South African Adventure - part 1

Back in November I was out in South Africa. Took the opportunity to do an Enduro with my brother Igor. Brother NIc and Niece Tanna as pit crew. We camped out in a nature reserve (complete with wild antelope, hippo and rinocerous...) and were up at first-light on race day.

Nic getting breakfast on the go

The race was near the old 19th century prospector's gold-panning town of Pilgrim's Rest. One of my favourite parts of South Africa - we spent many a childhood vacation in this area. It was an hour drive through this beautiful land to the race start.

We unpacked, set-up, checked the bikes and socialised. Races in South Africa are a far more social affair than in the UK. Mabe it's the weather. I took the KTM 300 EXC (two-smoke) my brother loaned me up and down the dirt road. It felt good... everything in the right place. It's then that I learn my brother and lot of the competitors use this event as training for the Roof of Africa extreme enduro. The alarm bells started ringing.

I started in the 'Senior' class. The objective was to complete 3 laps of the 25km course as fast as possible. It was estimated an hour per lap should be reasonable. I get going shortly after 09h00
.

'Action' shot - hardly...

The first 15 minutes were great... hooning across country on a super-fast trail ride. I cought and passed a few riders on the trail and about 6 or 7 others that were stuck at the two river crossings. Then I reached the first big climb. I tried once, twice and after the third fail I rested a bit at the bottom chatting to another guy who was struggling. I decided to try find a way around - he was going to try the climb again.

Igor - showing how it's done

I picked my way off-piste around the hill - bouncing through foot-ball sized rocks and venturing way off course. Eventually I come to an access road that led to the top of the hill. Thank fuck for that! I blast it up to the top of the bloody hill... only to find the guy I was chatting to has just made it up... exhausted and panting. Whooo-hooo! Nice one!

Watchin' bikes go by...

I leave him there to recover and head off to the next big climb. This time there's no way around - the trail goes up the easiest path. I attack it.

I spent a lot of time resting and enjoying the scenery

Less than a minute later, I come clattering down. Shit! I rest a minute or two and try again. I'm off half-way up. I am over the hardest part so just hang in there. I sit on the hill and rest for five minutes.. some food, drink and photos. I push on and come off two or three times more before eventually getting around the hill. Then the descents... just as gnarly and treacherous as the ascents.

Igor climbing mountains!

Typical Mpumalanga high-veld scene

Before I get to the next ascent, I have to rest. I'm feeling pretty tired - falling off on a rock-strewn hill and getting going again is flippin' hard work! Rested, fuelled and watered, I go for the next climb. It's on this climb that the penny drops...

We stalked within 10 yards of these rhino near the camp - dehorned to discourage poachers

I'd been riding the unfamiliar two-smoke like the big 'ol fourfiddy. On the fourfiddy, one uses the throttle, get's momentum and just smash through and over the obstacles. With the two-smoke one has to finesse it, use the clutch and just pop, hop and thread through and over the obstacles. I start to get the knack of this and get to the top of the climb without issue. But I'm knackered. The shenanigans on the first two hills really took it out of me and the leaders are now lapping me.

Fire-gazing brothers

The race is lost. It's then that I decide to just chill-out, enjoy the scenery, riding and generally have a good time. Some fast trails and few more hills later and I'm at the first check-point. I sit there for 15 minutes, resting, eating, drinking taking in the scenery and giving the riders lapping me encouragement. I do the same at the second check-point.

River crossings... this one had a bridge... the crossings of this river during the race didn't

I get to another bad-ass climb. Get half-way up and go down. There is already another rider struggling on this climb. We both try again. We both go down half-way up. I am absolutely wasted. I sit under a bush having a snack, drinking and trying to recover. Twenty minutes later and we give it another go - we both get about 10 yards futher up than from we went down before and then both go down - so tired I'm struggling to hold onto the bike. Fuck!

The last climb - our nemesis