps supplied by David Waddilove were completely adequate, we never took a wrong turn although Dave did quite a lot of preparation looking at his own 1:50000 maps and using Google Earth.
I just wonder what he is going to dream up for next year, I think he has mentioned west coast flowers, oh goodness.
Total distance = 466 kilometers. PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THE PHOTO GALLERY !!!!